Zantac (Ranitidine)

Looking up!

Ed had a couple of bad weeks in March, but the week following his birthday, things started looking up!

First of all, the first round of chemo began flushing from his body, I suppose. He began using his right arm again, even exercising it with the one pound weights I gave him on his birthday. He also began exercising his legs; Mama lifts and bends them and moves them all about, and he started sitting on the edge of the bed and practicing pulling up with his walker, standing for a few seconds and sitting back down.

His appetite came back, full force! He has been eating four biscuits at one sitting a lot of mornings. They are usually stuffed with sausage and/or egg, and sometimes bacon. Some mornings he just wants toast. He drinks about four Ensure shakes per day, alternating between vanilla, chocolate and strawberry flavors. He also drinks several glasses of water, tea, milk or Gatorade per day.

The fungus (or Thrush as some folks are calling it!) has pretty much cleared up due to taking an anti fungal medication and using 'Magic Mouthwash'. (If you have never heard of Magic Mouthwash...it is a concoction of about 7 different medications including antibiotics, numbing agents, benedryl, an anti fungal agent, Maalox, anti inflammatory med and coating agents).

At his last check up with the oncologist, Dr Splichal, on Friday, April 3, Ed got a better report than his previous visit. He had gained 1.6 lbs back, was able to help himself in and out of the car and into the wheelchair, and no longer had signs of dehydration. His red and white blood counts were perfect, as were his platelets.

Dr. Splichal did indeed have a better attitude this...

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