Stephen’s second week started off well but we hit a few bumps towards the middle of the week. From what we have been told (and from what I have read), the body’s natural response to intensive detox is to enter into a “healing crisis” where things seem to get worse before they get better. As I type this, I am hoping he is at the tail end of this initial crisis so he can continue to regain his strength and his energy to build up his immune system.

One of the issues that baffles the doctors is the fact that his platelets are rapidly decreasing regardless of daily transfusions. He fluctuates between 10 and 15 platelets (and the normal range is 150 – 400). What worries them is the possibility of spontaneous bleeding in the form of aneurisms which is why he is still in the hospital. He is still in need of daily blood and platelet transfusions and unlike back home where blood transfusions are free, each transfusion costs approximately $700US. That and the fact that he has had to be hospitalized as opposed to being treated as an out patient has set us back financially. Please continue to share this so Stephen can get the necessary transfusions he needs to enable his body to respond to the treatments.

When Stephen relapsed last year, he initially tried to find alternative therapies back home. We tried several diets and even had vitamin C therapies in the hopes of finding some kind of relief from his symptoms. However we found ourselves against so many obstacles from doctors who did not support our decision to our inability to fully implement the different protocols we were reading about. With the treatment Stephen is receiving here, he has finally found a team that stands behind him and truly cares about his well-being. Thank you for helping us find this team and for being part of his journey to better health.

PS: If you are in Winnipeg, Stephen’s cousins are putting together a fundraiser to help finance his 3-month home therapies. If you are in Edmonton, I am going to brainstorm with my kids and put on a blood drive and a few fundraisers at our event space, Foundry Room, once I come home.