Michael Costanza Blog

TODAY IS THE DAY WE WAITED FOR, MIKE’S DOCTOR CALLED ME AND SAID HIS BONE MARROW BIOPSY DONE...

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 14:05:45 -0400

TODAY IS THE DAY WE WAITED FOR, MIKE’S DOCTOR CALLED ME AND SAID HIS BONE MARROW BIOPSY DONE LAST WEEK CAME BACK 100% CANCER FREE AND 100% DONOR.
WE FEEL VERY RELIEVED. MIKE STILL HAS TO DEAL WITH THE GVH IN HIS EYES, LIVER AND GUT, BUT WE WILL TAKE IT AND DEAL WITH IT EACH DAY JUST ALONG AS HE IS CANCER FREE!
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR PRAYERS, THEY ARE TRULY WORKING

WE WENT TO THE DOCTOR TODAY FOR A CHECK UP AND MIKE GOT A BONE MARROW BIOPSI, WE SHOULD GET RESULTS...

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 10:36:36 -0400

WE WENT TO THE DOCTOR TODAY FOR A CHECK UP AND MIKE GOT A BONE MARROW BIOPSI, WE SHOULD GET RESULTS SOMETIME THIS WEEK .AS MIKE GOT BLOOD LEVELS DRAWN, IT SHOWED THAT HIS LIVER ENZYMES ARE ELEVATED , HIS EYES ARE STILL RED AND DISCHARGE IS STILL COMING OUT, AND HIS APPETITE IS NOT THAT GOOD, DR BARKER TOLD US THAT ALL OF THESE SYMPTOMS ALONG WITH THE BLOOD TEST SHOW HE HAS GVHD, GRAFT VERSE HOST DIEASE IN HIS EYES, LIVER AND GUT., THIS MIGHT BE CAUSING THE SEVERE LEG PAIN AS WELL .
WE ARE PRAYING THIS WILL GO AWAY ON IT’S OWN AND HE WILL NOT HAVE TO BE PUT BACK ON STEROIDS. HE WILL HAVE TO HAVE TUBES INSERTED INTO HIS EYES, SO HIS EYES CAN DRAIN, THIS WILL BE DONE ON MARCH 24. PLEASE KEEP MIKE IN YOUR PRAYERS. THIS FRIDAY WILL BE 1 YEAR SINCE TRANSPLANT AND WE ARE SO GRATEFUL THAT HE IS STILL WITH US AND WE PRAY HE WILL GET THROUGH THIS.

MIKE HAD HIS APPOINTMENT WITH THE EYE DOCTOR ON THURSDAY AND THE DOCTOR SAID THE CORONER IS GOOD ,...

Sun, 06 Mar 2011 19:33:30 -0500

MIKE HAD HIS APPOINTMENT WITH THE EYE DOCTOR ON THURSDAY AND THE DOCTOR SAID THE CORONER IS GOOD , THANK GOD, BUT HIS EYE IS PRODUCING EXTRA PROTEINS AND NOT ENOUGH TEARS. THIS IS CAUSE BY THE RADIATION AND THE HIGH DOSE CHEMOS. HE WAS GIVEN EYE DROPS TO TAKE IN THE MORNING AND AT BEDTIME, THIS SHOULD KEEP THE EYE FROM DRYING OUT . HE HAS TO PUT WARM COMPRESSES ON HIS EYES AND THIS IS MAKING HIM VERY UNCOMFORTABLE ! THE COOLER WEATHER MAKES IT WORSE AND THE WARMER WEATHER IS SUPPOSED TO HELP IT.

MARCH 11 IS THE BONEMARROW BIOPSI. PLEASE EVERYONE YOUR PRAYERS ARE NEEDED, THIS WILL SHOW IF HE IS 100% LEUKEMIA FREE !

WILL BE REPOSTING AFTER THE BIOPSY WHICH TAKES A FEW DAYS TO GET RESULTS BACK .

FEBUARY 26 , HAVEN’T BEEN ON HERE IN A WHILE, THINGS ARE JUST THE SAME, LEGS ARE STILL IN PAIN...

