Thursday, June 11, 2009

Belated Health Update

Will's clinic appointment went okay on Monday. His lung function tests are a little bit up. They show his lung function to be about 48% of what is normally predicted for someone of his age and height. Not yet back to his baseline of 55% or thereabouts. Will's pulmonary doctor says that we won't know if this 48% is the new baseline for at least 6 months or so. He doesn't have any reason to suspect that this is a slow-speed-rejection-related "step off," but of course he can't rule it out and that is what it will be called if Will's lung functions don't recover. He advised increased activity and better nutrition, mainly. Also trying to get the depression/mood addressed better (maybe with a second opinion since it doesn't seem like the current approaches have been working) because this should help with activity. He said there's reason to hope that Will's lung functions will recover in time.

Will goes back to endocrinology on Monday to see if his para-thyroid and related levels have stabilized and to get some more testing to see if there's anything going on there contributing. Hopefully they'll see something fixable. It has been a pretty tough couple of months, and Will certainly feels crummy. He has been reading Denis Johnson again and told me the other day about a story about a double amputee who was in a nursing home but not because of the amputation, "he was there because of extreme sadness." I think Will can relate. (I think the Denis Johnson stories are amazing, but mostly unrelentingly sad. Also, I was really surprised not to find anything more interesting written about him to link to; you'd think there would have been lots of stuff from when he won the National Book Award, but. . .not.)

Today, though, was a pretty okay day for Will, I think. Did some things around the house with all the house projects. Went out to dinner with Liam and me and then to the park and for ice cream and running around after. So, we'll take that and call it good.

3 comments:

Eb said...

gad that will got a decent reading. looking forward to the post that celebrates the next one.
Thinking of you
EB

Lisa said...

I hope that his lung functions can rebound and that the increased activity will help. Maybe the sun returning to the area will help with mood too. I worry about Gess in that regard too.

How are you doing? I hope that you are doing well and taking care of yourself!

Lisa

Kate said...

Oh Elizabeth, I am not mad about the shirt, silly! I've already been to their site, happy to know where to look and find them, and soon I hope to have my own little octopus or sea turtle or.. dang those are cute shirts.

I get mad about injustice and inequality and my own idiocy. Not t-shirts.

I'm still doing acupuncture- strange how since I do it every week it does not seem to "count" as something I am doing,but you're right! I am DOING SOMETHING! Praise the gods/goddess/all-that-is.
Meanwhile, happy to hear Will was checked out and I hope 48 is not the new 55. I liked the other number better.

And the sadness, well, yes, I can only imagine. I think that is what can eat us alive. Wishing on you and your beautiful family all good things, and a full recovery for Will, something that feels tangibly like progress, and many peapods and strawberries for all.

Thank you as always always for your sweet supportive comments.

Kate