update

    While infections are never planned, they are anticipitated.  The more than competent team and system worked just like they are supposed to.  Whatever bug got into my dad's urinary tract was resistant to levaquin so they switched to two IV antibiotics (cefepime and vancomycin for those who are curious).  The fever abated less than 4 hours later and the symptoms subsided.  Crisis averted. 
     But there are always lingering challenges.  Accompanying the UTI, but not necessarily caused by it, my dad gained 11 pounds, 7 of which was in less than 30 hours.  Originally, my dad was proud that his weight was holding steady, despite not eating.  That obviously violates the laws of thermodynamics.  The weight had to be water weight but you still hold onto what you can.  When he started gaining weight, he accepted that it was water.  He gained more.  His intake was much greater than his output.  Simple math but it can lead to complications with the kidneys and/or bladder.  So they put him on lasix to pull the water and salt off him.  And it worked.  He started trips to the bathroom every 15 minutes.  Good thing, too, because if Vitamin L doesn't work, it's a foley catheter and those are, shall we say less than pleasant.
     Exhausted and drained, my dad feels "better" today, at least with respect to the lack of a UTI.  Fatigue is increasing daily, if not hourly, as his blood counts begin to plummet.  Less red blood cells mean less ability to carry oxygen.  Anyone who's suffered severe anemia can attest to the fatigue.  So he continues to walk and sleep and urinate, walk and sleep and urinate.  "When the hell did I enter a nursing home?" he laughed. 
     The first 10 days after the SCT transplant are crucial.  It's also when the patient feels the worst and unfortunately, when the exercise and eating matters the most.  Of course, exercise and eating are the last things they want to do so I'm sure he'd appreciate hearing some encouragement via his blog or email.