What a rollercoaster ride

Sorry for not blogging the last couple of days, Thursday the blog site was unavailable and last night it was far more important that I sleep.

So first things first Thursday May 12, 2011

Mark had a fever today. His blood levels are all dropping so he had to have 2 blood transfusions, 2 things of plasma, and 2 things of platelets. His white cell count is 1.2, and the oncologist said he may be going home in the next 7 - 10 days. This is very exciting news. It is the first time anyone has given us even a possible date range. He walked a couple of laps and ate some food. He started having more chest pains. They did a EKG, which was normal; a chest x-ray which showed fluid in his lungs. They are giving him a little medicine every so often to help him urinate in an effort to get rid of the fluid. Just before bedtime, they hooked Mark onto a heart monitor, so they can monitor his heart rate until further notice just as an added precaution.

Friday May 13th. Yes that's right Friday the 13th.

Today started off fairly normal with blood products and a slight fever. Ms. Dale came to stay with Mark, which turned out to be a huge blessing. Just afternoon, Mark got up to use the restroom, and by the time he sat back down he could not breathe. He started coughing and struggling to catch his breath. Mark officially went into respiratory distress. Basically, it took about 5 doctors and nurses approximately 2 hours to get Mark's breathing under control. They used a combination of an oxygen mask, anxiety medication, breathing treatments, wet wash cloths, and breathing techniques to calm him down and regulate his breathing. After the episode was over, Mark rested and continued on the oxygen mask.

By the time I got to the hospital after work, Mark was starting to feel a little better. He asked me to bring him some McD's so I bought him a McDouble with cheese and a small fry. He ate all of it, which made me very happy. Our friend Eric came by to visit with us. We had a great time hanging out and talking. Mark continued to munch on stuff, like cereal and ice cream. Turns out his munchies are most likely due to the steroid the doctors started him on to avoid future respiratory distress and ease the inflammation around his heart. Needless to say, very happy Friday the 13th is over.

Now for today, Saturday May 14th.

Mark and I both slept really good last night. We finally woke up and started to function about 10:30 this morning. It is amazing the difference 24 hours and various medications can do. Mark woke up with a smile on his face. He said he felt really good. We sat around and watched TV while he got some red blood cells. The respiratory therapist came and gave him 2 breathing treatments to further help increase his oxygen levels. We also walked 6 laps around the unit, and got to see Brodie. Brodie was so cute. He got a hair cut, so he looks just precious. He put heart shape stickers on an envelop as a card for his daddy. He was so excited to give the card to his daddy, he nearly jumped out of his chair. He also gave me a GREAT hug, and told me the big pink heart is for me. I love that sweet little boy.

So, a couple of new developments. First the doctor thinks all of Mark's respiratory problems are the result of ATRA Syndrome. About 20% of ATRA patients develop ATRA syndrome which causes weight gain, fluid retention around the lungs, and shortness of breath. They treat it with steroids and said Mark should react fine to the ATRA after this; I sure hope so because Mark will be taking this at least until June 25th, and probably intermittently for a while. Second new development is Mark's blood sugar. The steroids often cause your body not to process sugar properly (like a diabetic) so now they have to check his sugar by pricking his finger several times a day. Anytime his blood sugar is over 180, they have to give him a shot of insulin. Now, just as a reminder, Mark hates needles. He has had to get insulin twice today, but thankfully he said it is not that bad. Actually the finger prick hurts the most.

So, we are finishing our night watching TV. Mark gets the medicine to help him urinate a few times a day in order to get the fluid out of his chest and feet. They are continuing to monitor his oxygen, and he may have to sleep with the oxygen mask again tonight. By the way, Mark says hi to everyone reading this.

Pray for continued improvement Mark's breathing.

Pray for the excess fluid to go away.

Pray for more good days, they are very encouraging to us both.

With a thankful heart,
Amanda