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A Room With a View

Recognize that handsome face??? 



Today we moved to a new room (with a window!!!) and guess who's smiling mug was there to greet us from across the alley??? A CHOP Walk for Hope poster featuring Garrett just happened to be there to greet us.


Garrett is still not feeling very well and a meeting among specialties will occur early this week. 


On Saturday, Garrett’s fevers returned. He started spiking fevers up to 103 that could not be controlled with IV Tylenol. A one time dose of Motrin was given, however now that Garrett is on a blood thinner, Motrin is not part of his protocol moving forward. The Motrin broke the fever for four hours, but after it wore off, the fever returned. 


Today, Garrett’s fevers, up to 103, have been almost non-stop. A one time dose of toradol was administered and it did break his fever.


Tylenol and toradol may temporarily reduce a fever, but my main question to the doctors today is what is driving the fever? If the contention was the colon was the source of systemic and chronic inflammation and the cause of all his past fevers and now the colon is gone, what is the source of the fevers now? While it is not uncommon for kids to get fevers after surgery, GI feels like the window for the fevers being surgery related is closing.


Garrett now has a cough and had a chest X-ray to see if there is an underlying cause. The chest X-ray was fine, but Garrett should work on using his incentive spirometer more frequently. 


Despite increasing the sodium levels in Garrett’s IV feeding, Garrett’s sodium levels are not appropriate. A nephrologist will see him tomorrow.  


Garrett had a blood transfusion on Tuesday, but his hemoglobin has continued to drift downward throughout the week. He is receiving another blood transfusion now. (THANK YOU BLOOD DONORS!)


Garrett told me today he can't remember what his new house looks like (he slept there four nights before he was hospitalized) and asked Stephen to send some pictures.


Here's my favorite picture- it's the view from Garrett's new bedroom today. Let's hope he's home to see it in person soon and for sunnier days ahead.


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