March 1, 2011 - 11:30 AM

Yesterday, Sarah endured a marathon day at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.  Because of last week's lingering concerns on the part of the infectious disease consultant (sed rate descending too slowly, elevated alkaline phosphatase) that some little nest of bacteria might be lurking somewhere - in her abdomen, in bone, in the location of the infected clot in her right leg, or, God forbid, in her heart - Sarah was scheduled for a battery of additional tests yesterday on top of the planned follow-up with her heart surgeon.  She also has been required to continue her IV antibiotics, PICC line, and the dreadful black bag containing the IV pump and fluids.

To cut to the chase - all of the imaging tests were reassuring.  These included a bone scan, liver ultrasound, abdominal ultrasound, right groin/femoral artery ultrasound, and an echocardiogram.  Blood tests drawn yesterday including blood cultures and other tests of how her body might be fighting an infection are still pending at this time, but we should hear about them later today.  No PICC line removal yet, but we have our finger's crossed.

Sarah looks well, says she feels well most of the time, and seems by all day-to-day measures to be thriving - good appetite, sleeping well, pain free, no fevers or chills.  I'd like it if she tried a little harder to exercise, but I think she'll be more willing when the PICC line and associated baggage are gone.

Her husband, Levi, is coming back again this coming weekend.  They are in fairly constant communication by text and cell phone when Levi isn't working, but long to be together in person.  There is an ARC dance on Sunday that they aim to attend - it was at one of these dances 5 1/2 years ago that they first met.  Let's hope for some more "and lived happily ever after" sometime soon!

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