Staying Through the Weekend

The inpatient doctors and the ID doctors were ready to send Azer home Thursday or Friday. The ID doctors had a few options other than to put in a port. They said they could send him home with the same oral antibiotic combined with inhaled Tobramycin, or with a different oral antibiotic, Minocycline. The problem with the Minocycline is it will take two weeks to find out of his type of staph is susceptible to it. 

Azer made the decision with his pulmonologist to stay through the weekend, and aim for discharge on Tuesday which will give him a full two weeks of IV treatment. He may need to stay a little bit longer past Tuesday, as they are working on insurance coverage of the Tobi. He would rather have the Tobi Podhaler instead, as it is much quicker, but it is unlikely to get the insurance to cover it. The regular inhaled Tobramycin takes 30-45 minutes via nebulizer, which he will have to do twice a day, but the added benefit is that he would be able to inhale it with a mask to target some of his sinuses where he is culturing abundent staph. 

The hospital staff and his pulmonologist noted that he seems much more like himself now that he's on the antidepressant. Azer has been enjoying Uno games with the nurses. Several will come in at a time and play. They have been keeping score on the whiteboard in the room through the two weeks, and the list is quite long now!

Improving & Mental Health

So, Thursday, Azer's PFT was about 20 points higher than it was the day he got admitted. Today, he blew the best he has in two years. He cultuted MSSA again. This is all great news, but he has been getting annoyed with the doctors as they asked to send him home on IVs, but they haven't come up with an explanation as to why this is happening over and over again, since last year. Azer is supposed to see the Infectious Disease doctors tomorrow. 

We have been noticing since last year that Azer has become increasingly irritable, and he stated that he would begin to feel numb when he was in the hospital. His psychiatrist said that adolescents, especially males, tend to exhibit depression in anger. His pulmonologist mentioned that there have been some possible cases of Trikafta making people irritable, but this isn't certain. Azer spoke with his psychiatrist who told him he would benefit from an antidepressant added to his ADHD treatment. It will take time for it to start working, but this is a good reminder that May is Mental Health Awareness month, and that CF affects families and patients in many unseen ways.

Thank you to all who have donated to the walk, GrubHub gift cards, snacks, and games!!!