6/30/08

Hi everyone.....Today was day +52 and it was a really good day. BJ went back to UAB for a check up and got some great news. His white blood cell count was up to 5,000 and his platelets were up as well. The doctors were really encouraged with those results. They told him that it was now okay to go out without his mask, unless he is in a really crowded place or somewhere that someone is cutting grass. BJ will get another bone marrow biopsy around day +60, which will be should be a week from Thursday or the following Monday. They told him that the results they are looking for are results they typically look for around day 100. As I may have mentioned before, day 100 is the "benchmark" for when the doctors start to loosen the reins and let you start living a little more normally. So, for BJ to be this far ahead is really amazing. He is trying not to get overly excited until he sees the results of that test. If it goes well, it could mean that he can move back to Tuscaloosa and visit UAB once a week for check-ups. This is truely unbelievable progress, so pray for good results from that test.

Mrs. Green was released from the hospital today and went back to the lake. She still can't take a chance on passing something along to BJ. She is scheduled to meet with a couple more doctors, so please continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

BJ is really excited about today's results. He is still not counting his chickens before they hatch, but today was a really great day. Hopefully, more good news will follow and I will let you know when it does. Talk to you soon.

6/27/08

Hey everyone....BJ went back to UAB today. Everything looked good and the doctors were pleased with his progress. He doesn't have to go back until next week. His counts continued to remain about the same and he did receive some more magnesium. The rash from the GVHD is still hanging around. It hasn't gotten any worse, but hasn't completely gone away, so the doctors prescribed a little stronger steroid cream that should take care of it.

Over the last couple of days BJ has been feeling pretty good. I haven't posted because there really hasn't been any new news. He has been following the doctors orders by staying inside, walking on the treadmill, and trying not to do anything to jeopardize his progress. His appetite continues to improve, so he is continuing to expand the menu of what he can eat. He is not getting sick nearly as often anymore, which is great news.

The family did get some disappointing news today. As I mentioed last week, Mrs. Green has been staying at the lake with walking pneumonia. Unfortunately, the antibiotics were not helping and she was not getting any better, so she went back to the doctor today. She now has full blown pneumonia an has been admitted to Carraway hospital. Not only can she (obviously) not be around BJ, but anyone who has been in contact with her can't be around BJ. This means Mr. Green can't go see her in the hospital. He told me they had a system worked out so there is a group of people that would be with her. So, everyone really keep the family in your prayers.

Hopefully, Mrs. Green will recover quickly and BJ will continue his tremendous progress. I went to see him Tuesday night and he really looks great! Thanks to all those that continue to leave comments on the site. They really mean a lot to him. Talk to you soon.

6/24/08

Hey everyone....Not to be redundant, but BJ had another really good day. His white blood cell count was up very high today. They have decided to back him off to two visits per week for right now. He is trying to focus on getting better and following the doctors' advice, but I am sure it is hard not to get excited about his body's response to treatment so far. To be at two trips to the hospital a week so soon it truly remarkable. I asked him what he was going to do with his new free time and he said he wasn't taking any chances and would continue to do the same things he has been doing. That means staying at home, getting his walks in, and avoiding any chance of catching some kind of virus.

BJ got really exciting news today about some of the blood work done. He is 100% donor blood type. The doctors told him that they would expect someone at his current time frame post transfusion to be around 50 - 65% donor blood type. This is just another encouraging milestone in his recovery.

He will be going on Tuesdays and Fridays to UAB for check ups and tests. I will keep you updated as things progress. Remember to continue thinking of Mrs. Green and praying for her to recover soon so she can get back home.

He has been feeling well enough that you may be able to get a post from the man himself in the next few days. So please continue to check out the site and leave comments when you can. Talk to you soon!

6/23/08

Hi everybody...BJ has had a couple of really good days. Since I posted last, he has been back to UAB on Sunday and enjoyed a nice day off today. Everything went good yesterday at the hospital so they told him to take it easy today. When I spoke to him last night, he was in a great mood and feeling good. Ashley said today was more of the same. He is starting to get his taste buds back and actually went back for seconds of dinner tonight. Ashley said that was a first since he went into the hospital. Hopefully, all of the positive news will continue. He is still trying to remain even-keeled each day. He does not want to get too comfortable and take unnecessary chances that could jeopardize is immune system. Keep the positive thoughts coming and I will talk to you soon.

