Can You Believe It?....Staph Infection

Dan has hit a tough patch....it is a good thing that he is a strong person....

A "Readers' Digest" synopsis: We left Omaha on Sunday, promised to come back soon if we had to (the rejection issue isn't entirely resolved), and Dan was going to receive a blood infusion at Kearney's Cancer Center (they can handle the line in his neck.) Well...I receive a call from Dan wanting me to come to the Cancer Center immediately. As I pull up I can see an ambulance in front. I am praying that it isn't for Dan....and of course it is. Dan can barely talk, he was gasping for air, he had a high fever,....and they rushed him to the Emergency Room.

My only weak moment was when someone said, "UNMC wants you to come back,"....I have had it with UNMC and the team approach to medicine. I like being at our home hospital where our neighbor was his emergency room nurse, his doctor stayed with us for 45 minutes in the Emergency Room and checked on him four times that night in the hospital, two of our sons and tons of our friends are nearby,...and ultimately Dan was checked into Kearney's Good Samaratin Hospital.

Dan's red cell count was low, his white cell count was low, he had fluid outside his lungs pushing in, he couldn't breath very well...and really most of this has greatly improved. The line was removed because it caused the staff infection and treatment for the staph infection will last for one to two weeks. He will probably remain in the hospital until Saturday or Sunday. This is all very upsetting because antibiotics are hard on the kidney...not to mention Dan has been through so much already.

Dan's tests are looking good and we are hoping that rejection is not still a problem....other tests will reveal more. He doesn't like being in the hospital, but our Kearney friends and family have been great to visit. We were trying to get a computer for him in his room, but that hasn't happened yet.

I am upset that this even happened. We kept trying to tell UNMC that he didn't feel well when he was there....but the infection didn't take off until his immune system was really down.

And as for the wedding....Chris and Sara are getting married at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas on Saturday, November 25th and there is reason to hope that Dan will be able to go....he is the best man. We do have a doctor and two nurses in the family so hopefully this can all be done.

We are hanging in there. We appreciate your support.