GOOD NEWS - SORTA

Well, Dr. Roth came in this morning and said that Tom's kidneys were not doing as well today (although his output is excellent).  I asked him to please pull the numbers and send them over to have the MELD score re-calculated and now he's a 22!  That actually puts him 9th on the list for his blood type here!  He will be at that score (but not necessarily that position) for 30 days.  If he can get just one more point, he would be 5th on the list and that would give us a pretty good chance of getting a liver.  Would it be bad to ask the docs to do or not do something so that we could get ONE MORE POINT???

Anyway, wow how fast things can change if you get the right test results sent at the right time.  Tom is still running a slight temperature and feels warmer today than yesterday.  The docs still don't know an infection source.  He had an abdomen ultrasound this morning and are going to try to draw some fluid off for testing.  Tom said the radiology tech didn't find any fluid so I guess we wait to see what the docs say about that.  He was given albumin last night - presumably to help with the slight swelling in his legs and feet.  Dr. Roth said he might be a bit dehydrated which could explain the kidney issue.  They just hung an antibiotic and will give him more after the antibiotic runs.

Tom had allergic reactions to 2 antibiotics when he first got sick so these, along with his childhood penicillin allergy, have severly limited what they can give him.  With counsel from the hospital pharmacists, we have re-tried the 2 antibiotics and Tom has not had the same type of reaction.  These antibiotics are the best for treating what the docs think he may have and are broad-spectrum too.  So, if Tom continues to do OK, it will serve him well to know that he can take them in the future. 

Tom is more alert today than yesterday but not as well as Tuesday - he just feels achy.  He did get up and move to the stretcher for the ultrasound and then back to the bed so that was good.  He's not been on his feet since Monday so he got a little dizzy. 

OK, so I'm praying for at least one more point (2 or 3 would get him to the top of the list).  Since we're here, I'm ready for him to just get a liver.  I've been praying for a miracle so I'll keep doing that too.