With Easter just around the corner, it seems appropriate to bring the bunny theme into the picture. But, I want you to picture that little pink bunny that never stops. With halting steps and an unusual gate, that bunny just keeps on going…and going…and going.

Staying in bed for long periods of time is very difficult for Dave. Especially when he is healthy, he just doesn’t slow down for long periods of time. So, one can imagine that the last 12 days drove him crazy. In fact, at one point when he was in isolation, he was determined to leave the room. He just needed to walk around and experience freedom. I stood at the door, arms outstretched, blocking his way. Reminding him he was quarantined, I soon realized that nothing was going to stop him. He walked out of the room, went to the right and kept going. I walked out right behind him and went to the left. I didn’t want to be a part of him getting busted.

Losing strength from being bedridden, Dave’s steps are similar to the energizer bunny. His steps aren’t quite as halting, but feel more like jello. On one of our short walks, he found a physical therapy room with an elliptical machine. He was like a magnet being pulled to it. As he steadied himself with the side bars, he was able to move his legs much easier. Instead of heading the other way this time, I had to capture the moment.

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In addition, I quickly realized that the hospital food was less than desirable, so I would leave the hospital late afternoon, cook dinner, and return with high protein meals. Even so, he dropped over 15 pounds. It is going to be a challenge to regain this weight and rebuild his strength.

Tuesday evening, Dave was discharged and was able to walk out of the hospital without assistance. We will continue to report to the clinic daily, even on Easter Sunday. Our team at SCCA will monitor his counts and administer blood and platelet transfusions as needed. Within two to three weeks, chest X-rays and scans will be repeated in order to confirm the antibiotic is clearing up his lung infection. His progress will be shared with the research team. Hopefully, they will confirm that he is eligible for Car T-Cells again.

We all had faith that Dave would keep going, no matter what. That’s just who he is and it’s just what he does. To some, he’s a Jolly Rancher. To others, he’s Superman. This time, he was the Energizer Bunny. Please keep the prayers going. This is an ideal time to keep our forward momentum.