Updates on Garrett

Discharge! Garrett's blood work and energy improved and his pain decreased enough to come home!  He will be on several oral antibiotics for an extended period of time and continue on immunosuppressants. In the next few weeks, he will get a repeat MRI to assess how the abscesses are doing and continue to follow up with his outpatient GI team.  He's very tired and will probably spend the next few days resting to get ready for back to school.  But he's happy to be home! And so are we!  Garrett leaving CHOP. No wheelchair needed.  He said, "Watch me perambulate, yo!" Stephen and Garrett surprised us at home. Garrett rang the doorbell and Gibson was sooo excited to see them. I was just happy they got home safely after the heavy rain, flooding and road closures!   

Yesterday, Garrett's blood work showed improvement: all inflammatory markers are down- thank you antibiotics!  They are planning on blood work again tomorrow and a repeat MRI at some point to track whether the abscesses are reducing. His team was going to move Garrett off IV antibiotics to orals in the next day or two, but his IV failed this morning so he's going to oral meds now. (Garrett has been flushing the line himself, as in that picture above!) Garrett has started eating again, but refuses most CHOP food  because, “Why would they serve kids anything this disgusting? I thought they wanted people to get HEALTHY!” But we'll take that as sign. Currently, it's pancakes for breakfast (CHOP does do breakfast well), Gia Pronto (restaurant across the street) pizza for lunch, and CHOP chicken fingers for dinner, with snacks strewn throughout (sun chips, Lays chips, cookies, fruit roll ups, Snickers Ice Cream bars, Rice Crispy treats, strawberries). We are really hoping ...