Normally I am nostalgic as New Year's Eve approaches. Not this year. Out with the old and in with the new.
Ernie continues to work hard at getting better. His goal is to be narcotic free on January 1--no small feat given that the oral thrush is still hanging around after 10 days on antibiotics. Today, at the suggestion of the Hopkins Oncologist, we went to Urgent Care to get a swab of the thrush. This will be cultured to see if it is resistant to the current antibiotic. If it is, the docs will change meds when we are at Hopkins next Tuesday. If not, they will increase the dose.
His other goal is to get rid of the feeding tube by the end of January. Right now, he is managing to consume about one-quarter of his calories by mouth. We need to get to 100% before the tube can be removed. The thrush makes eating uncomfortable plus Ernie's taste buds are still out of commission so eating is more of a chore than a pleasure at this point. However, he is highly motivated.
Despite the feeding tube, Ernie has lost almost 20 pounds, right at the average we are told. (Those who refuse the tube lose 40 pounds on average!) Since he gained weight in anticipation, he is about 15 pounds shy of his pre-treatment weight. This has taken a toll on his stamina so we are also making the typical New Year's resolution to get back in shape.
We continue to be optimistic about the New Year and are more than ready to resume a normal life.
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