6/21/08

Today was another positive day for BJ. He went to UAB today and received some fluids and magnesium. He will have to go back tomorrow for just a little bit because they weren't able to do one of the test they needed to (there is nothing wrong, just a little lab mishap), so he will probably be off Monday instead.

His GVHD continues to get better. The rash is almost gone and the doctors are really excited about his response to the medicines they have been giving him. His appetite is also starting to come back. He is starting to taste his food again, which has to make eating a little more enjoyable. He is still adjusting to what kind of foods cooperate with his system. Between that and reducing his anti-nausea medicine, he has gotten sick a few times. Hopefully, they will get that worked out soon.

Ashley said they he was feeing really good today. He slept much better last night and got a couple of good walks in today. He is stills being very cautious about getting outside or taking any chances on interupting the great progress he has made so far. Speaking of that, Mrs. Green found out today that she has walking pneumonia. So in addition to feeling really bad, she will have to spend more time at the lake away from BJ. Please keep her in your prayers over the next few days.

I will update again tomorrow after BJ's trip to UAB. Keep praying and posting. Talk to you soon.

June 19, 2008

Hey everyone... I did not post yesterday because BJ thankfully had the day off again. BJ continues to make progress although, he is still having a little trouble sleeping. They are going switch him from Ambien to Lunesta to see if it works better for him. He will try that tonight, so wish him luck.



The doctors got the results back from the biopsy they did on BJ's arm a few days ago. It confirmed that he does have a mild case of Graft-Versus-Host Disease (GVHD). This is a very common side-effect of the transplant. The doctors told him he would likely get it and were actually glad to see him get it now so his body can start building up an immunity to it. The good news is it is treatable and the first and mildest treatment they try is a topical (rub-on cream) steroid and it is working great for BJ. Some of the steroids they would have to try next have many more side-effects. So, if he was going to get it, at least the case is mild and treatable so far.



BJ has also started maintaining his weight. He has lost a good bit of weight since getting out of the hospital, but he is starting to get his appetite back and keeping some weight on. The doctors were very encouraged with how everything is going and the results of today's visit. They have given him tomorrow off from coming to the unit and if everything continues to look good Saturday, there is a possibility he could get Sunday off as well.



Everyone keep Mrs. Green in your prayers. She called this morning and didn't sound very good. She has caught some type of bug and has had to go to the lakehouse for a couple of days until she gets over it. Everything is going so well with BJ, she didn't want to take any chance on giving him something. His immune system is still highly susceptible to infection. So, this will be a difficult couple of days for her.



I also wanted to mention that I finally figured out a decent way to get the golf tournament registration form on the site. If you want to put a team in the tournament, sponsor a hole, or donate door prizes just print out the form and mail it to me. We are hoping for a really big turn out.



Keep praying for continued positive news. Talk to you soon!

6/17/08

BJ had another really solid day today. His white blood cell count went up again. His platelets dipped a little bit, but the doctors were not concerned by that. He got more fluids today because his Creatinin was still a little high. The nurses and doctors say as long as he continues to drink a lot of liquids at home this should not be a problem.
The doctors continue to feel really confident with his progress, so they are giving him another day off tomorrow!! He will be able to relax all day at his parents home and hopefully sleep in!!

His parents have moved a treadmill up to the main level so BJ can continue to get his walks in each day. The hot weather outside hasn't bothered BJ at all, but it is better for him to walk inside while his immune system is still vulnerable. Every time I have gone to see him he has been out on the sun-porch taking in the heat. It is very comfortable to him, which is all that matters, but it is like a sauna to me. It really does give you an appreciation for what he is going through and how different his body is from everyone else's.

He hasn't slept very well the last couple of nights. A lot of this is due to the medications they are giving him and I'm sure some of that has to be a result of the stress and nervousness he is going through right now.

I will update you all if I get any new information tomorrow. Until then, keep praying for positive news.

