Today was Mark's first day of chemo. Thankfully it is literally painless at this point. A nurse slowly pushes a syringe full of red liquid into Mark's PICC line. Apparently any side effects will start in a few days once all his cell counts drop.
The real story of the day is headaches, nausea, and vomiting. Mark woke me up at 8:00 this morning needing me to grab the trashcan because he had to vomit. He continued to feel nauseous for several hours. The nurses are now giving him a rotation of nausea medicines ever three hours in an effort to stop the nausea before it starts. They are also working with his pain medications in an effort to ease the headaches without causing too much more nausea. Unfortunately, since he felt sick for the last couple of days, Mark did not eat anything today. Hopefully he will feel better tomorrow and eat at least a little bit.
The other thing that happened today is Mark started having a "smokiness"in his right eye. His eyes reacted normally, but he saw the smokiness. The oncologist called for an opthamologist to see what might be causing the problem. The opthamologist said it looks like a small hemorrhage caused by his low platelets. The oncologist decided to give Mark platelets to increase them so the hemorrhage should correct itself without any damage to the eye. They are also starting cough medicine regularly to control his cough in order to decrease the chances of causing similar problems.
Our friends Ken and Abby came into town to see us. Ken stayed with Mark today, while Abby and I went to my house. We started a load of laundry to have clean clothes. Then while the laundry continued, Abby washed my dishes and cared for my plants, while I cared for the cat and sorted through the mail (which took a while). Then we both worked at basic clean up stuff like putting away clean clothes, vacuuming, and taking out trash. It is great to know that when I do make my way home, the house is in good shape and I don't have to worry too much about it now. I do have to do a deep clean before Mark gets home, but that will come later.
It was great to get out for a little while, and I managed it because I knew Ken would keep me updated, which he did. A great big thanks to both of them for everything they did today to care for and serve Mark and me.
Prayer requests:
1. Mark's headaches, nausea, and vomiting disappear.
2. Mark begins eating at least a little.
3. Mark gets energy to walk around the unit some in an effort to avoid muscle atrophy and additional pneumonia issues.
4. If Mark must have side effects, keep them minimal and easy to manage.
5. Strength and continued positive attitude to get through this part of the treatment.
With a grateful heart,
Amanda
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL)
Today (Friday April 29) we got the official information we have been waiting for, Mark's diagnosis. Mark has Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL). Basically, one day while his white cells were making new white cells bad white cells was made due to a chromosome abnormality in the 15th and 17th chromosome. At that point, the bad white cells could no longer mature, which means they would not die. Therefore, Mark has lots of young, bad white cells in his body that won't work the way they are supposed to and also won't die.
According to all the doctors, if you had to choose a leukemia to have, this is the leukemia you would choose. According to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society literature I am now reading instead of my homework, patients with APL are among the most frequently cured. The oncologist today, Dr. Holland, said about 90% of APL patients achieve remission, which is the best percentage of all the leukemias. The doctor did make sure to let us know that not all APL patients get remission, but the odds are definitely in our favor, especially since Mark is young, it seems we caught it early, and his body is healthy otherwise.
So, let's talk treatment. Turns out, according to the doctors, the treatment for this leukemia is generally a little better than the other leukemias too. Mark started taking ATRA (All-trans retinoic acid) on Wednesday evening. ATRA is only used with APL. The ATRA is basically a REALLY hyped up Vitamin A pill. He takes 5 ATRA pills, 2 times a day. ATRA causes the immature, bad white cells to mature so they will die and therefore decreases the number of leukemic cells in his body. As of right now, he will take these pills for 60 days, everyday (today is day 3).
The second part of treatment is chemotherapy. Mark starts his chemo called Daunorubicin at 10:00 in the morning. He will get chemo tomorrow (4/30), Monday (5/2), and Wednesday (5/4). This will wipe his system clear of the good and bad white cells, and practically everything else in his blood like red cells and platelets. Then his system will gradually rebuild with good white cells. The whole cycle is supposed to take about 4 weeks. Once his system rebuilds and his white cells are at an acceptable level, Mark gets to go home. He will continue to take the ATRA for the full 60 days (June 25th to be exact). Then we move into the next phase, which is outpatient and we will learn more about it later.
