This evening, we were given some more information about Cau Nam's medical course of action. Firstly, his surgeon told us that he has contracted an infection. This often happens in a hospital setting where pathogens abound. Cau Nam has been especially susceptible to infection because he has multiple inserted tubes and has received many invasive procedures. Therefore, he is currently receiving a couple of very strong antibiotics to battle the pathogens in his system.
Secondly, we were informed that his white blood cell count is rather low. The white blood cells are the agents in our blood stream that help to fight infection. This may be caused by a number of factors including the drugs that he is currently taking and the metastasis of the cancer cells.
Cau Nam was scheduled to begin chemotherapy tomorrow, but his surgeon has postponed it until next week. They are monitoring his white blood cell count because it must be increased before chemotherapy can be performed successfully. Chemotherapy will only further decrease his white blood cell count and leave his immune system weakened and exposed to any additional infections.
We are hopeful that Cau Nam will continue to accept nourishment, and that this will help to build his strength and immunity. Anh Quoc has done amazingly well at getting him to eat and drink. So, we will continue to look after Anh Quoc so that everything works out for the best!
Huy-Hoang
Friday, January 9, 2009
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