Sun, 27 Feb 2011 21:36:21 -0500

FEBUARY 26 ,
HAVEN’T BEEN ON HERE IN A WHILE, THINGS ARE JUST THE SAME, LEGS ARE STILL IN PAIN , AND NOW MIKE DEVELOPED A PROBLEM WITH HIS EYES, THEY HAVE BEEN OUZING AND GET RED AND THERE ARE TIMES HE CAN’T OPEN THEM, HE GOES TO THE EYE DOCTOR THIS WEEK AT SLOAN, WE ARE HOPING, IT’S FROM THE MEDS AND NOTHING SEVERE.
ON MARCH 11 MIKE GETS HIS BONE MARROW BIOPSI,
WE ARE ASKING FOR EVERYONE TO PRAY THAT THE RESULTS WILL BE 100% DONOR STILL, WILL BE REPORTING THE OUTCOME OF THE EYE DOCTOR THIS WEEK.

TODAY WE WENT MET WITH THE BLOOD SPEACIALIST, DR SOFT. WE WERE HOPING HE WOULD STOP THE BLOOD...

Sat, 22 Jan 2011 00:12:00 -0500

TODAY WE WENT MET WITH THE BLOOD SPEACIALIST, DR SOFT. WE WERE HOPING HE WOULD STOP THE BLOOD THINNER SHOT TODAY, BUT THE CLOT IN MIKE’S LEG IS STILL THERE AND HE WANTS TO FINISH THE 6 MONTH CYCLE WHICH WOULD BE FEBUARY 20.

AS OF FEBUARY 20, NO MORE SHOTS, WE WERE SO EXCITED AND ARE COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS.
MIKE STILL HAS LEG PAIN BUT WITH THE HELP OF PHYSICAL THERAPY, WE ARE HOPING IT GETS BETTER.
I WILL BE REPORTING BACK TO THE BLOG THE NEXT DOCTORS APPOINTMENT, FEBUARY 11 .

TUESDAY DECEMBER 28, MIKE HAD A MEETING WITH ONE OF THE TOP 5 ORTHOPEDICS IN THE WORLD AND HE HAD A...

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:31:19 -0500

TUESDAY DECEMBER 28,
MIKE HAD A MEETING WITH ONE OF THE TOP 5 ORTHOPEDICS IN THE WORLD AND HE HAD A N XRAY AS WELL. IT DID SHOW A LITTLE DECAY IN THE HIP BONE. DR BOLAND FELT IT WAS HIS ADVANTAGE TO TRY THE PILL FIRST, THE PILL IS SUPPOSE TO MAKE THE BONES STRONGER. HE TAKES THE PILL 1 TIME A WEEK FOR MONTHS, IF THIS DOES NOT HELP THEN HE WILL THINK ABOUT REPLACING THE HIP YEARS DOWN THE ROAD .

THIS IS CAUSED BY THE STEROIDS AND CHEMO, THIS IS VERY COMMON IN TRANSPLANT PATIENTS. WE GO BACK TO HIM IN 6 WEEKS FOR A FOLLOW UP. IN THE MEAN TIME, MIKE WILL REMAIN ON THE OXYCODONE FOR THE PAIN AND WE WILL PRAY THIS WILL GET BETTER !

DECEMBER 6 , 2010 TODAY, MIKE HAD AN APPOINTMENT TO GET A MRI OF HIS RIGHT LEG BECAUSE OF THE...

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 21:05:00 -0500

DECEMBER 6 , 2010
TODAY, MIKE HAD AN APPOINTMENT TO GET A MRI OF HIS RIGHT LEG BECAUSE OF THE SEVERE PAIN HE WAS HAVING.
THE DOCTOR CALLED US BACK WITH THE RESULTS A FEW HOURS LATER AND TOLD US AGAIN BAD NEWS, THAT THE BALL GOING INTO HIS HIP, WAS DAMAGE, AND THE CHEMO AND THE STEROIDS CAUSED THAT TO HAPPEN AND HE WILL BE NEEDING A HIP REPLACEMENT.
WE WERE VERY DEVISTATED WITH THE NEWS AND SHE TOLD US THAT HE WON’T BE ABLE TO GET IT DONE SOON BECAUSE HE IS NOT STABLE ENOUGH.