Now, the doctor did inform us of side effects such as severe headaches, nausea and vomiting, increased chance of blood clots, increased risk for spontaneous bleeding, temporary hair loss and more severe, yet less likely side effects that we will only address if we have to address them. Mark is having pretty severe headaches, nausea, and some vomiting, which make him feel pretty miserable at times. The nurses are very responsive to treat his symptoms and side effects and consult with other nurses and doctors when they feel it is necessary.
So, we are staying positive. We are blessed because Mark's diagnosis and treatment are the best options we could have asked for under the circumstances. We are in a great hospital with kind, caring, knowledgable doctors, nurses, and techs. We have wonderful family and friends who are really stepping forward and practically begging to help us in any way possible. Thank you so much for your prayers and servant hearts during this trying time truly a witness to those around us. It will be very stressful and difficult at times for the next several months, but God will pull us through it all, and we will be better and stronger in the end because of this experience.
Amanda
P.S. Many of you have asked about donating blood. Dr. Holland, the oncologist said blood donations are great but they really need platelet donations. Platelets only stay in your body about 10 days, so when you have trouble making new platelets due to something like leukemia, you need platelets very often, and it takes several units of platelets to help an adult. Also, platelets only last 5 days after being donated, so new platelet donations are always needed. Finally, if you go to a blood donation center and donate blood, they separate the blood into platelets, plasma, and red cells and get a little of everything. If you donate platelets specifically, you get all your other stuff back into your system and they get lots of platelets. Anyway, if you are interested in donating to the pool of platelets that they get Mark's platelets from call Atlanta Blood Services at 404-459-8744. This is a simple, free way you can help Mark numerous times during his treatment.
According to all the doctors, if you had to choose a leukemia to have, this is the leukemia you would choose. According to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society literature I am now reading instead of my homework, patients with APL are among the most frequently cured. The oncologist today, Dr. Holland, said about 90% of APL patients achieve remission, which is the best percentage of all the leukemias. The doctor did make sure to let us know that not all APL patients get remission, but the odds are definitely in our favor, especially since Mark is young, it seems we caught it early, and his body is healthy otherwise.
So, let's talk treatment. Turns out, according to the doctors, the treatment for this leukemia is generally a little better than the other leukemias too. Mark started taking ATRA (All-trans retinoic acid) on Wednesday evening. ATRA is only used with APL. The ATRA is basically a REALLY hyped up Vitamin A pill. He takes 5 ATRA pills, 2 times a day. ATRA causes the immature, bad white cells to mature so they will die and therefore decreases the number of leukemic cells in his body. As of right now, he will take these pills for 60 days, everyday (today is day 3).
The second part of treatment is chemotherapy. Mark starts his chemo called Daunorubicin at 10:00 in the morning. He will get chemo tomorrow (4/30), Monday (5/2), and Wednesday (5/4). This will wipe his system clear of the good and bad white cells, and practically everything else in his blood like red cells and platelets. Then his system will gradually rebuild with good white cells. The whole cycle is supposed to take about 4 weeks. Once his system rebuilds and his white cells are at an acceptable level, Mark gets to go home. He will continue to take the ATRA for the full 60 days (June 25th to be exact). Then we move into the next phase, which is outpatient and we will learn more about it later.
Now, the doctor did inform us of side effects such as severe headaches, nausea and vomiting, increased chance of blood clots, increased risk for spontaneous bleeding, temporary hair loss and more severe, yet less likely side effects that we will only address if we have to address them. Mark is having pretty severe headaches, nausea, and some vomiting, which make him feel pretty miserable at times. The nurses are very responsive to treat his symptoms and side effects and consult with other nurses and doctors when they feel it is necessary.
