To jump to the most current update, click here.
Greg's Journal
See August 25, 2002
Middle of October, 2001 – I had what I thought was a cold.
Around October 18, 2001 – I bruised my left
thigh and right calf.
October 23, 2001 – Both of the bruises are
getting quite large and there is bruising where my boots tie and my holster
rubs.
October 24, 2001 – Dr. Safarian saw my bruises, did a check-up on me, and sent me
packing. I was medevac’d to Muscat,
Oman. A blood test in Oman revealed
that my white blood cells are at 27,000.
I was diagnosed with a viral infection affecting my legs.
October 25, 2001 – Today I was medevac’d
via C-130 to a Bahrain military hospital.
My white blood cells are at 78,000 and my platelets are very low.
October 26, 2001 – I received a platelet
transfusion today and I felt very tired.
I was notified by the doctor that the diagnosis was Leukemia.
I took the news O.K. and I set up for my transfer to Germany.
October 27, 2001 – I got on a C-9 Medevac
to Landstuhl, Germany. I arrived and
entered through the Emergency room. I
had blood work and multiple exams done.
October 28, 2001 – I had exams all day
today and, of course, more blood work done.
They put an IV in. The
Oncologist, Dr. Avery, confirmed the diagnosis of Leukemia. I was also set up for a medevac to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in
Washington D.C.
October 29, 2001 – The C-17 flight today
was to Andrews AFB, MD. I was transferred
by ambulance and driven to WRAMC and checked in. Last cigarette.
October 30, 2001 – Tina arrived today. I had more blood work and a bone biopsy done today. Hurts like
hell. I got settled into my room.
October 31, 2001 – The procedures,
treatments, and side effects were explained to us by Drs. Brooks and
Belford. Today my parents called. I got to spend the night at the Mologne House with
Tina. I have an appointment to have my Hickman installed tomorrow.
November 1, 2001 – Well today I had a small
fever. They took x-Rays of chest. The appointment that I had for the Hickman
installation got postponed until tomorrow.
November 2, 2001 – Day 1 of chemo – The Hickman was finally installed
today and the Chemotherapy was started.
I had Ara-C infused. It will be
a 7/3 regimen; 7 days of Ara-C followed
by 3 days of single-dose Idarubicin.
I've had no noticeable change in my appetite. My parents and oldest brother’s family arrived this morning and
my younger brother and his wife will get in tonight.
November 3, 2001 – Day 2 of chemo – Again, very little noticeable
effects. My red blood cells are low so
I was given 3 bags. I felt good for a
majority of the day but I am starting to fatigue more than usual but it’s not
attributed to the chemo. The spot where I got my bone biopsy keeps oozing and
it is really bruised because I am so low on platelets. My fevers are starting to creep up. They gave me something tonight to help me
sleep.
November 4, 2001 – Day 3 of chemo – I was told today that the type of AML I have is M1. I had platelets transfused today. The IV in my left hand caused severe burning. As it turns out it was installed incorrectly (bent needle). Major fever today (103.9°). Throughout the evening and night I was given multiple blood and urine cultures. They have found no infections that might have caused the fever but I was placed on antibiotics just in case. I got no sleep. Because of the fever, I was worked up by nurses throughout the night.
November 5, 2001 – Day 4 of chemo – Did not sleep much due to another
temperature. Vital signs and blood were
taken to check for infection. I noticed
a metallic taste in my mouth, a distinctive odor in my urine, and I got the
hiccups and they won’t go away. We
scheduled a sit-down with Dr. Brooks and the family at 1:00 p.m. so that the
family could ask any and all questions that they may have. My brothers and parents all gave their blood
for HLA testing. It’s 3:00 p.m. and I just spiked another fever (102.3°). They gave me Tylenol and Cefapine which
worked well. At 5:15 my temperature is
98.1°.
November 6, 2001 – Day 5 of chemo – I woke up several times due to sweat. My entire body was soaking wet. I ate a little bit for breakfast. I got a shower and changed my linen. I feel good so far, no fevers yet. They say that there’s not enough output (urine), I’m drinking too much and my body's not getting rid of it. I’ll try to slow down. The only things bothering me today are a sore jaw, a sore butt from the bone biopsy, a sore chest from the Hickman, and a very dull headache. My oldest brother and his wife left today and my youngest brother is leaving tomorrow.