HE ALSO CAN’T WAIT TOO LONG, BECAUSE IF IT SHATTERS, HE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO WALK, SO WE HAVE TO HOPE AND PRAY THAT HE GETS STRONGER REAL SOON SO THEY CAN DO THE OPERATION WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS.
BECAUSE HE IS A NEWLY TRANSPLANT PATIENT AND NOT THE AVERAGE PERSON WHO WOULD GET A HIP REPLACEMENT, THEY HAVE TO BE REALLY CAREFUL BECAUSE IT COULD DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD. WE GO BACK ON THE 18TH TO MEET WITH AN ORTHOPEDIC AND THEN WE WILL KNOW MORE.

DAY 228 OF TRANSPLANT TODAY MIKE HAD TO GO BACK TO OUTPATIENT AFTER HAVING A BAD NIGHT. MIKE WAS...

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 22:54:30 -0500

DAY 228 OF TRANSPLANT
TODAY MIKE HAD TO GO BACK TO OUTPATIENT AFTER HAVING A BAD NIGHT. MIKE WAS FEELING NAUSEOUS AND WAS THROWING UP, AS WELL AS DIAREAH. THIS IS WHAT WE WERE AFRAID OF, THE GVHD, GRAFT VERSE HOST DIEASE IN THE GUT IS BACK. THE DOCTOR INCREASED HIS ANTI GVHD MEDS AND HOPES THIS WORKS. SHE DOES NOT WANT TO INCREASE THE STEROIDS AGAIN, BECAUSE IT WILL DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD.

PLEASE KEEP PRAYING FOR MIKE AS HE NEEDS THE PRAYERS. THIS HAS PUT A DAMPER ON OUR FAMILY AND WE’RE HOPING IT WILL GET BETTER WITH THE MEDS.

DAY 221 OF TRANSPLANT NOV 3 TODAY WE HAD OUTPATIENT AND DR BARKER THOUGHT MIKE LOOKED GREAT, HIS HAIR IS BACK. HIS SWELLING WENT DOWN IN THE FACE AND MY MIKEY IS BACK. SHE EXAMINED HIM TODAY AND DID NOT LIKE THE SOUND OF HIS LUNGS, NEXT FRIDAY WE HAVE TO MEET WITH THE LUNG SPEACIALIST TO FIND OUT WHAT IS GOING ON, BECAUSE HIS COUGH IS NOT GOING AWAY AND HE IS STILL SPITTING UP PHLEGM. MIKE IS STILL VERY FATIGUE AND THIS COULD LAST A WHILE BECAUSE HIS BODY IS TRYING TO ADJUST TO FEWER STEROIDS. THE DOCTORS ARE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON HIS GI TRACT TO MAKE SURE THE GRAFT VERSE HOST IS NOT COMING BACK, HE HAS NOT BEEN HUNGRY FOR A FEW DAYS NOW AND THAT COULD BE FROM LOWER STEROIDS OR THE GVHD MAY BE COMING BACK. THEY ARE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THIS. WILL BE POSTING NEXT FRIDAY ONCE WE GET RESULTS FROM THE LUNG SPECIALIST.

Sun, 07 Nov 2010 10:58:00 -0500

DAY 221 OF TRANSPLANT

TODAY WE HAD OUTPATIENT AND DR BARKER THOUGHT MIKE LOOKED GREAT, HIS HAIR IS BACK. HIS SWELLING WENT DOWN IN THE FACE AND MY MIKEY IS BACK.
SHE EXAMINED HIM TODAY AND DID NOT LIKE THE SOUND OF HIS LUNGS, NEXT FRIDAY WE HAVE TO MEET WITH THE LUNG SPEACIALIST TO FIND OUT WHAT IS GOING ON, BECAUSE HIS COUGH IS NOT GOING AWAY AND HE IS STILL SPITTING UP PHLEGM.
MIKE IS STILL VERY FATIGUE AND THIS COULD LAST A WHILE BECAUSE HIS BODY IS TRYING TO ADJUST TO FEWER STEROIDS. THE DOCTORS ARE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON HIS GI TRACT TO MAKE SURE THE GRAFT VERSE HOST IS NOT COMING BACK, HE HAS NOT BEEN HUNGRY FOR A FEW DAYS NOW AND THAT COULD BE FROM LOWER STEROIDS OR THE GVHD MAY BE COMING BACK. THEY ARE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THIS.
WILL BE POSTING NEXT FRIDAY ONCE WE GET RESULTS FROM THE LUNG SPECIALIST.