6/16/08

Hey everyone.....BJ was able to enjoy a nice day off yesterday. He was back at UAB today for more treatment. His Creatinin and BUN levels were a little high, so he was there a little while getting some fluids. He needs to keep pouring down the water to keep those levels where they should be. Other than that, his other counts are all right in line of where the doctors want them. He has developed a cough over the last couple of days. They are monitoring it very closely to make sure they get it under control and taken care of. He did get a little nauseated today, which was the first time in several days. He has been doing so well with that so far, so hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

When I talked to BJ this evening, we caught up on all of the day's sporting events. He has been busy keeping up with the College World Series and U.S. Open. The World Series probably comes at a pretty good time because it is on most of the day and can give him something good to watch on TV.

We have finalized the date for the golf tournament benefitting BJ's foundation. It will be August 23rd at Castle Pines Country Club in Gardendale, AL. I should have the registration form on the site in the next day or so.

Everybody pray for continued progress for BJ. He is doing great and your thoughts and prayers are a big part of it. I will talk to you tomorrow.

6/14/08

Hey everyone.... I got to go by and see BJ this afternoon and he looks great. He has lost more weight since I went by earlier this week. He said he was a little tired today, but he slept really good last night. He has been staying awake most of the day and sleeping at night, so hopefully that will continue and he will continue to rest well.

The doctors did a chest X-ray today because he has had some congestion and been coughing a good bit. The X-ray didn't show any problems, so they are going to continue to monitor it. The BIG NEWS of the day is that BJ gets tomorrow off and doesn't have to go to the hospital. He seemed pretty excited about the break.

Everything else seems to be right on schedule. BJ was at day +30 today, which is one month since the transfusion. He has mentioned that it had gone pretty fast so far, so hopefully that will continue for him.

I also wanted to let all of you know that Eric Beasley and I are in the process of putting together a golf tournament to benefit BJ's foundation. We are really close to finalizing a date and as soon as we do, I will be putting all of the information on the web-site. My plans are to have a link to register from this website, so keep checking for that.

Keep the prayers and comments coming and I will talk to you soon

5/13/08

I wanted to give you all a quick update on BJ's trip to the hospital today. First, I should mention that he slept about 6-7 hours last night. So, more improvement there. They gave him some more magnesium today and his counts were up a good bit today. His white blood cell count was 2.25 and his platelets were up to 150,000, which is in the normal range. They will still fluccuate up and down, but it has to feel good to see them going in the right direction. Ashley said he looked really good today and more importantly he said he felt good. I am going to go by and see him this weekend and will update everyone after that unless something important happens. Until then keep praying for more positive results. I will talk to you soon.

5/12/08 P.M.

I spoke to Ashley this evening to get an update on BJ's night and day today. He slept better last night. When I went to see him a couple of days ago he said that he was up basically all night. Last night he slept from 1:00 A.M. to 7:00 A.M. and only woke up once, which is a tremendous improvement. He had another pretty long day at UAB today. He was scheduled to have a PICC line put in at 9:00 this morning, unfortunately they didn't do that until 11:30. A PICC line is a device similar to his Hickman in that, is it put in to reduce the IV's everyday. It is in his arm and they can draw blood and give him medications without having to stick him everyday. He didn't leave the hospital until about 2:30, so he was pretty worn out.

He didn't have to get any Magnesium today, but will probably get some tomorrow. His counts went up some today, in fact his platelets are only 10,000 away from normal, which is amazing.

The doctors continue to be impressed with the way things are going. Dr. Ashraf, the attending physician, mentioned today that if everything continues to go well over the next two days, he may be able to stay at home all day on Sunday without a visit to UAB. Hopefully for BJ's sake, things will go as planned and he will get the day off.

Since BJ has been home, he has been going back and forth daily for lab work, so they can keep a close eye on his counts. There are very few changes from day-to-day, therefore I may only post every couple of days unless something new arises. Few changes are not a bad thing, it only means that BJ is on the right path to full recovery. Keep praying for continued good results. I will update you all as soon as I get any new information.

6/11/08

Hey everyone...Sorry I didn't post yesterday. There were no real changes for BJ yesterday. His counts dropped a little and they gave him a little magnesium, but other than that everything was pretty consistent with the day before. He will be headed to the hospital again this morning and I will update everyone this afternoon about how that goes and how his night was last night. Hopefully, he was able to get some good sleep. I will talk to you later.

