"You gonna use that spoon?"
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Great News
Mikey's bone marrow biopsy results were "perfectly normal". I can't think of a better Christmas present than that, can you? The procedure was very painful as unfortunately, the doctor did not relinquish her current rein as Pain Control Nazi. (Jeez!) Mike will have to have this procedure repeated in the future and I hope that she comes around on this issue. We will just cross that bridge when we get to it.
Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers in getting Mike and Melisa through this recent event. As more information regarding his treatment becomes available I will definitely pass it along. For now, we sit...and wait...and pray...and pray some more.
Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers in getting Mike and Melisa through this recent event. As more information regarding his treatment becomes available I will definitely pass it along. For now, we sit...and wait...and pray...and pray some more.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
BMB #3
I wanted to get on here today and let you all know that Mike is scheduled to have a bone marrow biopsy today. He has been having some swelling and pain in his legs that has been bothering him lately. He told the doctor about this and she decided to go ahead and do a BMB to check whether or not the cancer has come back. Mike has had two of these performed - one at St. Mary's during his initial diagnosis and a second one at Vanderbilt Hospital immediately following his induction therapy. The first BMB was extremely painful. The second was somewhat more bearable. We concluded that Vandy just has more experience with this procedure and the pain management process that comes along with it. Of course it could have been any other number of reasons why the second BMB went a little smoother. Either way, Mike expressed his anxiousness to his oncologist via his nursing staff. Dr. Zigler seemingly dismissed his fears and thus far has refused to administer any more pain medication that the standard, again via the nursing staff. Needless to say, he is NOT looking forward to this procedure. He or Melisa is hoping to speak to her directly and come to some sort of a resolution. Surely, something can be done, right???
So if you will, please pray for this situation. Please pray that Mike or Melisa is able to convey their fears and that the doctor can help alleviate his pain. Please pray that the procedure goes quickly and smoothly and that the results come back clean. Thanks a lot you all.
So if you will, please pray for this situation. Please pray that Mike or Melisa is able to convey their fears and that the doctor can help alleviate his pain. Please pray that the procedure goes quickly and smoothly and that the results come back clean. Thanks a lot you all.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Change of Plans
Mike will begin his last round of chemotherapy on Monday instead of today. His blood counts aren't where his oncologist would like for them to be so she decided to postpone the treatment for a few days. Hopefully with the little extra time and a blood transfusion his body will be par for the course to be able to receive this treatment. Normally, his counts would be on track to receive treatment but with each additional round of chemo. the body takes a little longer to recuperate.
This will be his LAST round of his consolidation therapy. As I mentioned before, this process can be repeated up to 4 times. Mike will have undergone 3 treatments total. Dr. Zigler made this decision recently citing that the long-term effects of chemotherapy are rough. I'm not exactly sure what all procedures will follow this last treatment but I am sure Mike will be monitored closely to make sure those leukemic cells are still at bay. Will you please pray that this disease has left his body once and for all?
Again, we thank for you for your continual love and support of our family during this time. I can't imagine what we would do without friends and family.
Have a good weekend. My wish is that everyone totally finishes all of that Christmas shopping. Wouldn't that be nice???
This will be his LAST round of his consolidation therapy. As I mentioned before, this process can be repeated up to 4 times. Mike will have undergone 3 treatments total. Dr. Zigler made this decision recently citing that the long-term effects of chemotherapy are rough. I'm not exactly sure what all procedures will follow this last treatment but I am sure Mike will be monitored closely to make sure those leukemic cells are still at bay. Will you please pray that this disease has left his body once and for all?
Again, we thank for you for your continual love and support of our family during this time. I can't imagine what we would do without friends and family.
Have a good weekend. My wish is that everyone totally finishes all of that Christmas shopping. Wouldn't that be nice???
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Monday, December 3, 2007
Platelets While You Wait
Hello all! I do hope everyone is embracing the 1st day of December and is looking forward to this upcoming Christmas season. You don't have to be a numerologist to determine just how many shopping days are left until Christmas. Frightening isn't it???
Mike is doing well and is resting at home. As you know he finished his 2nd round of consolidation therapy last week and will begin his 3rd round on December 14th. This will be another inpatient stay and will last about 6 days. I guess his body has been likened to that of a work horse due to the repetition and frequency its being subjected to for this treatment plan. He has taken the treatment well and we just ask the Lord that He allows Mike to be able to continue to do so.
As the subject line eludes, Mike's blood counts always drop after chemotherapy (which, unfortunately, is the point of chemotherapy) and that requires him to receive both blood transfusions and platelets from time to time. This typically isn't that big of a process and he usually hangs out somewhere in St. Mary's while he watches television. The last time he was there, however they were out of platelets and he had to come back the next day when the supply was replenished. When I first heard this news, I was like, "What do you mean 'out of platelets?'" You can be out of potato salad or out of key lime pie, but platelets??? Can that happen? I guess the better question is: Should that happen? Thankfully in Mike's case, receiving platelets wasn't a life threatening situation. However, it easily could have been for someone else, in another situation. So this Christmas, please send up a word of thanks to the Man in charge for your health and stop by the Red Cross and give a pint or two, would you? Almost anyone can donate and it's no big deal to do so. Probably the biggest "side effect" that you will suffer is receiving a phone call once every couple months asking you to come back. Plus if you go on your lunch break and get the "I donated blood" sticker, you may even be able to get out of a task of two later that afternoon or evening. It's amazing just how many Spider Solitaire games you can eek out of a "I'm feeling a little light-headed; I think I'll sit down and eat some peanut butter crackers." ((Not that any of US would ever do anything like that...)) So grab a buddy who will donate with you and hit the ARC, will ya? Attached is the link to the Red Cross which outlines the procedure.
http://www.redcross.org/donate/give/
Mike is doing well and is resting at home. As you know he finished his 2nd round of consolidation therapy last week and will begin his 3rd round on December 14th. This will be another inpatient stay and will last about 6 days. I guess his body has been likened to that of a work horse due to the repetition and frequency its being subjected to for this treatment plan. He has taken the treatment well and we just ask the Lord that He allows Mike to be able to continue to do so.
As the subject line eludes, Mike's blood counts always drop after chemotherapy (which, unfortunately, is the point of chemotherapy) and that requires him to receive both blood transfusions and platelets from time to time. This typically isn't that big of a process and he usually hangs out somewhere in St. Mary's while he watches television. The last time he was there, however they were out of platelets and he had to come back the next day when the supply was replenished. When I first heard this news, I was like, "What do you mean 'out of platelets?'" You can be out of potato salad or out of key lime pie, but platelets??? Can that happen? I guess the better question is: Should that happen? Thankfully in Mike's case, receiving platelets wasn't a life threatening situation. However, it easily could have been for someone else, in another situation. So this Christmas, please send up a word of thanks to the Man in charge for your health and stop by the Red Cross and give a pint or two, would you? Almost anyone can donate and it's no big deal to do so. Probably the biggest "side effect" that you will suffer is receiving a phone call once every couple months asking you to come back. Plus if you go on your lunch break and get the "I donated blood" sticker, you may even be able to get out of a task of two later that afternoon or evening. It's amazing just how many Spider Solitaire games you can eek out of a "I'm feeling a little light-headed; I think I'll sit down and eat some peanut butter crackers." ((Not that any of US would ever do anything like that...)) So grab a buddy who will donate with you and hit the ARC, will ya? Attached is the link to the Red Cross which outlines the procedure.
http://www.redcross.org/donate/give/
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