Saturday AM Update

Steve's condition remains steady. His blood pressure hovers around 105/50. Blood sugar level has been normal (~130). The doctor gave him some medication since yesterday to drain out some fluids in his body, hoping to clear his lungs of an accumulation of fluids. Steve's breathing has been good. Yesterday he was using 100% oxygen; today the mask is adjusted to 40%. His blood oxygenation is still good. The nurses will gradually wean Steve off the oxygen if he is able to breathe well.

X-rays of his lungs reveal that there is much congestion in both lungs, though no one could say for sure what it is: fluid, infection, or lymphoma. Without CT scan, it cannot be determined for certain. A good sign is that the draining of the fluids is helping Steve's breathing. We will know more from today's chest X-ray.

Steve blood test results remain problematic. Platelet counts continue to drop (30+). Hemoglobin and hematocrit both down. So a blood transfusion is ordered for today. White blood cell count remains low (0.4).