Jackson was re-admitted to the hospital last Sunday because he has not been eating or drinking.  All in all, he's eaten about as much as one meal in the past week.  His gastrointestinal system is also, how shall we say, 'rapidly moving,' which is quite a counterintuitive combination.  Here in the hospital he is receiving something called "total parenteral nutrition" through his IV.  It consists of two bags of liquid.  The large bag holds a somewhat transparent yellow liquid that is contains 699.96 calories of vitamins, minerals, proteins, etc.  It seems like a souped up energy drink going straight to his blood.  The small bag holds a thicker white substance labelled "Fat Emulsion."  (The "fat emulsion" looks basically like the stuff that drips off of a George Foreman Lean Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machine).  It may seem novel to basically inject fat into the blood stream, but let me tell you, as the parent of a 26-pound three year-old who refuses to eat, it sounds great.

He is also very neutropenic.  The short version is that he has virtually no immune system right now.  Thus, we're back in the isolation room for the forseeable future trying to avoid infection. 

Hopefully, as his blood counts increase so will his appetite--we really really want to avoid a feeding tube.  With Jackson's demonstrated record of 'extreme uncooperativity' to uncomfortable medical interventions, installing one of those will certainly result in quite a battle.  And I also don't feel like losing a fight to a 26 pound opponent.