DAY 217 OF TRANSPLANT MIKES COUNTS WERE BETTER TODAY THAN LAST WEEK. THEY ARE COMING BACK , MIKE...

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 22:24:35 -0400

DAY 217 OF TRANSPLANT

MIKES COUNTS WERE BETTER TODAY THAN LAST WEEK. THEY ARE COMING BACK , MIKE STILL HAS A VERY BAD COUGH. THE DOCTOR WANTED HIM TO HAVE A CAT SCAN OF THE LUNGS AND THE CAT SCAM CAME BACK WITH SMALL SPOTS ON THE LUNGS.

THAT IS CAUSING THE AIR TO BE TRAPPED AND CAUSING THE BAD COUGH AND PHLEGM. DR BARKER GAVE HIM AN INHALER THAT HE HAS TO TAKE 4 TIMES A DAY UNTIL NEXT WEEK WHEN WE GO BACK, HOPEFULLY THIS WILL IMPROVE THE COUGH.

WE ALSO HAD AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE BLOOD DOCTOR TO SEE IF THE BLOOD CLOT IN THE LEG IS BETTER, MIKE HAD A DOPPLER DONE OF THE LEG AS WELL TODAY AND THE CLOT IS STILL THERE BUT GETTING BETTER. WE WERE HOPING TO GET THE FILTER OUT OF HIS CHEST. IT WILL STAY IN FOR LIFE , BEING HE HAS TO TAKE THE SHOTS FOR 3 MORE MONTHS , UNTIL THE CLOT IS GONE COMPLETELY.
MIKE IS STILL VERY FATIGUE AND TIRED AND THIS IS FROM THE DOCTOR CONTINUING TO LOWER THE STEROIDS.
I WILL BE POSTING NEXT WEEK AFTER OUR VISIT WITH DR BARKER .

DAY 210 OF TRANSPLANT MIKE’S PLATELET COUNT WAS ON THE RISE TODAY. IT WAS 108 AND DOCTOR...

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 08:22:30 -0400

DAY 210 OF TRANSPLANT

MIKE’S PLATELET COUNT WAS ON THE RISE TODAY. IT WAS 108 AND DOCTOR BARKER WAS VERY PLEASED. THE RED COUNT IS STILL LOW, BUT SHE SAID HE IS ANEMIC AND HE COULD STAY LIKE THAT HAVING LOW RED BLOOD CELLS. OR HIS BODY JUST NEEDS MORE TIME TO RECUPERATE. ONE OF THE STEROIDS THEY LOWERED AND HOPEFULLY HE WILL BE OFF SOON.

MIKE STILL HAS SOME PAIN IN THE LEGS, BUT IT IS SLOWLY GETTING BETTER. THE SWELLING IN HIS FACE IS GETTING MUCH BETTER AS WELL, HE IS STARTING TO GET THAT DIMPLE BACK ! KEEP PRAYING FOR MUCH MORE NEEDED IMPROVEMENT.

WE GO BACK TO OUTPATIENT ON OCT 27 TO MEET WITH THE DOCTOR ABOUT THE BLOOD CLOT AND HOW MUCH LONGER I WILL HAVE TO GIVE HIM SHOTS. HOPING WE CAN STOP THE SHOTS SOON. WILL POST ON THE 27TH .

DAY + 194TODAY MIKE HAD OUTPATIENT. HIS COUNTS ARE ON THE RISE AND HIS SWOLLEN FOOT IS GETTING...

