Wahoo!

Big day at the clinic!  Eric asked if he was still under such a strict quarantine.  The doctor replied that if Eric was going crazy at home, he could go to a movie!  IF it is a mid-week matinee, and IF he doesn't touch anything, and IF he wears his hepa filter.  And IF there aren't any other people in the theater, Eric can TAKE OFF HIS FILTER so that he can actually see the movie!  Pretty exciting!

Besides the great news in the previous paragraph, Eric is now taking his magnesium orally instead of getting it through a drip into his central line.  This is a big step forward because a lot of people can't tolerate oral magnesium and have to stay with the central line drip for a long time.  If Eric continues to do well, they will remove the central line in a couple of weeks.  At that point Eric will be able to take baths and shower without taping "press and seal" wrap to his chest to cover the central line.

Last week Eric received another prescription for a diuretic and started wearing thigh high prescription compression socks to fight the edema (swelling from fluid retention) in his legs.  He has much more flexibility in his joints and less pressure in his legs now.  Eric is very happy with this new development!

Next week is his long-awaited Day 100 appointment.  It will be a long clinic visit with all sorts of extra tests.  The following week we find out how far along Eric is in the process of his blood/bone marrow changing in response to the stem cell transplant from his sister Debbie.  If the progress is sufficient, the BMT doctors will start tapering the anti-rejection medications and eventually life will become more normal.  Exciting times!