So, we are staying positive. We are blessed because Mark's diagnosis and treatment are the best options we could have asked for under the circumstances. We are in a great hospital with kind, caring, knowledgable doctors, nurses, and techs. We have wonderful family and friends who are really stepping forward and practically begging to help us in any way possible. Thank you so much for your prayers and servant hearts during this trying time truly a witness to those around us. It will be very stressful and difficult at times for the next several months, but God will pull us through it all, and we will be better and stronger in the end because of this experience.
Amanda
P.S. Many of you have asked about donating blood. Dr. Holland, the oncologist said blood donations are great but they really need platelet donations. Platelets only stay in your body about 10 days, so when you have trouble making new platelets due to something like leukemia, you need platelets very often, and it takes several units of platelets to help an adult. Also, platelets only last 5 days after being donated, so new platelet donations are always needed. Finally, if you go to a blood donation center and donate blood, they separate the blood into platelets, plasma, and red cells and get a little of everything. If you donate platelets specifically, you get all your other stuff back into your system and they get lots of platelets. Anyway, if you are interested in donating to the pool of platelets that they get Mark's platelets from call Atlanta Blood Services at 404-459-8744. This is a simple, free way you can help Mark numerous times during his treatment.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Our New "Normal"
Last night was not exactly restful. Mark developed a fever about 2 am so they had to give him tylenol. Since he could not eat or drink after midnight to prep for the bronchoscopy they had to get permission for a little bit of water to take the meds, which the doctor approved. They also gave him some pain medicine because his back hurts really bad from the bone marrow biopsy and his morning dose of ATRA chemo pills so he would not get off schedule (they are due at 6 am but he could not take them that close to the procedure).
At 9:00 am Mark left for his bronchoscopy. He was nervous because they will sedate him and he has never had a procedure like this or any other procedures for that matter. The procedure went well. He does not remember anything from it. It will take several days to get the results, so we continue to wait. He felt really nauseous after the procedure and got sick a few times. He also developed a fever at about 3:00. The nurses stayed right on top of everything and stayed in contact with the oncologist to let him know of all the symptoms and side effects because some of the side effects of his medications can be serious.
Just to give a run down and to give everyone an idea of our new routine: At 3:00 today Mark had a fever with nausea, a headache, and anemia due to low red cell count. Once the fever dropped to an acceptable level, the nurse gave Mark plasma and red blood cells. The plasma helps his blood clot faster and the red blood cells help the anemia he has due to the leukemia and all the blood the nurses have to take for the lab tests twice a day. He had platelets this morning to increase his platelet count before the bronchoscopy, so they are looking fairly good right now. Once he woke up from his 5 hour nap, we walked 1 1/2 laps around the BMT unit (12 laps is a mile). He thought he could make 2 or 3 laps, but the IV thing started beeping cause it needed to charge. The doctors want him to try and walk 1 mile a day (not necessarily at once, just over the course of the day). So that is our new routine at this point.
I spoke to some friends today about how weird it is that he is always one of the healthiest people I know, and now he has leukemia. He hardly ever gets more than a slight cold due to allergies, much less anything major. Of course, the reason we know about the leukemia so early is an always healthy man suddenly go pneumonia for no apparent reason. Just goes to show, always listen to your instinct (or your spouse, whichever is loudest) and if you even think about going to a doctor...go. If nothing is wrong at least you know, but what if something bigger than you could imagine is going on. A nurse came in earlier talking to Mark, asking him the usual questions and I commented "he is a very healthy person, he just has leukemia", which is true and makes this whole experience even more surreal.
I will admit, today was a rather emotional day for me. Mark was asleep practically all day. For several hours he had a fever and some other symptoms that the nurses were watching very closely and talking with the doctor to make sure he was not developing some of the severe effects of the ATRA medication. It is incredibly hard to sit back, completely helpless and watch someone you love so much feel so sick. It is especially difficult because it happened so quickly. It is also difficult because I know this is just the beginning. This whole experience will get harder before it will get easier, but I know God will help us through it. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of people across the world (I know at least 1 person in Afghanistan is praying for Mark - thanks Dale) praying for us. I can feel the prayers and I am incredibly grateful.
