The Latest Medical Report

Time for an update on Loren et al.

There will need to be a couple of changes in his diet and medication. His latest checkup last week found his triglycerides down, but bad cholesterol up, so we will need to tweak the diet some more. Honestly, he doesn't eat that much questionable food. I mean, if one only partakes of a single serving of milk per day, having 2% instead of skim hardly seems unreasonable. So, he is cutting out cheese and switching to Healthy Choice Ice Cream. In addition, the doctors have had him increase his fish oil.

The last heart biopsy was another 1a. Not bad, but not perfect. They want to switch him from Cyclosporin to Rapamyacin, but are loath to do that until he achieves a zero rejection biopsy. SO, they are taking him of Azathioprine and putting him on CellCept. This new drug should be more effective in combating rejection. The reason to get a transplant patient off Cyclo is to prevent damage to kidneys and yes, the heart. I met a man who'd needed (and received) a kidney transplant, five or so years after his heart transplant. Vasculopathy is almost inevitable with long term use of Cyclosporin. (see, now isn't this fun? and you thought after transplant everything was just hunky-dory...)

Loren has to take the CellCept one month before his next biopsy, and that could not be scheduled until August, so he will start the CellCept when we return from our trip to Georgia and Indiana. He probably does not want to be taking a major trip while starting on a new med, anyway. (OK, that didn't come out quite right, but you know what I mean)
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I took the three little boys in for a general exam this afternoon, and Loren went along to take his NebuPent therapy. So, after the inhalation procedure, we were just one happy family in the teeny tiny office.

Ethan: 8 years old and seems fairly normal. Eyesight still good. Giggled during abdominal palpations :-)
Nolan: 6 years old and on the top end, size-wise. Not that he is fat. Oh no. He is just the size of a medium to large 8 year-old. Nolan also got another layer added to the foot section of his cast. Seems to be wearing away, what with ignoring his walker, and making unadvised attempts at riding his bike. *sigh* Oh yes, Nolan needs glasses, BIG TIME. He could only make out the huge "E" at the top of the chart. I had been suspicious, since he's been sitting so close to the TV. Other than that, he is pretty normal.
Trevor: 3 years old and was rather uncooperative. Would not look at the eye chart, even while being held in his loving mummy's arms. His normally sunny nature did an "about face" upon examination. (despite witnessing the obvious and painless survival of his two older brothers) He clenched his arms to his chest and did his utmost to set up complaints that would make listening to his lungs and heart absolutely futile. I basically had to hold him down for the rest of it. Did you know, it is quite possible to cry, and exclaim, "I want UP! I want UP!" at the same time?

Then, while we were there, we decided (upon recommendation of the doctor) to have a little blood work drawn to test for lead poisoning and anemia. We live in an old house, and, while most of the downstairs was repainted last summer, the kids still sleep in upstairs bedrooms, and they might as well sleep in the computer room, they spend so much time there.

After Trevor's "lively" exam, we opted just to have the two older boys tested. Let me tell you, finger pricks are NOT necessarily less painful. Ethan did pretty well, but, Nolan pulled a "Trevor" and had to have the nurse come in to help me hold him still. I imagine some of the "glances" we received exiting the clinic were connected in some way to the less than euphonious sounds emanating from two little Hoyts.

Howard Dean, move over!

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