5/10/08

Hey everybody..... I got to go by the Green's this evening to see BJ. E.B. and I went by to check on him and see how he was feeling. The change in the way he looked since the last time I saw him was remarkable. The swelling in his legs, feet, and ankles has gone down tremendously. He has lost about twenty-five pounds since I saw him in the hospital.

He had a pretty long day at the hospital today. He went up there around 7 A.M. and didn't leave until 3 P.M. He had to get more magnesium, which as I mentioned before, is a pretty time consuming process. His counts were up a little bit today and he didn't have to get the antibiotics for fever today. So, those were both positives.

He did not sleep well at all last night. He was kind of surprised by this. He thought when he came home he would automatically sleep better because he had a comfortable bed and surroundings. He did get a little sleep today, but he didn't want to get too much so he could sleep tonight. He said he hadn't felt all that great today, but I am sure there will be many ups and downs over the next couple of weeks. He has not been able to eat much because nothing tastes good to him. One side-effect that he is experiencing that I was not aware of until today is the loss of taste buds. He said that they will eventually come back, but until they do, nothing tastes good to him right now.

BJ said he is just taking everything one day at a time. I know he appreciates all of the kind words everyone has put on here and in cards they have sent him. Keep praying for good days and I will talk to you tomorrow.

6/9/08

Hey everyone.... I had a really good talk with BJ tonight. He sounded as good as I have heard him since he went into the hospital. He told me it comes and goes and he could get tired pretty quickly, but it was great to talk with him about all kinds of things besides what he is going through.

We did get in some of the serious conversation...He made two trips to UAB today. The first was early this morning to get his blood work done and the second this afternoon to take an antibiotic by IV and get the results from the blood work. The antibiotic was to help with the fever he got 2 nights ago. The doctor said that he may stop that antibiotic tomorrow, so he may only have to make one trip for a couple of hours from now on. His white blood cell count was down a little more today. That is one of the side-effects of one of the medicines they are giving him, so they may try a different medication tomorrow. His platelets were up again today, which is good news. Hopefully, he will only make one trip tomorrow and they will get his meds worked out.

I can't tell you how exciting it was to hear BJ on the phone tonight. I know he is still very tired at times, but the difference between tonight and the last time I saw him was unbelievable. He said he slept better last night and is really glad to be home and out of that hospital bed. Having a whole floor to move around in rather than one room is pretty nice too. The trip back to the hospital Saturday did make him a little nervous, but maybe he will be able to get settled in now and keep getting better. I will update you tomorrow, hopefully with more positive news.

6/8/08

Hey everyone...Sorry to be a little while between posts. BJ has had a rather eventful day and a half since my last post. He got back to Gardendale, to his parents house, around 3:30 yesterday afternoon. Ashley said he was pretty quiet on the ride home and then finally BJ said he was just enjoying the scenery.

He got to his parents house and started getting settled in. Later in the evening, BJ got really cold and eventually got a fever high enough that his parents had to call the unit. So after just getting comfortable, it was back to the hospital. He had to get some antibiotics to try and control the fever. This was the first fever he has had in two weeks, so it was pretty bad timing because it had to be a little nerve racking being away from the hospital where help is just outside the room. The fever did break and BJ went home and got one of the best nights sleep he has had recently. He went back to the hospital this morning for treatment and spent a little more time there than he anticipated (For the next couple of weeks he will be going to the unit almost everyday for treatment). His magnesium levels were really low, so he had to spend most of the day at the hospital getting those levels back up (it takes a good while to give this med). His creatnine was also kind of high, which can affect his kidney's, so he is going to have to really make an effort to drink a lot of water. While he was in the hospital he was receiving fluids automatically through his IV. So, it will probably take a little time to get used to drinking a lot of fluids himself.

He has continued to do pretty well with keeping food and medicines down. He has gotten sick a couple of times, but that is not too surprising. It will probably take a couple of days to get adjusted to being back home and his schedule of trips back to UAB. The doctors continue to remain extremely positive about his recovery. Dr. Vaughn told him that he thought everything has gone perfect so far. Pray that the good results keep coming and BJ has a smooth transition back to his parents house. I will update tomorrow as soon as I hear anything new. Talk to you then.

