The past few days have been especially difficult for Asa. He’s been experiencing significant pain from the injections in his legs, which appears to be muscular. He was given strong pain medication, but got minimal relief. Yesterday, welling and severe pain developed in his right leg, raising concerns of a possible infection. Asa also ran a fever on both Thursday and Friday, adding to the challenges of an already tough week.

Doctors suspected a possible case of Clostridioides difficile (C. diff), so they collected a stool sample and immediately put strict precautions in place while awaiting results. Asa was confined to his room, we had to wash our hands for 30 seconds anytime we touched each other, and everything he came into contact with had to be wiped down using bleach wipes. Thankfully, the results came back around 5:30pm negative for C. diff. However, a specific type of E. coli was detected. While it’s not as contagious, Asa still isn’t allowed to leave the room for now.

He’s had a lot of diarrhea today, requiring multiple bed changes, along with significant leg pain and swelling. Doctors have ordered an ultrasound to be done soon to determine the cause of the swelling. Possibilities include a blood clot, a pus pocket from infection, or potentially both. Depending on what the ultrasound shows, an MRI may be ordered to get a clearer picture and determine the best treatment plan.

Tomorrow is the beginning of week 4 for this hospital stay and we do not have a discharge date yet. Asa's hair is now really starting to fall out and he's sensitive about it. 

Thank you for continuing to pray, check in, bring meals, and support our family through this difficult stretch. We’re trusting God and praying for wisdom for his medical team and relief for Asa.