+1586 Italy, Eyes, Thyroid, Tapers, and Anti-fungals

A lot of things have happened in David's life during the last 2 months 19 days since I last posted.

• Sept 18 to Oct 3 - Destination: Italy - Oh, how we loved thee!  David did great during the whole trip except on the last night we thought he was going to start vomiting.  We prayed and watched him carefully.  He slept and woke up ready to board the plane back to the USA, without throwing up once!  Whew!  No headaches during the entire trip.  He ate like a champ!  Traveled like a champ (Venice, Florence, Rome - twice, Saubaudia, and Sorrento)!  
• Oct 7 - Destination:  Dr. Winton, Ophthalmologist - She dialated his eyes and took photos.  They look great.  Looks like the swelling is going down.
• Oct 7 - Destination:  Dr. Karabana, BMT - She saw David, was pleased to hear about the eye report, checked his skin, and tapered his steroids to .45ml/twice day.
• Oct 13 - Destination:  Dr. Van der Kam, Dentist - Teeth cleaned.  She says he has Geographic Tongue, not GVHD of the tongue.  Geographic Tongue looks like a map, and comes and goes.  It could be caused by his immune suppression and antibiotics, which are killing off the good bacteria that would normally fight the growth on his tongue.  Seems harmless but bothers him occasionally with acidic foods, but he still likes orange juice and tomato juice.   
• Nov 9 - Destination: Dr. Winton 4-week checkup - UTOH!  His eyes look worse than before his inpatient episode right before Italy.  We'll see her again around Dec 9.
• Nov 9 - Destination:  Dr. Agarwal, BMT - Back for a check-up and discuss his eyes.  The pressure in his eyes looks worse, but he is not experiencing headaches and vomiting.  She tapers his PROGRAF to .4ml/twice day.  It's such a low dose that they do not monitor his Prograf levels any more.  She says to call if his skin flares up.  It's been 3 weeks - no flareups!!!!  She wants him on another anti-fungal, but I requested we wait until the pressure in his eyes resolve.
• Nov 22 - Destination: Dr. Suchet, Endocrinologist - She talks quickly and with an accent.  I gather that his brain (pituitary gland) is functioning properly because his Thyroid Stimulating Hormone is functioning properly.  She wants to look at the T4.  She orders a thyroid panel.  We'll have it drawn on December 2nd and post results.  She mentions Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.  
• Nov 30 - Destination:  Ultrasound in Santa Cruz - Hmmm.  The technician asks if anyone has mentioned Hashimoto's Thyroiditis to me?  Yes, Dr. Suchet did.  So, he may have inflammation of the thyroid.  Once the thyroid panel and ultrasound results are interpreted by Dr. Suchet, we will have a follow-up appointment.  We talked about growth hormone.  Growth hormone can cause increased eye pressure so she does not want him on growth hormone until the pressure in his eyes resolve.  

Thanks for checking on us!

-Aimee

David's Geographic Tongue