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 22:12:32 -0400

DAY + 194
TODAY MIKE HAD OUTPATIENT. HIS COUNTS ARE ON THE RISE AND HIS SWOLLEN FOOT IS GETTING BETTER, THE BLOOD THINNER SHOTS ARE WORKING!
MIKE STILL HAS TROUBLE WALKING DUE TO COMING OFF SOME OF THE STEROIDS, HIS MUSCLES IN HIS LEGS ARE WEAK AND HE HAS TROUBLE WALKING UP AND DOWN THE STEPS. DR BARKER SAID IT WILL TAKE 6 OR MORE MONTHS UNTIL HE WILL GET HIS STRENGTH BACK IN HIS LEGS.
I WILL BE POSTING ONCE A WEEK SO DON’T GET NERVOUS IF YOU DON’T SEE ANYTHING, IT ONLY MEANS THAT IT IS VERY QUITE IN THE COSTANZA HOME !

DAY 167 OF TRANSPLANT MIKE WENT TO OUTPATIENT ON AUG 24 FOR A CHECK UP. THE DOCTOR LOOKED AT HIS...

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:02:47 -0400

DAY 167 OF TRANSPLANT
MIKE WENT TO OUTPATIENT ON AUG 24 FOR A CHECK UP. THE DOCTOR LOOKED AT HIS LEFT LEG, WHICH WAS SWOLLEN FOR 2 WEEKS. HIS PLATELET COUNT HAS BEEN DROPPING AND THE DOCTOR HAD NO REASON TO BELIEVE THE LEG HAD A SERIOUS PROBLEM.

NEEDLESS TO SAY, DR BARKER WANTED HIM TO HAVE A DOPPLER, JUST TO RULE OUT ANY CLOTS. SURE ENOUGH HE HAD A HUGE CLOT FROM HIS KNEE TO HIS GROIN. HE THEN HAD TO BE ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL . AFTER BEING ADMITTED, WE LEARNED THAT HE HAD TO GET A FILTER PUT IN. REASON BEING, INCASE THE CLOT BREAKS, HE NEEDS PROTECTION FROM THE CLOT BREAKING AND CAUSING A HEART ATTACK.

ON OUR 9 YEAR ANNIVERSARY, AUGUST 25, HE HAD THE FILTER PUT IN. IT’S SUPPOSE TO BE TEMPORARY, BUT IT COULD BE PERMANENT AS WELL.

MIKE NOW HAS TO GET 2 SHOTS A DAY OF LEVINOX, A BLOOD THINNER TO PREVENT MORE CLOTTING. HE WILL NEED THIS ANYWHERE FROM 3- 6 MONTHS. HIS COUNTS ARE STILL LOW AND HOPING THIS WAS THE PROBLEM SO HE CAN BE ON HIS WAY UP A BEAUTIFUL ROAD.

DAY 156 OF TRANSPLANT AUGUST 20 WE GOT THE ASPIRATE PART OF THE BONEMARROW BIOPSY WHICH SHOWED NO...

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 11:06:50 -0400

DAY 156 OF TRANSPLANT AUGUST 20
WE GOT THE ASPIRATE PART OF THE BONEMARROW BIOPSY WHICH SHOWED NO LEUKEMIA. THERE IS ABNORMALTIES IN THE BONE MARROW THAT WE DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE UNTIL NEXT WEEK, IT COULD BE LOSS OF ENGRAFTMENT OR SOMETHING DESTROYING THE CELLS IN MIKE’S BLOOD STREAM.
PLEASE WE NEED ALL YOUR PRAYERS ONCE AGAIN , WHEN IS OUR FAMILY EVER GOING TO GET A BREAK ? MIKE IS SUCH A FIGHTER !
TODAY HE NEEDED 2 UNITS OF BLOOD CAUSE HIS BLOOD COUNT WAS VERY LOW, HIS PLATELETS ARE STILL LOW AND WE NEED THESE NUMBERS TO GO UP SO HE CAN RECOVER AND PUT THIS BEHIND US !

AUGUST 12 DAY 147 OF TRANSPLANT TODAY WE SAW A HEMOTOLIGST THAT SPECIALIZES IN BLOOD. DR BARKER...

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 10:28:57 -0400

AUGUST 12 DAY 147 OF TRANSPLANT

TODAY WE SAW A HEMOTOLIGST THAT SPECIALIZES IN BLOOD. DR BARKER REFERRED US TO HIM BECAUSE SHE WAS UNCERTAIN WHAT IS CAUSING THE COUNTS NOT TO RECOVER.