November 7, 2001 – Day 6 of chemo – They infused platelets and red
blood cells today. I still haven’t had
any reactions. No fevers and no
problems noticed. I went down to the
cafeteria for dinner. It was a good day.
November 8, 2001 – Day 7 of chemo – It’s been a good morning so far. My red blood cell counts are good. My white blood cell count is still dropping. I ate breakfast (eggs and sausage) in the room then went down to the cafeteria. We went outside for a little while and I took a short nap around noon. My temperature, blood pressure, and pulse are all normal (98°, 121/71, 73).
November 9, 2001 – Day 8 of chemo – I started bleeding from my
Hickman this morning but everything else is normal so far. It’s my last day of Cytarabine (Ara-C). The Oncologist did a checkup. I got my first Idarubicin
shot. All is good so far.
November 10, 2001 – Day 9 of chemo – I Received my second shot of Idarubicin today. Still no side effects noticed. My Cytogenics test came back today. I have a chromosome anomoly (translocation t(8;21)) which raises my chances of complete remission.
November 11, 2001 – Day 10 of chemo – Today is the final dose of my
induction chemotherapy. I’m starting to
feel rough. Maybe I will be able to
sleep through the bad stuff.
November 12, 2001 – Happy
Birthday to me. I am 30 today and
don’t even have the wherewithal to enjoy it.
Tina, my parents, and my niece came over with a cake and I barely
remember eating any of it but they have pictures to prove it. I mentioned that I thought that I could get
some ice cream down so they got me an ice cream cake. I am definitely feeling rough today. I'm throwing up and sleeping today but I still haven’t lost any hair.
November 13, 2001 – I wasn’t throwing up today, I was just tired and my stomach hurt, mostly from throwing up so much yesterday. My old boss, Jim Crum, stopped by. Hopefully he will be able to come back by because I was only up to company for about 45 minutes and Tina was sick in bed so she didn’t get to see him at all. I haven't been able to eat anything.
November 14, 2001 – My GI tract is screwed up and there is a pain behind my sternum with flashes of pain. I’m still not eating. Colonel Leonik had some business nearby so he came by with gifts from Florida. 6 of the guys that I work with all shaved their heads. I'm still coughing up everything I eat.
November 15, 2001 – I’m feeling better, but
I’m raw from my stomach to my throat. I
am getting a sonogram today to see if what I have is an infection because I had
a fever this morning. I still have all
of my hair.
November 16, 2001 – I felt bad again today. Still not able to hold any food down.
November 17, 2001 – My parents left today so Tina is here alone. I am feeling a little better than I did yesterday even though my counts fell a little.
November 19, 2001 – Since I’ve been sleeping all day most days, my nights have been pretty restless so yesterday I decided to stay up all day. Of course I got a fever last night and they kept me up all night running tests looking for an infection. My oldest brother, Dave, is a match for me, just in case I need a Bone Marrow Transplant. A representative from the Jeff Gordon Foundation called today. She is going to stop by this weekend. We are now waiting for my counts to rise.
November 20, 2001 – My counts dropped this morning but are rising again. The BIG news of the day…I got a phone call from Jeff Gordon. My younger brother, Rick, set it up for me. I got blood and platelets today.
November 21, 2001 – My WBC count is back down to .1.
November 23, 2001 – My hair is finally coming out and, this morning,
my white count was at .6. They re-took
the blood sample and it came back .2.
They are giving me crap about taking potassium pills but the pills are
too big for me to get down.
November 24, 2001 – My white count is still at .2. I’m picking at the hair in my beard which is making it patchy and the hair on my head looks no different but feels thinner. Christy Parrack came by today. She is actually from the Marrow Foundation. She is very nice. She definitely didn't have to come by here but she took time out of her weekend to visit a stranger.
November 25, 2001 and November 26, 2001 – Still .2
November 27, 2001 – My white count went up to .3 last night but is now back down to .2.
November 28, 2001 – My white count is up to .3. I spiked a fever and have pains in my diaphragm area and my side by my liver and lung. I will start getting Amphoterican (I feel terrible) until my counts come back up.
November 29, 2001 – My white count is back to .2 but my hemoglobin count is up which is a good sign. I had a fever all day so they ran tests. I am working on eating.
November 30, 2001 – My white count is back up to .3
today but my platelet count is down. My
feet are swollen. They did a CT scan last night, an EKG during the afternoon, and a bronchoscopy
this evening (which they gave me Ativan for).
