DOCTORS OFFICE RECAP

Both doctors said relatively little about Tom's "condition" and wanted to wait until the blood test results came back.  Dr. Rutland's nurse called this morning and said Tom's Vitamin D level was extremely low (5.9).  Normal is between 31-100!  So he will now be taking another Vitamin D supplement weekly for 8 weeks.  I told him to go out and sit in the sun!

She did not mention anything about adding back the Lasix.  Maybe both doctors want to talk before a decision is made.  If I don't hear from them by tomorrow afternoon, I will call.  I mentioned to both of them that something needed to be done about the fluid retention.  It may be that we go back to UAB to have the shunt tested and some fluid pulled off, I don't know.  The shunt was supposed to change his INR reading which would help him move up the list but it's been close to normal.

I also confirmed that UAB had received the test results for the MELD calculation.  Tom is back down to an 11.  The nurse said she would submit them today - I told her to please wait until the last possible moment tomorrow to send them in - we are still praying hard for a liver!  Still, the news is discouraging. 

Tom's doctor recommended another kind of lotion/cream to use on his rash/dry skin issue.  We must have a dozen or more different bottles and tubes of lotion.  He said Tom's liver condition is the cause - that is the answer for everything - and it's probably true, but the fact that it is a new one makes me wonder.  I guess we'll wait and see what happens.

Tom decided that he wanted to walk from one appointment to the other yesterday.  That's about two blocks away using connectors between the buildings.  So, I moved the car and by the time I got to Dr. Rutland's office, Tom was crossing the connector to that building - I was impressed - he had to have moved pretty fast.  I think it made him feel better too. 

I'm still praising God that we got Tom's confusion under control on our own.  Tom was a trooper to take the extra medicine.  It was huge that we caught it early but it could have gone down hill very, very fast.  I try not to worry about it but it's hard.  He gets very irritated when I ask him questions - but when you get one-word answers, it difficult to tell his condition. 

As I said from the very beginning, one day at a time.  God is in control.