The Year of Hudson
Let me start by wishing everyone a very happy and healthy 2018. Morgan and I are not ones for "resolutions," however, we decided to embrace the 'New Year' mentality and use 2018 as a clean slate to grow, strengthen & seize every opportunity. It feels different this year because it is less about something we 'do' and more of something we are deciding to embody . Cue the Enya music.
Stats
Height: 78 cm, 30.71 inches
Weight: 9.435kgs or 20 lbs, 13 ounces
Med Count: 4 (we were able to drop one more!)
Trending Movies: Tangled and Frozen (Hudson has a thing for strong female leads)
Teeth count: 6 (maaaaybe 7 but I am not sacrificing my finger to confirm)
That's a Negative Ghost Rider
There are a handful of tests you take in your life that you want to be negative. CMV is one of them. Reminder: CMV is a common virus that almost all people have in their system by the time they're adults (think cold and flu like symptoms). In immunosuppressed individuals, especially children, CMV flare ups, if untreated, can lead to life threatening symptoms so it is common practice to closely monitor CMV levels in their routine lab draws.
Hudson's CMV levels were significantly elevated for most of December (six times as high as they usually are but who's counting?) so they started him back on his anti-viral medication until the CMV got back down to a comfortable level. As of January 4th, CMV was 'undetectable' in Hudson's lab work so we were able to stop the anti-viral medication. We have been doing weekly lab draws to make sure the CMV levels don't increase again since discontinuing the anti-viral med and so far everything is looking great. In fact, everything is looking good enough that we're done with weekly labs draws as of yesterday!
What you say to someone who celebrates a 6 month anniversary
Bravo. January 10th was our official six months post-transplant date. This milestone means a couple of different things. The most significant change is that we get to lower the doses of his anti-rejection (or immunosuppression) meds. Why is this a big deal? Well, the less Hudson's immune system is suppressed, the more his body is able to naturally fight and build/create antibodies to things you and I are exposed to every day. That being said, we're in no rush to start letting him eat dirt and roll around in the mud.
Safety First
As we continue to decrease his immunosuppression meds, I am frequently asked if Hudson can now play with kids and be exposed to everything. The clear-as-mud answer is yes and no. Yes, Hudson is capable of playing with other children or being in public places however, we do so with caution and common sense. If a child or parent is sick, we will not be around them. As we reach the peak of what is considered one of the worst flu seasons, we are most likely going to continue to minimize Hudson's exposure to things. Playing it safe for a little while longer is better than the risk of exposing him to something that could land us in the hospital.
So Fresh and So Clean, Clean
Operation Man Bun was a success and as per my agreement with Morgan (and pretty much everyone else that begged me) it was finally time for Hudson to get another hair cut. We decided to trade in the man bun for the ever chic Bieber look.
Good Karma
Due to the overwhelming number of people who have contacted Morgan and I about donating or giving back (which is kind of amazing by the way), I have created a 'Give' page on our website that highlight and direct users to some of our preferred organizations.
Click Here to check it out!
Flying South
We end January by heading down to Florida to celebrate Grandma Molly's 101st (yes, you read that correctly - 101!) and Charlie's (not 101) birthday. This will be the first time Hudson gets to meet a bunch of family and we could not be more excited. Expect lots of fun, pictures and sunscreen.
We love you all and cheers to the Year of Hudson!
XOXO
Jordan, Morgan, Hudson, Dude & Jax