Hi Friends of Drew,
Sorry for the radio silence on the blog! Drew is still doing really well, and we have been adjusting to some changes in the plans for his treatment. He was discharged from the hospital in the beginning of September, but after three days at home, it became clear that he was discharged prematurely. Unfortunately, he simply did not yet have the strength to be home on his own without a lot of assistance. He was very weak, not sufficiently mobile, and still needed to go to the hospital for transfusions for up to 8 hrs. every day. So rather than push himself further and potentially endanger himself, he was readmitted to the hospital over Labor Day weekend.
Drew’s readmission to the hospital is not a regression or a backslide in his recovery. The doctors are very pleased with his progress. The stem cells that he received during the transplant are 97% engrafted into his bone marrow, which is an excellent percentage at this point and the doctors are thrilled with this. Recovery from a bone marrow transplant is just a very slow process, and is very much different for each person. Drew is still very weak and his body is still working to bounce back from the major change and intense procedure it has undergone.
He also has the additional complication of his feet, which have not been able to heal very quickly since his immune system has been suppressed for the last three months due to the transplant process. Because they have not been able to heal, he has not been able to use his prosthetics without a lot of pain. However, as his immune system returns, the healing will speed up and he will be able to use them more. He also had a small procedure to do additional skin grafts on his feet, which should further speed up his healing.
At this point, the doctors would like Drew to stay in the hospital for a few more weeks until his strength returns, his feet heal more, and he is able to do a good amount of physical therapy. There is not a specific timeline, but we are assuming it will be at least another 3 to 4 weeks. Drew is being very upbeat about the whole situation, and is ready to do whatever he needs to do to go home safely and comfortably.
As Drew’s friends and family, we all need to understand that while he is doing GREAT, the recovery from a bone marrow transplant is long and slow. He is not going to be bouncing back into his regular life and routine very quickly, but will get there eventually! We all need to keep supporting him emotionally and physically because he still has a long road ahead.
Drew is still very busy in the hospital with physical therapy, transfusions, tests, etc., and very tired a lot of the time - you have most likely noticed he is still not as responsive as usual to texts and phone calls. But please know he has received all of your messages and is so encouraged and supported by your love and positive energy! Drew has been on this intense path since March now and all messages of support, love and just saying hello are very much needed and welcomed at this time.
Also, if you do go visit him, please do offer to bring him food! He very much hates the hospital food by now, and it’s important that we keep him well-fed and gaining weight.
Thank you for all of your love for Drew!
As usual please feel free to email us at jillguidi@gmail.com with any questions.
XO