Small steps

Alan did not sleep well last night. His protein levels are low because he is getting TPN instead of eating food, which means he's dry, with urine output down. It is a possible cause of his swelling, so Doc H2 is giving him albumen to get more protein into his bloodstream. It will act like a sponge to absorb water from his tissues back into his vascular system, hopefully reducing the edema. He will also talk to Doc HJ in Pedi Surg about taking him off the clear-liquids-only diet, since a normal diet will also help.

The swelling could also be due to inactivity, so he sent in the PT, who brought a wagon. Getting Alan out of the bed for something other than treatment for the first time since we came into the hospital was a nice milestone and the change in position was good for him. Once we got him settled into the wagon, we took Alan for a trip up to the new observation deck. It was the first time out of the room for him since getting back from last radiation treatment on Saturday. Since the wagon was low, he couldn't see much out of the windows but he loved the large open room and view of the skies, even if it was rainy. He just just hung out for a while, enjoying the different view and crunching ice.

When we got back to his room, he actually propped himself up on his hands to sit up a little more. It's the most activity we've seen from him in a long time!


Making a getaway


Let's go Daddy!


Enjoying a change in scene