Is it 9pm yet???

Over the last few days, my body has decided to tell me a thing or two. As my normal healthy eating habits flew out the window, my body has decided to shut down (to a point) and it has finally told me that it is run down and cannot continue to eat foods it is not used to, sleep only a few hours every night, continue to talk non-stop to give verbal updates, etc., etc. So, tonight Greg kicked me out and made me pick up a real meal on the way back to the hotel and buy a certain supplement that I used to take twice a day but left at home. I could easily ignore my body but when you add in a man with new lungs who is feeling pretty good, it is like fighting a losing battle. (laugh)So, tonight I am not calling Greg and therefore can only give you the information I already know.Greg is down to 2 chest tubes and functioning even better. He had an "off" days as far as his lung function test (spirometry) but that is due to the fact that he is moving more and the abdominal muscles are sore. The doctors said it is all normal and his lungs are actually in great shape. "Part of the normal healing process" when you take into account how much he has been through. One more chest tube should be pulled tomorrow and then his last chest tube should be pulled Sunday. He is also taking care of himself (washing, hygiene, getting his stuff), not on oxygen at all, walking greater distances without any help (except for carrying the chest tube contraption) up to 4 times a day, handling his own medications, doesn't have to do IPV anymore (http://www.fsma.org/ipv_01.shtml), and is speaking better than ever. Now, due to the fact that there are a number of lung pre-transplant patients that read these updates, I will share with you Greg's medication list (which may change by Monday):
Pancrease MT-20 (1 capsule with Tacrolimus, 6 with meals, 4 with snacks)
Tacrolimus CP 1MG (2 MG = 2 capsules in the morning and 1 MG at night)
Acetylcysteine Inh 20% 4ML Vial (4 milliliter Inh three times daily)
Albuterol MDI 0.09MG/INH 17MG (2 puff INH 4 times daily)
Amphotericin B INH (5 MG = 1 ML INH twice daily)
Dornase Nebulize 2.5 ML (once daily)
Ganciclovir CP 500MG (1000 = 2 capsules 3 times daily)
Itraconazole CP 100MG (200 MG = 2 capsule daily each morning)
Prednisone TB 5MG (20 MG = 4 tablets twice daily)
Ranitidine tablet 150MG (150 = 1 tablet twice daily)
Tobramycin INH (80 MG = 2 ML INH three times daily)
Azathioprine TB 50MG (150 MG = 3 tablets daily at 1200)
Digoxin TB 250MCG (250 MCG = 1 tablet daily at 1200)
Lastly, Greg is now only on Tylenol for the pain as the other pain killers make him sleeping and the more he sleeps, the greater the possibility for muscle atrophy (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003188.htm). Otherwise, Greg is still doing well and every day he is getting stronger. It just goes to show the power of prayer. (smile)
God bless you all and keep you healthy and safe!