John is at St. Francis again, with the same symptoms he has been experiencing for the past two weeks: fatigue, fever, sweats, tachycardia, cough and generally feeling cruddy. Now his blood pressure is dangerously low as well. He has always used medicines to control his high blood pressure.
We have an amazing nephrologist leading the search for the cause of the infection. An infectious disease doc and a cardiologist are both running tests as well. He had an echocardiogram today, and will have a trans-esophageal echocardiogram tomorrow. These docs are sorting through the complexity of John's situation and making connections between symptoms and test results, and ruling things out.
So far, likely not a bronchial infection and likely not pneumonia. Hope to cross all cardiac issues off the list tomorrow.
It could be any number of issues causing these symptoms:
- bacterial endocarditis
- staph infection in the blood which is now 'masked' because of antibiotics
- bronchial infection
- final stages of rejection / death of the donor kidney he's had for 22 years
- mystery fever (I don't remember the medical term, but apparently some fevers resolve without presenting their source)
John's nephrologist is a fantastic doctor and all-around decent human. We got to the ER last night, and he came in immediately. He was still there at midnight, making careful notes and orders for today. The doctors he brings in on the case are fantastic as well. He is in great care there. Currently he is in an 'intermediate care' floor--a level of care between ICU and a regular floor.
The hospital room is lovely, and as I left this afternoon John was happily watching Shark Week.
As always, thanks for positive thoughts and prayers and kind words! Also to friends for taking our kids last-minute and all the check-ins and for listening.... love to you all....
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