MIKE HAD BLOOD WORK DONE AND THE DOCTOR CALLED US INTO HIS OFFICE TO EXPLAIN WHAT COULD BE GOING ON. THE RESULT WAS IN THE BLOOD SMEAR AS THE BONE MARROW IS ABNORMAL AND THERE IS SOMETHING THERE THAT THE DR DOES NOT LIKE. HE SAID IT COULD BE LEUKEMIA RETURNED OR IT COULD BE LOSS OF ENGRAFTMENT. HE WAS NOT SURE SO HE ORDERED A BONE MARROW BIOPSY FOR MONDAY. WE SHOULD GET THE RESULTS BACK BY THURSDAY, THIS WILL DETERMINE WHAT IS GOING ON, BUT THIS IS REAL SERIOUS. WE NEED ALL YOUR PRAYERS.

MIKE IS BESIDE HIMSELF AND WE ARE HOPING FOR THE BEST SINCE ALL WE GET IS BAD NEWS. PLEASE PRAY!!!!! MIIKE IS FIGHTING SO HARD. I’VE NEVER SEEN SUCH A PERSON FIGHT SO MUCH! HE DESERVES TO WIN THIS BATTLE HANDS DOWN!

DAY 146 OF TRANSPLANT TODAY WAS NOT A GOOD DAY, ALTHOUGH MIKE WOKE UP FEELING PREETY GOOD, HIS...

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 07:30:20 -0400

DAY 146 OF TRANSPLANT

TODAY WAS NOT A GOOD DAY, ALTHOUGH MIKE WOKE UP FEELING PREETY GOOD, HIS COUNTS ARE LOW. THE COUNTS DROPPED SINCE LAST WEEK AND DR BARKER WANTS HIM TO SEE A SPECIALIST TOMORROW. SHE DOES NOT KNOW WHY THE COUNTS ARE NOT RECOVERING SINCE SHE TWEEKED LOTS OF MEDS AND EVEN TOOK HIM OFF OF SOME. SHE TOLD US THAT SHE IS NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THE LEUKEMIA RETURNING BECAUSE HIS BONE MARROW WAS CLEAN. SHE TOLD US SHE IS VERY CONCERNED THAT SHE NEVER SAW THIS BEFORE AND NOW WE ARE WORRIED, SO PLEASE EVERYONE PRAY.

MIKE APPRECIATES ALL THE TEXTS AND CALLS BUT HE REALLY WANTS ANSWERS HIMSELF ON WHY HIS COUNTS AREN’T RECOVERING, SO HE IS NOT UP TO TALKING UNTIL HE KNOWS THESE ANSWERS. HE JUST HATES TALKING ABOUT IT !

I WILL MAKE ANOTHER POST TONIGHT, AFTER WE VISIT THE SPECIALIST !

DAY 139 OF TRANSPLANT I WILL BE POSTING ON WEDNESDAY EVENINGS FROM NOW ON, AS LONG AS WE KEEP GOING...

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 11:06:00 -0400

DAY 139 OF TRANSPLANT
I WILL BE POSTING ON WEDNESDAY EVENINGS FROM NOW ON, AS LONG AS WE KEEP GOING ONCE A WEEK ON WEDNESDAYS. MIKE’S COUNTS TODAY WERE GOING UP A LITTLE FROM LAST WEEK, HIS BONEMARROW SEEMS TO BE PRODUCING PLATELETS AND RED BLOOD CELLS. HIS LDH IS VERY HIGH AND THAT IS INDICATING SOMETHING COULD BE BREWING, AS WELL AS HIS LIVER COUNTS WHICH ARE ON THE RISE AS WELL.

BECAUSE HE IS ON ONLY 1 STEROID NOW AND THE DOCTOR LOWERED THAT TODAY, THEY HAVE TO MONITOR HIM FOR THE GVHD ( GRAFT VERSE HOST DIEASE ) TO MAKE SURE IT’S NOT MAKING HIS LIVER UNHAPPY. THE DOCTOR WILL BE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THIS AND WE WILL KEEP OUR FINGERS CROSSED THAT THE GVHD DOES NOT COME BACK.

