Hi guys! Emily here! The last few days have been filled with lots of tests and medications. Hitesh has a wonderful primary team led by Dr. Barbastefano. Dr. B was Hitesh&#39;s hospitalist the last time we were here at CC. We ran into him on Monday in the Panera down in the lobby while waiting for a bed to become available. Hitesh talked with him for a few minutes - Dr. B remembered him and said that he would keep an eye out for him on the list of newly admitted patients. It is wonderful to see and experience the intentionality and continuity of care here at the clinic. He also has a few more specialties consulting on his case including his infectious disease doctor, Dr. Miranda, nephrology, and rheumatology. So many familiar faces and a few new ones! The nurses have also been wonderful - full of experience and compassion. Words can never express how grateful we are for them! On Monday Hitesh had a scary episode of chest pain and the emergency response team was called as a precaution. They did some tests and found that he has pericarditis which is very treatable, but complicated by the fact that most of the medications for this would either make his fungal infection or kidney injury worse. The medication they chose seems to be doing the trick! The doctors are currently worried about his kidney function - his creatinine level (a marker of kidney function) is elevated, but stable. When he was admitted on Monday, the rheumatology team reran a lot of his previous lupus labs and are very confident at this point that Hitesh does have lupus. The kidney tests also showed signs of inflammation which is a hallmark that lupus is affecting the kidneys. Just a few minutes ago, Hitesh was taken downstairs for a kidney biopsy to see if they can confirm their suspicion. Because lupus is unpredictable and can cause sudden and extreme kidney damage, the doctors want to confirm this quickly as to prevent any further kidney damage. This will give them the best information on what lupus medications he will need to be on in the future to help manage the disease. If you have a moment, please pray for Hitesh! He was nervous to have the procedure done, but knows that it is necessary for his care.  Please pray that all goes well and that he has a smooth recovery. 
 
In Christ, Emily

Hitesh Sings Psalm 109:30

Update: April 22, 2022 – by Emily Boggs