Latest update on my relatives

May 16, 2009
Hello everyone,
Its day 22 as a hospital patient. I’ve been blessed with a great room. I have a front row seat of the Front Range Mountains, including Pike’s Peak. It is beautiful. I have been watching the trees come to full bloom while I’ve been here. I wish I could be out there to see it in the flesh. Yet I know that for this season, I have to follow what the doctors say in order to survive my illness.

Last Monday I had a bone marrow biopsy. We have been waiting for the test results all week. The doctor finally gave us the results today. They have found 5% leukemia still in my system. The doctor said that it is very hard to determine if this is good news or bad news yet. He said that when my immune system kicks in, if I still have only 5% leukemia, I would be considered in remission, at least for the bone marrow transplant. Without the transplant, the leukemia would come back. After the next bone marrow biopsy, if the leukemia is more than 5%, they would have to start all over again with the chemo, which would mean another 30+ days in this hospital. They will do another bone marrow biopsy once my levels start to rise. This will show a much better picture of where I am at. This last bone marrow biopsy was done at day 14 after chemo ended and my local doctors don’t put much faith in the results, because there is so little tissue to test. Yet the transplant doctor in Denver wanted the day 14 test in order to start planning the transplant. PLEASE PRAY THAT MY NEXT BIOPSY WILL SHOW I’M IN REMISSION, so I can go onto the transplant.

My white blood count is at .5. Normal is 3.0-9.1. My level is at the critical stage. This is normal for the treatment I’ve received for this time frame. The doctor says that within the next 7-10 days, these levels should start to come up. If they don’t, that would be very critical. PLEASE PRAY THAT MY WHTIE BLOOD COUNTS START TO RISE TO NORMAL LEVELS.

My red blood cell count is still low. I have been having a number of blood transfusions during the last couple of weeks. As of yesterday it was at 3.38. Normal is 4.40-6.00. The problem has been it will be up one day and then go down the next. PLEASE PRAY THAT THESE LEVELS GO UP AN STAY UP.

My platelet count today is 17. Normal is 130-380. Anything under 20 means I need platelet transfusions. This level keeps going up after a transfusion, and then it will drop fast to the 6-14 range within 24-48 hours, which is a very dangerous level. Platelets are what clots your blood. PLEASE PRAY THAT THESE LEVELS GO UP AND STAY THERE.

I have been having a lot of fevers. In fact the last couple of days, I’ve changed my clothes seven times! I also get hot flashes, chills and sweats. The doctors cannot figure out why I’m having these fevers. They have called in an Infectious Disease Doctor. He took a lot of blood tests, some that will take weeks to come back. So far he can’t figure out why I’m having these fevers. He said that they only figure out what the cause is about 33% of the time. I have not had any fevers for the last 24 hours. PLEASE PRAY THAT THESE FEVERS STAY AWAY.

I have been feeling almost normal much of the time for the last two weeks. Some days I’m weak and some days I don’t feel well at all. Yet most of the time my biggest problem is cabin fever. It’s hard seeing God’s beauty but from a distant. Yet I’m very grateful for being in a great hospital and having such wonderful doctors, nurses and CNAs. One of the nurses even lent me his DVD player after mine wouldn’t work. A CNA gave me a Christian CD to play. And sometimes the nurses and CNAs will stop by just to talk. I feel blessed by the kindness of these people.

Penny has been a wonderful wife and comp ion. She is here every morning and then after work. She also here all weekend. I know it’s hard on her as she gets very tired. I’m very blessed to have such a wonderful wife.

I love my plaque I keep in my hospital room that says “For I know the plans I have for you.” Declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11.

God bless,

Randy & Penny