Nov 9th - Nov 25th - Well the past few weeks have been very challenging to say the least and filled with both good and bad news.

The bad news; His sore throat and mouth sores were much, much worse than anyone had expected and he also developed a condition called VOD (veno occlusive disease). VOD is where some small veins in the liver become obstructed and cause fluid buildup. So on the 18th he had drains put into his lungs and abdomen. He still has these drains and will probably have them for a little while longer. The fluid buildup has caused some pretty significant abdominal pain and has rendered him bedridden. He is on a slow drip of pain medication (dilaudid) and has a pain button to press for on demand pain relief.

The good news: The new marrow seems to be taking hold and he is now considered engrafted as of the Nov 21st. YAY!!! His blood counts have all been very good and he probably would have been leaving the hospital (but staying in Boston for a few more months) this week had it not been for the VOD.

The doctors are monitoring his VOD very closely, as it is potentially very dangerous. There are elements within his blood tests that tell them how the condition is doing. As of today (the 25th) it looks as if these values have peaked at their highs and we have even begun to see a slight decrease in these numbers. This is what we want to see. I would guess that it will take weeks if not a month or more to completely resolve this issue, but we are hoping that the worst is behind us!

Thanks again to all for your thoughts and prayers!!!

Denise and Cole

Chris and Cole

Cole resting