Last thing, we do not have any results from the biopsy yet. The doctor said it might be tomorrow, or it could be over the weekend, possibly even Monday. All the information they are trying to gather to get a complete diagnosis takes a while to get from the pathologists due to the complicated tests they have to run. I will be sure to post the official diagnosis and treatment plan as soon as we know one.
Thank you all so much,
Amanda
At 9:00 am Mark left for his bronchoscopy. He was nervous because they will sedate him and he has never had a procedure like this or any other procedures for that matter. The procedure went well. He does not remember anything from it. It will take several days to get the results, so we continue to wait. He felt really nauseous after the procedure and got sick a few times. He also developed a fever at about 3:00. The nurses stayed right on top of everything and stayed in contact with the oncologist to let him know of all the symptoms and side effects because some of the side effects of his medications can be serious.
Just to give a run down and to give everyone an idea of our new routine: At 3:00 today Mark had a fever with nausea, a headache, and anemia due to low red cell count. Once the fever dropped to an acceptable level, the nurse gave Mark plasma and red blood cells. The plasma helps his blood clot faster and the red blood cells help the anemia he has due to the leukemia and all the blood the nurses have to take for the lab tests twice a day. He had platelets this morning to increase his platelet count before the bronchoscopy, so they are looking fairly good right now. Once he woke up from his 5 hour nap, we walked 1 1/2 laps around the BMT unit (12 laps is a mile). He thought he could make 2 or 3 laps, but the IV thing started beeping cause it needed to charge. The doctors want him to try and walk 1 mile a day (not necessarily at once, just over the course of the day). So that is our new routine at this point.
I spoke to some friends today about how weird it is that he is always one of the healthiest people I know, and now he has leukemia. He hardly ever gets more than a slight cold due to allergies, much less anything major. Of course, the reason we know about the leukemia so early is an always healthy man suddenly go pneumonia for no apparent reason. Just goes to show, always listen to your instinct (or your spouse, whichever is loudest) and if you even think about going to a doctor...go. If nothing is wrong at least you know, but what if something bigger than you could imagine is going on. A nurse came in earlier talking to Mark, asking him the usual questions and I commented "he is a very healthy person, he just has leukemia", which is true and makes this whole experience even more surreal.
I will admit, today was a rather emotional day for me. Mark was asleep practically all day. For several hours he had a fever and some other symptoms that the nurses were watching very closely and talking with the doctor to make sure he was not developing some of the severe effects of the ATRA medication. It is incredibly hard to sit back, completely helpless and watch someone you love so much feel so sick. It is especially difficult because it happened so quickly. It is also difficult because I know this is just the beginning. This whole experience will get harder before it will get easier, but I know God will help us through it. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of people across the world (I know at least 1 person in Afghanistan is praying for Mark - thanks Dale) praying for us. I can feel the prayers and I am incredibly grateful.
Last thing, we do not have any results from the biopsy yet. The doctor said it might be tomorrow, or it could be over the weekend, possibly even Monday. All the information they are trying to gather to get a complete diagnosis takes a while to get from the pathologists due to the complicated tests they have to run. I will be sure to post the official diagnosis and treatment plan as soon as we know one.
Thank you all so much,
Amanda
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Busy, Busy, Busy
Hey folks. Today was busy to say the least. I slept til about 10:00; Mark was woken up throughout the early morning for lab work, vital signs, and plasma. The day began with Mark getting a CT scan, which showed Mark has some pneumonia in his left and right lungs. Therefore tomorrow at 9:00 am Mark will get a bronchoscopy (basically they knock him out, put a tube up his nose and into his lungs to suck out some stuff so they can send it to a lab to identify the cause of the infection). If they can identify the cause they can give him medication to specifically target the infection.
