GVHD Stage 1 Diet

A full week has passed since the last update. How is that possible? I guess it's kind of good that time went quickly. Our days are filled with blood sugar tests and the beeping of the pumps for Ryan's IV meds. I'd like to record the noises of the hospital and mash them up into a dance club hit. I might be too tired.

Ryan is snoozing. I was explaining the rules of cribbage and apparently it was like a lullaby to him. Put him right to sleep. I need to make sure he gets some exercise today. I know that last night he woke up at 1am and decided to do a one-mile walk in the halls. Then he showered at about 3am and went back to sleep. It's a good strategy he has going- you really can only sleep when your body lets you sleep. The steroids make it hard to have a normal sleep schedule. So I know he's going to be upset that he slept through most of the time I was up here, but it's okay. 

Ryan's blood counts are so good that they don't even check them every morning now. He's over 3000 on his white count, 36 on hematocrit, 81 on platelets. Things are great in the blood department. Jenny's stem cells are getting in there and taking charge. The GVHD is what's really slowing things down. Yesterday we sort of maybe bullied the doc into letting Ryan try some solid food. He had just less than half a cup of white rice. It didn't make him worse, so today they let him graduate to the GVHD Stage 1 diet. Very exciting! Ryan had half a piece of white toast with a little grape jelly on it. We'll see how it goes. It's been hard for Ryan to feel like he's stalled all week. So this is progress. They will let him add one food at a time, very gradually, and we'll hope that it doesn't cause trouble. If he does get worse when he takes a new step, then you usually have to start back at square one (ice chips). I think we're in the home stretch, which is awesome, but it can sometimes be the hardest part. You feel like everything is just about to fall apart and you don't know how much longer you can hang on. We'll keep hanging on.

I do wish Ryan was awake enough to do a post. Maybe he'll do that at 1am tonight. 

The boys are staying with Terri and Ryan the past two weeks. I think they're having as good a time as they can in the situation (they adore Terri & Ryan but they're tired of all of this and want things to be normal at home). I keep telling them that they're wishing they could be home but as soon as they do get to come back, they're going to be bored and wish they were playing at their cousins' house. It would be hard to express how grateful we are to Ryan and Terri for all they're doing for us. They are loving and caring for our boys while we can't. It means everything to us.

We've had some great visits with family and friends this week, and have enjoyed every minute of it. Thank you so much for visiting Scott A & B, Terri, Mom & Dad, Christy & Ryan. 

I think that is the update for now. Below, a picture of Becca, who I miss.