Subject: Super Bowl Sunday in the hospital!

Sunday afternoon 1/25
Dear Friends and Family,

Brian is currently stringing beads on pipe cleaners while Steven and Stan
watch the Super Bowl and Sara sleeps.  He did not sleep much at all last
night.  He vomited all night.  Sara bathed him and sit him up in a chair
(propped up with pillows) and he is feeling better today.

Yesterday he slept some and then played for several hours.  We read books and
played games with plastic shapes.  He watched a little TV.  He was not in
pain, but got sleepy occassionally and napped.  It was a good day.  He gets
itchy, but a special lotion helps control the itching.  

Brian was talkative and told me to tell you:
"I like to sing.  I like my choir.  But when I am sick, I like it quiet.
Noise hurts my ears.   My favorite basketball player is Michael Jordan.  I
like the color pink.  I'd like to go to the snow and make a snowman.  They
have carrot noses, you know."

The morphine is controlling his pain well, but anything put in his NG tube
produces vomiting almost instantly.   He vomited about 6:00 p.m. last night
and then felt like it was going to happen again when they gave him Tylenol for
his high fever about 6:20.  He made me hold his NG tube for the next 2 hours!
He is afraid it will come out when he vomits-- which it has done in the past.
Well, Denny brought me a delicious take-out dinner that smelled heavenly, but
my finger had to be on Brian's face!  I begged him to let me eat and he told
me to use my other hand!  My left hand--I am right-handed.  I tried without
much success to eat while I sat on his bed, held the NG tube and balanced food
on my lap!  It was funny, but he would not let me remove my hand.

As soon as Sara and Stan returned from dinner, Stan took over my position
holding the NG tube.  (All this time nothing happened.  He just had a feeling
that it would!)  Stan held for about 1 1/2 hours and then Sara took over.
Your arm gets tired after such a long time suspended over his head!  Nothing
happened until later that night when the nurse gave him a medication in the NG
tube.

We asked the nurse about the price of the bag of medication he  was holding.
We were shocked when he said, about $1000.  He gets that bag everyday!  He
told us that some of the chemo is $3000 a bag!  His GCSF shot is $800.  He
gets that everyday too.  A day in the hospital on that floor is about $1500.
This discussion happened after an insurance person strolled in to look at his
IV pole.  They come in everyday to look at what he is getting.  With this
discussion in mind, Sara asked if we could pick out the room we want on the
new floor----after all we are paying big bucks for this!!!  George said, " Why
not?"   So Sara and Stan went down to the 7th floor and picked out Room 759
(It has the best view of S.F.).  Sara put a big sign on the door saying it was
for Brian Warne!  Then she asked the head nurse to give them that room.  We
are curious to see if they get it.  With all the time they'll be spending in
the hospital, they will probably spend time in everyone of the new rooms
eventually!  The move to the new floor is now scheduled for Wed., Jan. 27th.

His platelet count is continuing to go down.  He may get a platelet
transfusion soon.  He is weak and will continue to get sicker for the next
week or so.  His mood is good.  He is not getting anymore prednisone and that
makes a big difference.

Pray that he does not get an infection during his bout with mucousitis and
that his pain stays under control.  Pray for rest for all of them.

Love, 
Susan