After the CT scan, Mark had an Echo. This was basically an ultrasound to make sure his heart is healthy before starting chemo. Then came the bone marrow biopsy (BMB). I was able to stay in the room this time, though I had to stay seated on the couch so I would not pass out (liability issue). Though it was painful at times, especially when numbing the area and extracting the marrow, this time was much better than last time. Mark also seems to be in less pain after the fact too. They got a little marrow (last time was a dry tap) and 2 slivers of bone, which looked much different than I expected it to look. We are expecting the results tomorrow to confirm the diagnosis and identify the subtype so we can start the treatment plan.
Literally as the nurse practitioner (NP) patched up his back from the biopsy, and ENT came in to clean his ears to avoid any possible infection (Mark naturally makes lots of ear wax which causes him problems all the time). Before he could get out the door good, two ladies came in to put Mark's PICC line in.
A PICC line is basically a long-term IV that feeds through a major vein and dumps pretty much right into his heart. Sounds painful, but actually he said only the numbing stuff hurt and he did not even notice the rest of it. The ladies were hilarious. We all joked together and laughed and really had a good time while they did their job. Mark is excited about the PICC because it greatly decreases the number of times the nurses will have to use a needle to draw blood. They will now use the PICC for chemo, IV meds and fluid, CT contrast, and to draw most of the blood tests they need. They also removed the other to IVs Mark had so he has more use of his arm now too.
The oncologist came in and pretty much said hi and let us know that there is not a whole lot to tell until we know the subtype. He did explain a little bit about the upcoming process, but said most of the details rely on knowing the subtype. Our next visitor was the pharmacist. He was also really nice. He explained this medicine called All Trans-Retinoic Acid (ATRA). Basically it is a mega does of Vitamin A. They are starting him on ATRA now in case the BMB confirms the subtype they think it is (I will let you all know tomorrow once we have the results).
The rest of the day consisted of a few very welcomed visitors. Mark's cousin-by marriage, Mary came by to visit and get some paperwork. She is watching Brodie for a couple of days and Brodie will go to daycare with her son, so she needed some paperwork filled out. Also two of our friends from church came to visit (thanks Paul and Lee, it was great to see you guys). We had a great time swapping stories, updating them on what is going on, and just enjoying the fellowship. Then Mark's cousin Brian and his wife Nema came by. Again great fellowship. It was great getting to see them because we rarely see them though they don't live very far from us.
As you can tell, it was a long and eventful day. We are both in really good spirits. I figure, it does no good to be negative or feel bad for myself. Everyone at Northside is super nice, super helpful, and answer all our questions no matter how many we ask. They are all taking great care of Mark, and making sure I have anything I need within their power. This is the best place for leukemia treatment and I know Mark is in good hands.
Through all of this, I am actually finding peace right now. It must be God's hands on me because the peace certainly does not make sense. I have had so much anxiety the past month, I guess finally having a diagnosis and taking the steps to fix it gives me comfort at this point. I know things will get stressful and many tears are ahead, but right now I am holding onto the peace I have and taking everything one day at a time. Again, thank you to everyone offering help of all varieties. Every little thing is appreciated; actually I am quickly realizing that simple things we often take for granted are the things we often need first, like clean clothes. I am truly blessed to have the friends and family I have and I know I will continue to lean heavily on each of your in the upcoming months.
With a grateful heart,
Amanda
After the CT scan, Mark had an Echo. This was basically an ultrasound to make sure his heart is healthy before starting chemo. Then came the bone marrow biopsy (BMB). I was able to stay in the room this time, though I had to stay seated on the couch so I would not pass out (liability issue). Though it was painful at times, especially when numbing the area and extracting the marrow, this time was much better than last time. Mark also seems to be in less pain after the fact too. They got a little marrow (last time was a dry tap) and 2 slivers of bone, which looked much different than I expected it to look. We are expecting the results tomorrow to confirm the diagnosis and identify the subtype so we can start the treatment plan.
