Hi everyone,
I just wanted to give a quick update on Jesse.
Today is Day +21 after his transplant. The good news is that Jesse officially engrafted on Day +14, which means the donor cells have started producing new blood cells. His counts did come up nicely after that, which is an important milestone.
Along the way we’ve had a few bumps. Jesse developed a very heavy nosebleed that lasted close to two hours and required additional platelets to get it under control. Thankfully the team managed it quickly.
At the moment his biggest challenge has been severe nausea and stomach cramps, which have made it difficult for him to eat. His appetite is very limited right now, so he is still receiving liquid nutrition through TPN around the clock to keep his strength up. His energy levels are still quite low, so he’s mostly resting in his room.
The doctors are monitoring him closely and we see the medical team every day. Tomorrow Jesse will have a scope (endoscopy) so the doctors can look inside his stomach and try to determine what might be causing the nausea and cramping.
Jesse is currently on quite a few medications, including:• Anti-nausea medication• Medication for stomach cramps• Immunosuppressants to prevent GVHD (these will continue until about Day +30)• Antiviral and antifungal medications for infection protection• Nutritional support (TPN)
Because his platelet count is still low, he also received a platelet infusion today to make the scope safer. If platelets are too low, even small irritation during the procedure could cause bleeding, so this is just a precaution.
Overall, his progress is still in line with what the doctors expect at this stage. He has come through the period where his blood counts dropped to near zero after the transplant, and now we’re waiting for his counts and immune system to continue strengthening.
Right now the main focus is simply getting the nausea and stomach cramps under control, and hopefully tomorrow’s scope will give the doctors more answers.
Thank you all so much for the prayers, messages, and support. It truly means a lot to us and to Jesse. We’ll keep everyone updated as we learn more.
With gratitude,
Lee-Ann, Clayton and Jesse
