A longer stay than we thought

Hi everyone:

This has been a pretty long day, so I apologize if my thoughts are a bit muddled as I attempt to relate the events of the day and their implications going forward.

The original plan for the day was to have Patty speak with a dermatologist about her rash (which seemed to have abated but came back with a vengeance), and then to place a catheter -- much like her PICC line -- in her chest in preparation for plasmapheresis. Two dermatologists, both of whom were a treat, visited with Patty to discuss her situation. They took swabs for cultures from the rash, and then opted to biopsy two of the freshest sores (my apologies for the gross-out factor here.) This involved cutting two confetti-sized pieces of flesh from her back and shipping them off in a tube for analysis. We should get results tomorrow. Based on the dermatologists' initial assessment, the transplant team decided to wait before placing the catheter for plasmapheresis. The worry here is that whatever is causing the skin condition -- most likely either impetigo or pemphigus foliaceus -- could represent a threat if it were introduced into a surgical wound. As much as we were hopeful things could move along more quickly, we of course don't want to put Patty at any greater risk.

Once the rash issue is resolved, the plan is then to proceed with a couple of rounds of plasmapheresis. Ultimately, we are guessing that Patty could spend as much as a week in the hospital. This is a bitter pill to swallow, but I think we're going to need to accept such sacrifices as the nature of the beast going forward.

Patty's day also included visits from neurologists, who were there to address the issue of Patty's recurring headaches. This was mostly a routine follow-up, we think, because we believe all involved parties regard the headaches as a side effect of the milrinone.

Patty was tired when I left her this evening, and perhaps a bit blue, but was otherwise faring pretty well. Kathleen spent most of the day with us, and Kevin and Sharon visited this evening. I'm going to bed soon, and will head down in the morning with the kids after I've dealt with some domestic matters. I'll update you again as soon as I can.

Love,
Brian

P.S. Is there any lead that White Sox hitters can generate that our pitching this year can't make a nailbiter? Oh, never mind...I forgot my blood pressure medicine at the hospital, so I'd best not get started.