Literally as the nurse practitioner (NP) patched up his back from the biopsy, and ENT came in to clean his ears to avoid any possible infection (Mark naturally makes lots of ear wax which causes him problems all the time). Before he could get out the door good, two ladies came in to put Mark's PICC line in.
A PICC line is basically a long-term IV that feeds through a major vein and dumps pretty much right into his heart. Sounds painful, but actually he said only the numbing stuff hurt and he did not even notice the rest of it. The ladies were hilarious. We all joked together and laughed and really had a good time while they did their job. Mark is excited about the PICC because it greatly decreases the number of times the nurses will have to use a needle to draw blood. They will now use the PICC for chemo, IV meds and fluid, CT contrast, and to draw most of the blood tests they need. They also removed the other to IVs Mark had so he has more use of his arm now too.
The oncologist came in and pretty much said hi and let us know that there is not a whole lot to tell until we know the subtype. He did explain a little bit about the upcoming process, but said most of the details rely on knowing the subtype. Our next visitor was the pharmacist. He was also really nice. He explained this medicine called All Trans-Retinoic Acid (ATRA). Basically it is a mega does of Vitamin A. They are starting him on ATRA now in case the BMB confirms the subtype they think it is (I will let you all know tomorrow once we have the results).
The rest of the day consisted of a few very welcomed visitors. Mark's cousin-by marriage, Mary came by to visit and get some paperwork. She is watching Brodie for a couple of days and Brodie will go to daycare with her son, so she needed some paperwork filled out. Also two of our friends from church came to visit (thanks Paul and Lee, it was great to see you guys). We had a great time swapping stories, updating them on what is going on, and just enjoying the fellowship. Then Mark's cousin Brian and his wife Nema came by. Again great fellowship. It was great getting to see them because we rarely see them though they don't live very far from us.
As you can tell, it was a long and eventful day. We are both in really good spirits. I figure, it does no good to be negative or feel bad for myself. Everyone at Northside is super nice, super helpful, and answer all our questions no matter how many we ask. They are all taking great care of Mark, and making sure I have anything I need within their power. This is the best place for leukemia treatment and I know Mark is in good hands.
Through all of this, I am actually finding peace right now. It must be God's hands on me because the peace certainly does not make sense. I have had so much anxiety the past month, I guess finally having a diagnosis and taking the steps to fix it gives me comfort at this point. I know things will get stressful and many tears are ahead, but right now I am holding onto the peace I have and taking everything one day at a time. Again, thank you to everyone offering help of all varieties. Every little thing is appreciated; actually I am quickly realizing that simple things we often take for granted are the things we often need first, like clean clothes. I am truly blessed to have the friends and family I have and I know I will continue to lean heavily on each of your in the upcoming months.
With a grateful heart,
Amanda
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
The Day the World Stopped Turning
My whole world was turned upside down today. At approximately 10:30 am a doctor told us that Mark has acute leukemia. "My husband has leukemia", I truly never thought I would say those words. The emotion is indescribable. We cried - a lot. Then we tried to think positively. Then we cried some more. Then we had to tell family and friends, and we cried each time. Each time we said the word "leukemia" it stabbed like a knife, and made us cry again. Telling our moms was by far the hardest part. They were devastated, needless to say we all cried. For those who don't know, my stepfather died two years ago from leukemia, so this is hitting very close to home. Also, Mark's dad died a year ago from pneumonia, so we are still reeling from that only to have this happen.
Once we got the diagnosis, everything kind of jumped into warp speed. Very quickly Mark was transferred to Northside hospital to begin treatment. Northside has a Leukemia and Bone Marrow Transplant Center. We now reside in the Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) section. The entire wing was built specifically for leukemia and BMT patients. The rooms have a filter system to keep all the hallway air in the hallway, and all our air in our room. To enter the wing, you have to call the nurses station then press a button to open the doors. These doors lead to a small room. In this room you have to put a gown and shoe covers on and wash your hands very thoroughly. Once you have done this and the doors have closed behind you, you push another button to enter the BMT wing.
