We're going home! and more!

Hi all...

We finally talked to the pulmonlogist today and the one whose rotation it is, is OURS, Dr. Conrad, so we had a nice long conversation. She is discharging him tomorrow! Hooray! She said if want to have that sinus surgery on Thursday she could probably think of something to keep us in for, such as further play therapy (he's gotten rather aggressive lately though I think it's more from being cooped up in the hospital) or speech therapy (which I don't think he needs anymore).

I told her we'd rather have him go home and shoot for having the surgery a few weeks down the road so we could prepare him for it in the meantime, also have a lengthier conversation with the ENT and work him up for surgery more properly.

The pH probe results, he has no reflux. Zero. This is without meds! So she wants to take him off propulsid and prilosec (which we had recently switched to from zantac). Hallelujiah! She's going to be in touch with the gastroenterologist so things may change at some point but for now HOORAY less meds. As I am sure you know this comes as a welcome surprise.

He still hasn't cultured anything. Not even pseudomonas, which he last cultured two years ago. Dr. Conrad said they'll probably culture the mucus they get out of his nose to see if that's what's in there. I'm nearly positive it is. What else could muck things up so badly?

Ricky also has a large number of this particular kind of white blood cells in his blood which indicate a sensitivity to aspergillus though it hasn't shown up anywhere else. I guess this shouldn't come as a huge surprise to me either but wherever it is, it sure is hiding well!

Last night, when Ricky was asleep, Andy and I had an opportunity to visit our little friend (age 2) with CF, a little girl, who had the surgery on Friday. She's in a room down the hall. She was doing great, up and around, she just gets upset when the flush out her sinuses! She also had a g-tube put in at the same time. It looked a lot less scary than I expected. It was a great learning experience.

That's it for now... Hopefully next time I write we'll be home!