June 9

I got a call this morning to authorize the insertion of a PICC (peripherally inserted central catheter) line. That will allow his team to remove the other central lines and IVs that could be potential sources of Steve's ongoing fevers. Last night and this morning Steve's fever was up, his white blood cell count was up and his blood pressure had dropped, requiring blood pressure medication. This turn of events led to the decision to do another CT to check on the status of Steve's abdomen. Tonight, Steve's surgeon relayed the good news that his colon looks good (the concern about the pneumatosis is gone), his white blood cell count has decreased to 21 from its earlier high of 27, his blood pressure is stabilized and his kidney function is looking better. All this is small forward movement.