MIKE IS STILL VERY WEAK AND IS HAVING PAINS IN HIS LEGS , THIS IS DUE FROM THE TAMPERING OF THE STEROIDS AND COULD LAST FOR A FEW WEEKS. THE PRAYERS ARE ALWAYS NEEDED !

DAY 132 OF TRANSPLANT. TODAY MIKE HAD A TREATMENT, THE IVIG TO BOOST HIS IMMUNE SYSTEM AND IT MAKES...

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 10:16:27 -0400

DAY 132 OF TRANSPLANT.
TODAY MIKE HAD A TREATMENT, THE IVIG TO BOOST HIS IMMUNE SYSTEM AND IT MAKES HIM REAL SICK, VERY TIRED, WEAK AND CAN’T MOVE. DR BARKER ALSO TOOK HIM OFF THE PREDISONE, ONE OF THE STEROIDS. BY DOING THIS HIS LEGS ARE VERY WEAK AND HE WILL BE OFTEN FATIGUED. THIS SHOULD LAST FOR A FEW WEEKS UNTIL HIS BODY ADJUSTS TO HAVING NO STEROIDS.

MIKE’S PLATELET COUNT IS ALSO STILL DROPPING, THE DOCTORS BELIEVE IT’S THE MEDS BUT CAN’T TWEEK ANYTHING ELSE BEING THE BIG THING WAS GETTING OFF THE STEROIDS .

DAY 122 OF TRANSPLANT I MADE A MISTAKE ON THE PREVIOUS POST, I MEANT TO SAY THAT THE BONE MARROW IS...

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 22:47:30 -0400

DAY 122 OF TRANSPLANT
I MADE A MISTAKE ON THE PREVIOUS POST, I MEANT TO SAY THAT THE BONE MARROW IS NOT WORKING PERFECTLY, BEING HE HAS PNEMONIA . THE INFECTION IS MAKING THE MARROW WORK SLOWER BECAUSE OF THE INFECTION AND THAT’S WHY HIS COUNTS ARE LOW.
MIKE STILL HAS THE PNEMONIA, IT SEEMS LIKE IT IS GETTING WORSE. THE COUGH IS STILL THERE AND HE IS VERY WEAK. THE ANTIBIOTICS END ON WEDNESDAY. I AM SURE HE IS GOING TO NEED ANOTHER ROUND TO KILL THE INFECTION.

MIKE HAS BEEN TRYING TO REST BUT IT’S HARD WITH THE KIDS. THANKS TO MOM AND GREAT FRIENDS HE HAS BEEN GETTING LITTLE BREAKS. HE STILL CAN’T HAVE VISTORS CAUSE THE IMMUNE SYSTEM IS STILL VERY LOW , SO HE IS BORED OUT OF HIS MIND .

DAY 118 OF TRANSPLANT TODAY WAS THE BEST DAY AT THE DOCTORS. WE WENT IN VERY SCARED BUT CAME OUT...

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:40:00 -0400

DAY 118 OF TRANSPLANT
TODAY WAS THE BEST DAY AT THE DOCTORS. WE WENT IN VERY SCARED BUT CAME OUT RELIEVED.
MIKE’S BONE MARROW BIOPSY CAME BACK 100% DONOR AND LEUKEMIA FREE. THE MARROW IS FUNCTIONING PERFECTLY BECAUSE OF THE PNEUMONIA. WHEN YOU HAVE AN INFECTION IN YOUR BODY, THE MARROW HAS TO FIGHT EXTRA HARD AND AFTER THE TRANSPLANT IT IS STILL VERY WEAK.
MIKE STILL HAS A LONG ROAD AHEAD OF HIM AND MANY MORE MONTHS UNTIL HE FEELS LIKE HIMSELF,
THANK YOU FOR ALL THE PRAYERS, IT’S WORKING!

DAY 117 OF TRANSPLANT
MIKE CAME HOME ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON STILL FEELING VERY WEAK AND STILL FIGHTING THE PNEUMONIA . WE GO TO OUTPATIENT TOMORROW AND DR BARKER WILL GIVE US THE RESULTS OF THE SECOND HALF OF THE BONE MARROW. WE ARE VERY NERVOUS. PLEASE EVERYONE PRAY THAT THIS NEWS WILL BE GOOD !!