Update for March 24, 2009

As noted in my earlier post, Dad was readmitted to Seton Medical Center this morning for severe fatigue. Tasha is staying at the hospital with him tonight.

His condition is largely the same as when he was admitted:

• He is extremely fatigued and needs help moving between the bed and the bathroom
• He feels cold even though his body temperature is normal
• He has not eaten and has no appetite
• He has taken some small drinks of water and has a saline solution hooked to his IV to hydrate him

They have run several tests, including blood tests, an EKG, and a chest x-ray. Some of the blood tests, including a CBC, came back normal, as did the EKG. Other blood tests have not been completed yet. We're unclear on the reason for the chest x-ray, but it may be to compare with the chest x-rays done during his previous admission to the hospital.

At this point, it's unclear for the underlying cause for his symptoms. Dr. Weber paid a visit late in the day today and indicated that the most likely explanation is the chemo treatment administered on March 20. The chemo drugs may need to be adjusted for the next application, which is scheduled for April 9. We will also have a discussion with him about the expected benefit of the chemo in general vs. the potential side effects.

There's no way to know how long he will be hospitalized, but my gut feeling is that it will be a minimum of three days.

I will be making more posts with further details regarding other aspects of his care.