Anyway, tomorrow they are going to do another bone marrow biopsy and CT scan. The CT scan is to check for blood clots (I think) - the type of leukemia the preliminary tests show increases Mark's chances of developing blood clots, so they have to keep an eye out for them. The biopsy is to confirm the type of leukemia he has so they can finalize the treatment plan. I will be sure to update everyone.
So, today has definitely been emotional and the next few months will be a challenge, but we are determined to face them head on and beat this leukemia. We know God can move mountains and he will heal Mark's body. We will all rise from this whole experience with a greater appreciation for life, family, friends, and God.
Thank you to everyone for all your love and support.
Once we got the diagnosis, everything kind of jumped into warp speed. Very quickly Mark was transferred to Northside hospital to begin treatment. Northside has a Leukemia and Bone Marrow Transplant Center. We now reside in the Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) section. The entire wing was built specifically for leukemia and BMT patients. The rooms have a filter system to keep all the hallway air in the hallway, and all our air in our room. To enter the wing, you have to call the nurses station then press a button to open the doors. These doors lead to a small room. In this room you have to put a gown and shoe covers on and wash your hands very thoroughly. Once you have done this and the doors have closed behind you, you push another button to enter the BMT wing.
Anyway, tomorrow they are going to do another bone marrow biopsy and CT scan. The CT scan is to check for blood clots (I think) - the type of leukemia the preliminary tests show increases Mark's chances of developing blood clots, so they have to keep an eye out for them. The biopsy is to confirm the type of leukemia he has so they can finalize the treatment plan. I will be sure to update everyone.
So, today has definitely been emotional and the next few months will be a challenge, but we are determined to face them head on and beat this leukemia. We know God can move mountains and he will heal Mark's body. We will all rise from this whole experience with a greater appreciation for life, family, friends, and God.
Thank you to everyone for all your love and support.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Testing Day
So today was testing day. Mark was woken up at 5:45 this morning by nurses wanting to take his blood for the viral tests they want for the infectious disease doctor. Then came the bone marrow biopsy. They gave Mark some IV medicine to make him relax and kind of sleepy so he would not care about the pain and discomfort of the procedure because you cannot numb bone. They also put some numbing agent to numb his skin for the incision. Unfortunately, Mark seems to be resistant to these types of things because he felt EVERYTHING.
A bone marrow biopsy is basically the doctor makes a small incision and inserts a very small pointy tube into the incision and into the bone. Once in the bone, the doctor suctions out some bone marrow (the fluid in the bone that makes your blood cells). Then the doctor removed a small sliver of bone about the thickness of a toothpick. Mark described it like a person taking a jackhammer to his back - painful.
So after the procedure which took about 30 minutes, the sedative kicked in and Mark slept practically comatose for about 3 hours. Once he woke up, the nurse gave him 2 Loritab for his back pain and he knocked out for about another hour. Now he feels better though his back really hurts. The doctor said he will hurt more tomorrow, but should feel better very soon.
Then a dermatologist came to visit because Mark has a strange blotchy redness that randomly comes and goes and started just before this whole situation started. Basically he has stumped the dermatologist, but they did a skin biopsy to see if they can figure it out. This was much easier than the other biopsy. These results will take several days, possibly a week.
As far as updated information, we really have nothing at this point. We are thinking we will have preliminary results from the bone marrow tomorrow which will hopefully rule out leukemia and other severe causes.
I admit, it is funny that Mark keeps stumping so many specialists because they just don't know what to think about his symptoms. Hopefully we will figure out something soon so we can start any necessary treatment.
A bone marrow biopsy is basically the doctor makes a small incision and inserts a very small pointy tube into the incision and into the bone. Once in the bone, the doctor suctions out some bone marrow (the fluid in the bone that makes your blood cells). Then the doctor removed a small sliver of bone about the thickness of a toothpick. Mark described it like a person taking a jackhammer to his back - painful.