6/7/08 - BIG NEWS!!!

BJ's GOING HOME!! I just got the call from Ashley and they are discharging him around 3:00 P.M. today! She said BJ was ecstatic. He didn't sleep much last night because he was nervous about today and he probably won't sleep much today because of excitement. His counts made a big jump today. His white blood cell count was up to 3.03 and his platelets were up to 125,000. I know the whole family has to be excited also. I will try to update again when I talk to BJ, but just wanted to pass along the news. Keep praying and I will talk to you soon. 

6/6/08

Hey everybody....BJ had another really good day. He didn't sleep very much last night, but that could probably be attributed to him sleeping for the better part of the day yesterday. He felt much better today and didn't take a nap all day. He was able to keep all of his medicines and food down. He has not been sick all day. His white blood cell count was up to 2.03 and is platelets are up to 88,000. So, they keep going the right way. BJ was feeling really good today and was pretty upbeat. He walked a good bit, in fact the doctors told him that he deserved an award because he has walked more than anyone that has been on that floor. 

So, things are pointing to BJ going home sooner rather than later. Pray that things continue to go good for him. He is really ready to get off of that floor. I will update again tomorrow morning, talk to you then. 

6/5/08

Hey everybody.... BJ had a pretty good night last night. The gave him some medicine to help him sleep and he only woke up 4 times all night. That is a huge improvement over the last few nights. He woke up and got sick about 5 o'clock this morning, but the good news is, when I spoke to Ashley this afternoon, that was the last time he had gotten sick all day. He was able to keep down all of his medications and everything he had tried to eat throughout the day, which is great. His counts went up again today. His white blood cells were at 1.73 and his platelets were at 71,000. He was still having no problems with the reduction in his pain medication, so the soreness in his throat continues to improve. The swelling improved a little bit today, but still has a little ways to go. They still haven't decided about the Hickman, that decision will happen in the next day or so. There was not a whole lot of new information today, but he continues to do well. In terms of how he feels, today would be considered a good day. Hopefully tomorrow will be even better. Talk to you then.

6/4/08 - P.M.

The second half of BJ's day went much like the first. He was pretty tired today and really just didn't feel all that great, so he did get a good bit of sleep. He was able to keep his medications down all day. He did get sick a couple times because of things he tried to eat or drink, but is still doing better in that regard. He continued to do well with his pain medications being reduced and they are going to try to have him on a "by request only" basis after tomorrow.

One of the nurses mentioned that if his counts go up tomorrow like they expect them too, there might be a slight possibility Dr. Vaughn would let him go out on a patio they have outside on the unit. I will let you know tomorrow about that.

A final decision has not been made about his Hickman device. Whether it stays in or comes out will depend a lot on when he goes home (They are still thinking this weekend is a very strong possibility). So, we'll just have to wait and see when that is before they make the final decision.
The swelling in his feet is still about the same as it has been. Hopefully, that will start going down like the other areas of his body have.

BJ is still in a pretty tough fight both mentally and physically. He has been doing an amazing job of fighting so far. Please keep praying that he can continue to find the strength to battle like he has been and that he can beat this thing. Talk to you tomorrow.

6/4/08 - A.M.

Just a quick update.....BJ's white blood cell count jumped to 1.52 and his platelets are up to 67,000, which is great news! The doctors expect them to do the same thing again tomorrow. He was up a good bit last night, but that was expected because of some of the medicines they gave him yesterday. He did well swallowing the medicines they are switching over to pills and didn't have any trouble with his pain medication being cut back. They are encouraging him to try and eat several small meals throughout the day to get his system used to real food again. Hopefully, he will do well with that and not get too nauseous. I will give a more thorough post this evening, just wanted to tell you some good news. Talk to you later.

6/3/08 - P.M.

BJ's day went pretty well. He slept a pretty good bit, but that could change over the next day or so because they started cutting back his pain medication. This will probably keep him awake a little more than he has been. They were going to continue to try to ween him off of the IV medications and get him on pill forms. All in an effort to get him on the road home.

