I’m happy to share that Danny was moved out of ICU yesterday, Monday, June 12. He’s back in a room on the bone marrow transplant (BMT) floor.
The nurses on the BMT floor told me that for them, sending a patient to ICU is like sending their child to daycare for the first time. So, they were all relieved to get Danny back in their hands!
Danny is still on a feeding tube as he’s not yet able to swallow comfortably. He’s no longer on oxygen. Overall, Danny is very weak. We’ve got several different types of therapists working to help him regain his strength.
Meanwhile, we are still waiting for his blood counts to rise, which will signal that engraftment is happening. Engraftment means that the new stem cells from the transplant have reached the bone marrow and they are working properly and starting to rebuild the immune system. This typically happens within the first 30 days after transplant but it can take longer.
Danny’s spirits are good. He’s still experiencing some confusion from his time in ICU. This is common in ICU patients; it’s called “ICU psychosis” or “ICU delirium”. It’s only temporary, and I’ve been told that eventually he won’t see dogs in his room that aren’t really there or snow outside when it’s 95 degrees!
The doctor estimates that Danny will go home in a couple of weeks, provided that things go smoothly moving forward.
For those of you curious about the fawn born on my patio last week… his mom came back that evening at dusk to retrieve her baby. I saw them together in the neighbor’s yard. Maybe they’ll come back and visit one day!
Thank you for your support, dear friends. Or should I say “deer friends”? I guess both apply in this situation. Haha!
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