Day +4: Toci Tuesday
Do you want the good news or bad news first? Let's go with bad so we can end on a positive note. Last night was a total trainwreck. Ramón ended up running 106-107F fevers that he simply couldn't shake. Actually, he was shaking a lot, yet the fevers persisted.
Next, Ramón's blood pressure dropped to 80/40 and his heart rate skyrocketed to 142 (he was asleep, might I add). Nothing indicated he had an infection driving the fevers. After some phone calls and powwows, the doctors ended up giving him an immunosuppressant called Tocilizumab. They determined his symptoms were a result of cytokine release syndrome (CRS), which is apparently common in haploidentical transplants like his. (Fun fact: Just the other day I read an article about Tocilizumab being used in COVID-19 patients.)
So now to the good news! After taking the immunosuppressant, he's been fever-free all day. The hiccups are another story, but we're slowly eliminating his sources of discomfort. Ramón finished chemo today and starts some new meds tomorrow to try to prevent drama between the old and new cells. We only did three laps today, but that's three more than zero.
Pictured is our dear senior Magpie. We can't wait until the day we're home to see her less-than-pleased expressions in person.
Next, Ramón's blood pressure dropped to 80/40 and his heart rate skyrocketed to 142 (he was asleep, might I add). Nothing indicated he had an infection driving the fevers. After some phone calls and powwows, the doctors ended up giving him an immunosuppressant called Tocilizumab. They determined his symptoms were a result of cytokine release syndrome (CRS), which is apparently common in haploidentical transplants like his. (Fun fact: Just the other day I read an article about Tocilizumab being used in COVID-19 patients.)
So now to the good news! After taking the immunosuppressant, he's been fever-free all day. The hiccups are another story, but we're slowly eliminating his sources of discomfort. Ramón finished chemo today and starts some new meds tomorrow to try to prevent drama between the old and new cells. We only did three laps today, but that's three more than zero.
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| Magpie the Sadpie |
Pictured is our dear senior Magpie. We can't wait until the day we're home to see her less-than-pleased expressions in person.
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