They have been giving him medication to treat the clot in his arm that I mentioned a couple of days ago. This medicine looks to be working and the clot is breaking up. His throat is still sore, but BJ said he had no pain in his mouth, which is great news. He just received his last bag of TPN (food through his IV) this afternoon, so they must expect him to be able to keep some food down really soon. I know BJ is looking forward to that. He is probably starving for some good food.

The did an echocardiogram (a sonogram of the heart) today to check BJ's heart. Everything looked great there, and everything continues to point toward them getting him ready to go home. They are considering removing the right Hickman tomorrow. I will let you know what they decide.

I know BJ is probably getting a little antsy and ready to get out of there. He has responded remarkably to the treatment so far. Hopefully, he will get more good results tomorrow and be able to keep both some food and medication down. Keep praying and I will talk to you tomorrow.

6/3/08 - A.M.

Hey everyone... Ashley stayed with BJ last night and gave me an update this morning. She said he had a better night last night. He was still up and down a good bit and lost 3-4 more lbs. of fluid weight through the night. He wasn't nearly as nauseated. He ate a baked potato and was able to keep it down and also took some medicine without any problems. They are going to try more of his medications in a pill form today. They have started cutting back on some his anti-biotics and so far he hasn't started running a fever, which is also a good sign. His counts were up a good bit again today. His white blood cell count was at 0.84 and his platelets were at 54,000. So, those continued moving in the right direction. When he was out on one of his walks, he spoke with Dr. Vaughn. He said things were looking really good and right on schedule. There is a possibility BJ could be home this weekend if everything keeps going well. So, keep praying for that and I will update again this evening.

6/2/08

BJ had another pretty restless night last night but he did get some positive news today. Mrs. Green stayed with him last night and said they went walking at 12:30, 3, and 6 A.M. this morning, so the sleeping wasn't very good. However, his white blood cell and platelet counts both went up a good bit today. After about 24 hours away from BJ, Mrs. Green said she could tell a difference in the swelling both in BJ's ankles and his left hand. He continued to lose more of that fluid weight last night and today. They come in and weigh him every few hours to keep a close eye on how much fluid he is retaining and losing.

He is still having trouble keeping any real food down, although he didn't get sick quite as often last night. He is trying different things to see if he can find something that agrees with him, but so far those Reeses cups yesterday were about it. He also had a little trouble keeping down some medication that he swallowed. This has become increasingly frustrating for him because he will need to be able to swallow his medication and keep food down before he can go home.

The doctors continue to be pleased with BJ's progress and BJ was positive again today. Hopefully, the next couple of days will bring some big and positive improvements and he can move closer to his current goal of going home. I will talk to you tomorrow.

6/1/08

Hi everyone... BJ's day and weekend have been pretty difficult. Mr. Green stayed with him last night and today, through what BJ described as the two most difficult days so far. He was extremely nauseated last night and neither Mr. Green or BJ got much sleep. He also had to deal with some pretty bad chills over the last couple of days. The nurses were a little more aggressive with the anti-nausea medicine today which did help some. He still got sick a few times, but not as often as yesterday and last night.

Despite the sickness, he continued to walk his laps around the unit. Mr. Green said that he has lost a good bit of the fluid weight and probably a good bit of regular weight over the last few days. A lot of the swelling in his face has gone down and Mr. Green thought his feet and ankles were a little less swollen today than they have been. He still hasn't been able to keep down much real food, but he did discover a secret weapon (Reeses Cups) that he could keep down for the most part and they taste pretty good too. Mr. Green didn't let him eat the whole pack for obvious reasons, but after not having any "real" food for about 2 1/2 weeks, I'm sure he could have.

His counts were about the same today as yesterday. The white blood cell dropped a little and the platelets went up a little. The doctors look for some pretty dramatic changes in those numbers over the next couple of days. Hopefully, he has gotten through what should be one of the most difficult parts of his recovery and those numbers will take the jump they are expecting. He is still on the right track, he is just going through a very difficult part of the process.

BJ's toughness continues to inspire me. I can't imagine what he and his family are going through right now, yet they never complain and just keep pushing forward. Keep praying and keep encouraging him here and with other people you talk to. After the last couple of days, I know he could use some positive thoughts. I will talk to you tomorrow.