Update....
She was in the hospital for 4 weeks, then in live-in rehab for 2 weeks.
Colon abscess had to be surgically removed, including about 3" of her colon. This was extremely risky, but so was doing nothing. She now has an
11" scar from the incision, plus a colostomy
bag that she'll wear for 6 months. Fevers kept coming back and then they found yet another abscess that was fist size, putting pressure
on her stomach. They had to go back in and remove that.
She got blood clots in her left arm, both legs, and both lungs. Legs were severely swollen and she couldn't stand or walk for 4 weeks.
At one point, two of the hospital docs didn't think she was going to make it. They were asking for her EOL (end of life) papers and asking
if she wished to not be put on a respirator. Scary crap! Her oncologist was still in charge of her care, and required approval for all medical
decisions, and she disagreed with the hospital docs, refusing to yield to the pulmonary team. She had faith that Jo would recover....and she did!
Fevers subsided, and her breathing improved enough for the hospital to release her. From there she went to rehab for 2 weeks. Leg swelling
subsided, and she was walking with a walker within 2 days.
She came home on April 5th and is doing pretty well. Left leg still swells if she spends too much time on her feet, but this is a minor issue.
We had a colo bag blowout the first night home, at 2am, that caught us unprepared. We had a sample kit of various bags and supplies, what was left of the
hospital supplied bags, and others that the rehab center gave us. None of those were the same brand or interchangeable so I was frantically trying to find parts
that worked together. Looking back, it was comical, but it sure wasn't at the time....LOL! We are much more prepared now!
She saw her oncologist yesterday, and had another bone marrow biopsy to see where we stand now, and to determine the next chemo needs.
We go back in 2 weeks to get the results and start the new plan of attack. Weight is still a concern, as she lost a lot once all of the swelling went
down. She's at 124# now, and the oncologist wants her to be at least 130# before transplant.
Thank you all for the continued prayers!