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Laughs and Tears � Dear everyone, After many tests and Gastro-Intestinal specialists visits, we're still not sure what's been ailing Travis. The CT scans still showed no gall stones, so either that's not the problem or there was one that was so small, he has "passed" it. The doctors are now thinking it indeed is either GVHD, just moved to a new part of his abdomen (last time was lower abdomen), or else perhaps a virus. With either one of these, he's being medicated to try to fight it off -- steroids for GVHD and antibiotics for the virus or infection, I guess.

Regardless, today was a much better day for Travis. Yesterday he was listless and pretty unwilling to communicate much. He was in a good deal of pain, and needing pain meds well before it was time for the next dose, so that made it hard for him, and us to watch. Today, he seems to have turned the corner, though. Whew we hope it continues on this trend. Travis was out in the hallway playing with Joe, and then later, wandering around the hall and patient kitchen with me. He was laughing and having a great time. In the room, I knew he was feeling better, as he was getting creamed playing hockey on the computer as Putt Putt, and hooting and hollering at each score. This was more energy than I'd seen in days. He's still on pain meds, but less often now -- every 4 hours. We'll see how he does tomorrow. Joe and I are already calculating: "Hmmm maybe this means we'll be home by Wednesday."

Tonight was to be a special treat for Travis. His singing idol, Debbie Friedman had a concert in Chicago, and she had set aside four tickets for our family to finally meet her in person. Unfortunately, she's there and we're here in MKE. We did get a hold of her to explain our absence and she was very concerned and supportive. Oh well, we'll meet hopefully the next time she's in this neck of the woods -- maybe this summer.

Joe and I decided that we needed a few more things from home, so he and Spencer drove back tonight for the night, likely coming back tomorrow. (We finally figured, we've been commuting up and back to MKE twice a week now, we might as well be able to do the reverse commute if we need something once in awhile.) Anyway, I ran down to the hospital lobby to give something to Joe before the drive. Apparently, Travis was too into the movie we were watching ("Big") to hear me say -- twice -- that I'd be right back. So as I walked back onto the HOT Unit, a parent said to me "Your little boy was out here looking for you, pump and all." I raced to Travis' room, and there he was in the entryway, red-faced and sobbing. He was SOOOO scared. He said "I couldn't find you and didn't know where to look, Mom." I felt so awful, it was all I could do not to cry, myself. So we had a good long cuddle and I reassured him a million times that I would never leave him -- that whenever one of us was gone, we'd ALWAYS be back. Again, an understandable, normal child reaction, but it sure felt that much more gut-wrenching being here in the hospital.

We had a visit from Spencer's Jr. Kindergarten teacher from when we lived up here during the transplant. She honored Spencer with the most beautiful gift -- and denim button down shirt, with handprints of each of his 20+ classmates and their names by each hand. This will be a keepsake we treasure for life. Thank you, Ellyn Heicher, for helping Spencer feel so special.

So that's the scoop. I'll let you know more as things progress -- hopefully even better.

Love, Melanie, Joe, Travis and Spencer

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