Crazy Two Weeks

Sorry it has taken so long to post again, the last two weeks have been crazy.

First, Mark started his arsenic trioxide treatments on Monday July 25th. These treatments are pretty uneventful. One problem is the arsenic drains potassium and magnesium out of Mark's body, so he has to get extra magnesium and potassium almost daily which takes 2 hours a bag (and take potassium and magnesium pills daily). Other than that, pretty routine.

On August 1st Mark started week 2 of arsenic, which was the last day I could take him to his treatments because I started back to work on Tuesday. It makes me anxious that I will not be with him each day and know all the details of what is happening each day. Unfortunately, Mark developed a fever on Monday evening so he is now in the BMT unit at Northside. This has been difficult because I have to go to work so I cannot stay with Mark, which would make everything a little easier. Plus I am keeping Brodie at home with me the nights I don't visit Mark and he wants to know where's daddy. Thankfully he accepts my answer of "daddy's at the doctor getting medicine" all hours of the day and without much argument. That does make things a little easier. Actually, one day he asked where daddy was, I gave the usual answer and then he said "you didn't take daddy to the doctor for his medicine", I said no and Brodie said "cause you have to work...to get money". I love that child, he is so smart and in tune to what is going on around him.

Mark's fever has continued to rise and fall throughout the week. The doctors now think the fever is caused by the arsenic rather than an infection because all the tests have returned negative. The concern right now is Mark's cell count. His white blood cells, platelet, and hematocrit levels have returned to normal already after the chemo. However, his absolute neutrophile count is still literally zero meaning his body is susceptible to infection. So, yesterday (Friday) they gave Mark a shot of Neupogen, which stimulates his body to create neutrophiles. In less than 12 hours, his neutrophiles went from 0 to .5 (we are shooting for 1.5). Once this count is up to 1.5, we think they will let him go home even with a fever.

Unfortunately, one side effect from the neutrogen seems to be muscle and bone pain. Mark has severe pain in the back of his neck, lower back, and hips when he stands, walks, sits up, or moves in general. The doctors are working to manage the pain with muscle relaxers and pain medicine. At night, hopefully they will continue to give him oxycodone because it is the only thing that helped enough last night so he could sleep.

So, it has been an interesting week. I got on to Mark for getting sick the one week I had transportation arranged for him. Now I will finish getting transportation arranged for this coming week with the assumption he will be coming home in a couple of days. I know one little boy who will be so happy to see him.

I want to finish with a quick thank you to all the friends and family who are offering rides and food for us as we continue through this last month of treatment, especially our loving church Union Baptist for all the meal offers. I appreciate it all so much. Pray for Mark to get to come home very soon, for the pain to disappear, and for the rest of the treatment to go on without problems.

3 more weeks and we are done!!!

With a thankful heart,
Amanda