Day eleven of the new medication for Joe and we have a long road ahead of us. The medication suppresses his immune system which makes him at risk for sickness, infection, organ failure, cancer and this is just to name a few. We are trying our best to stay quarantined and safe. It’s a struggle but life is happening around us and we are missing out. This road right now is the most challenging.
Joe started the tacrolimus at 6mg to see if his body would absorb the medication because the doctor was worried about his vomiting everyday. If he was to get a heart transplant he would be on this 15 mg of this medication so his body won’t reject the new heart and if he isn’t absorbing the meds there would definitely be rejection. So far the body is absorbing what it needs too but the kidneys are taking a serious punch. Which leads to yet another bump in the road.
Two days ago they lower the dose to 5 mg and the levels on his kidneys stay the same. He had elevated potassium so they are holding that pill. In four days they will retest all his levels to see where he’s at and they will let us know the plans for meds on Tuesday. I’m just praying he will be able to tolerate the medication and there will be no issues getting put on the transplant list.
Although we know this medication has some really terrible side effects, it’s the medication that is eventually going to sustain his life and keep him from rejecting a new heart. The good outweighs the bad as it has on the road we are taking. Joe has been a true warrior through it all.
This road has had so many twist, turns, bumps and potholes that I’m surprise we are still up and running. My strong engine that could is slowly losing steam and it’s very hard to watch and not lose steam myself. With this medication he is weak, fatigued and very scared. He struggles everyday to try and be the man he once was and at the end of the day, he feels defeated by life.
My goal most days are to keep him boosted up and make him feel needed. Although I’m doing just about everything because he doesn’t have the strength, he tries his best. It’s not an easy road for either of us and we put on a good front because he doesn’t want people to think any less of him.
On this road my strong man may be losing steam, but behind every man is a strong woman who not only THINKS she can, she KNOWS she can. I will always be here to push us through the road we need to be on. Love conquers all.
This is the ROAD we were given and it’s the road we will travel until the end. The task ahead of us is never as great as the power behind us. Hand in hand we will travel it together.
Unconditional Love 
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