So after the procedure which took about 30 minutes, the sedative kicked in and Mark slept practically comatose for about 3 hours. Once he woke up, the nurse gave him 2 Loritab for his back pain and he knocked out for about another hour. Now he feels better though his back really hurts. The doctor said he will hurt more tomorrow, but should feel better very soon.
Then a dermatologist came to visit because Mark has a strange blotchy redness that randomly comes and goes and started just before this whole situation started. Basically he has stumped the dermatologist, but they did a skin biopsy to see if they can figure it out. This was much easier than the other biopsy. These results will take several days, possibly a week.
As far as updated information, we really have nothing at this point. We are thinking we will have preliminary results from the bone marrow tomorrow which will hopefully rule out leukemia and other severe causes.
I admit, it is funny that Mark keeps stumping so many specialists because they just don't know what to think about his symptoms. Hopefully we will figure out something soon so we can start any necessary treatment.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Welcome to the my world!!!
Hello friends and family. Apparently blogging is very popular, and I thought it could be a great way to get info to all of you at once. Assuming I keep up with this blog, I intend to use it to share family stories, the good, the bad, and the whatever else happens.
If you have been following the current events of my little family lately, you know that Mark is currently in the hospital with low white cell counts. This has definitely been a rollercoaster ride. For those who do not know the happenings or are missing details, here you go.
Basically in March, Mark started coughing alot, which became really annoying because he is a loud cougher. Anyway, I finally convinced him to go to the doctor Friday March 25th. He was diagnosed with bronchitis. He took his meds and started feeling better. Saturday April 2nd he started feeling bad again, and by Monday April 4th he felt so bad he went back to the doctor. The doctor said he developed pneumonia and put him on a new antibiotic. Tuesday April 5th, he had lots of pain and vomiting, so Wednesday April 6th, he went to the doctor, and she sent him to the hospital for 24 hours of observation, fluids, and antibiotics.
At the hospital, they decided to keep him for 48 hours. Then blood tests showed his white cell count and platelet counts are low - really low. For those who are unfamiliar, white cell counts should be somewhere between 4.0 and 5.0 - Mark's bounce between 1.3 and 1.8. Basically this means his body cannot fight any infection, even a simple cold. So, that new information began a series of antibiotics and blood tests trying to find a viral cause. All the tests came back negative. The doctors generally agreed it was the pneumonia causing the low WBC and sent Mark home with a WBC of 1.7 and antibiotics on Tuesday April 12th (yes, 24 hours turned in to 6 glorious days of CT scans, chest x-rays, and daily 6 am blood tests).
Friday, April 15th Mark had a followup and his WBC was 1.4. The doctor greenlit us to go on vacation for Spring Break to Panama City Beach with food restrictions, additional antibiotics, and multiple daily temperature checks. We had a great time at the beach for a week with Brodie, playing in the sand, eating at Margaritaville (3 times cause Brodie loved the airplane in the restaurant), and just hanging out as a family. By the time we returned to Atlanta on Saturday April 23rd, Mark's temp was bouncing between 99 and 101 degrees so we came to the emergency room.
As I type this, we are sitting in the hospital - again. Mark's WBC is 1.5ish. Tomorrow's exciting plans include lots of blood tests for a variety of viral infections and the delightful bone marrow biopsy. The bone marrow biopsy is pretty scary. First of all, they will basically stick a needle in Mark's lower hip bone and remove some of the fluid (that's the marrow) and a small sliver of his bone (both of which will replace themselves). Then the pathologist will examine the samples to see if they see any concerns that may equal leukemia, lymphoma, and an assortment of other not-so-great problems with his bone marrow. These results will help identify or eliminate possible causes for the low WBC, and may help guide any needed treatment. We will get preliminary results after about 24 - 48 hours, but any additional testing may take a few more days.
So, that is where we stand now. We are both nervous about the upcoming tests and possible results. We are more than ready to return to our normal life. We are seeking as many prayers as possible, and we are enormously grateful for the love and support so far.
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