Clark had a full day of….FUN!
After Clark ate a full breakfast, we had a “surprise” visitor… Let’s call him “The Book Fairy”. The book fairy came and read stories to Clark! Only moments after story time was over, the “Music Man” arrived. Clark was serenaded, and given musical instruments of his own to play along. And that’s not the end of it…
Next was Physical Therapy. This may sound like work, but for a child who is not in physical pain, this is actually closer to “playtime”. They walked around the room, climbed on my bed, and basically just played around! All the excitement of the day made for an easy transition to nap time. This was probably the most “full” day Clark has had since he came into the hospital.
About 2 weeks before Clark came to UCSF, he had a mandatory dental exam. The purpose, was to identify potential sources of oral infection that can lead to bacteremia (bacteria in the blood). It is important to prevent or eliminate dental infection before chemotherapy or other medications that lower the ability of the body to fight infections. Severe gum disease, tooth decay, tooth abscesses and poor oral hygiene can lead to pain and/or bacteremia before, during and after chemotherapy. Thankfully Clark had a clean (dental) bill of health.
It is extremely important to keep the mouth clean and healthy during the bone marrow transplant procedure to help reduce the risk of infection and bleeding. Research has shown that mouth sores are less severe in people with excellent oral hygiene. Some of the preventative medications Clark is on are usually very effective in lowering the risk of viral and fungal (thrush) infections in the mouth as well as in other areas of the body. Fewer infections in the mouth results in less pain and better nutrition.
With that in mind, one of Clark’s daily rituals, is brushing his teeth! Unlike big brother, Clark actually loves brushing his teeth. This is wonderful, since we have to brush them 4 times a day! He uses a new disposable sponge brush each time he brushes, and instead of toothpaste, Clark uses Sodium Bicarbonate (basically a liquid baking soda)….which, oddly, he likes the taste. Flossing and the use of a normal toothbrush are not recommended when the platelet count is lower than 50,000. To date, Clark has had no signs of mouth sores!