It turns out that everything is fine.
December 1, 2001 – My white count went up to .4 last
night and stayed. The Ativan from last
night made me sleep most of the day today.
I have been eating and drinking what I can keep down.
December 2, 2001 – I went back down to .3 last night.
December 3, 2001 – I’m went up to .4 last night and
back down to .3 this morning.
December 4, 2001 – My white count went up to .4 but came back down to .3. Other than talking to the doctors, I’m sleeping.
December 5, 2001 – Point 5
December 6, 2001 -- My count stayed at .5 and the
docs are talking about doing a bone marrow biopsy tomorrow.
December 7, 2001 – They did the biopsy this morning and Tina videotaped it. My white count went up to .6 last night.
December 8, 2001 – The preliminary results from the
biopsy came back and look good but the actual numbers won’t be in until Monday.
December 9, 2001 – Christy Parrack, the woman from
the Marrow Foundation came to visit again and brought Tina to Taco Bell to get
me some soft tacos. I was able to eat
the inside out of the tacos but that was better than I have been doing. My white count is .7.
December 10, 2001 – Less than 5% blasts (2%) which
is what we were hoping for. My medevac
flight to Keesler in Biloxi, MS is
scheduled for early Sunday morning.
They have found an accepting doctor for me at Keesler. I got to move into the big room for my last
couple of days here. My white count is
up to .9 this evening.
December 12, 2001 – My white count finally got to 1.0 yesterday and
stayed.
December 13, 2001 – Tina’s leaving today. My counts are soaring.
December 17, 2001 – I’m finally leaving Washington today. Tina, her dad, and his girlfriend are coming over to get me so that I can go home for a few days.
December 25, 2001 – We spent Christmas week with the family in Biloxi and came home today. I went and did a couple of blood tests while I was in Biloxi and one of the times I actually had to get a bag Potassium.
January 1, 2002 – We will be heading to Biloxi today
for my appointment tomorrow morning.
January 2, 2002 – First 2 infusions of chemo – They will check me in tonight to start the chemo. I won't have to have another biopsy any time soon. This round will be different because it is consolidation chemo which is high-dose chemo, six infusions into my Hickman. For the first batch, I will get one infusion tonight at 7:00 p.m. and one infusion tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m. After waiting around my room, we discussed leaving the hospital since my next dose wouldn't be until tomorrow night. The doc said that it would be o.k. but he didn't like the idea of me staying the night away so I will spend my days at the TLF with Tina. Amazingly, I got the hiccups again. The docs last time said that they didn't attribute them to chemo but I'm beginning to wonder. It's just too much of a coincidence.
January 3, 2002 – I'm feeling totally normal except for the hiccups. It's just not normal.
January 5, 2002 – Second 2 infusions of chemo – I got my second dose last night and this morning and am free for another day and a half.
January 7, 2002 – Third 2 infusions of chemo – I got my last dose last night and this morning. One round of the consolidation chemo is done. Now we just wait for my counts to drop and come back up so that we can go home.
January 8, 2002 – Today I learned how to give myself the Neupogen shots. The doctor said that my counts are good enough that he is giving me tomorrow off. (Pic of Neupogen Shot)
January 10, 2002 – I am finally neutropenic. Now we wait for my counts to come back up. Hopefully it won't take as long as last time since I'm taking the Neupogen shots.
January 12, 2002 – Today I spent most of the day at the hospital getting RBCs and platelets. My stomach feels a little weird but that's about it. Also, I noticed on the potassium bottle that it says the pills can be dissolved in water if they are too big to swallow. I wish that I'd known that in November. The doctor has given me tomorrow off.
January 13, 2002 – I had the day off today. No blood work, no hospitals, and no doctors or nurses. I can’t tell you how good that feels to not have to go through my “routine”. My Oncologists, Dr. Turner and Dr Dice, are both very good. I feel very fortunate to be in such capable hands. I want to kind of review what’s happened in the hope that someone else out there who gets this terrible disease will learn something or just gain a better understanding of the road ahead. When I was diagnosed with AML nearly 3 months ago, I took the news pretty well. Those who know me know I’ve never been a shy person or one to take things passively. When I was told I had Leukemia, I asked “how’d I get it, and how do I get rid of it!” Chemo is pretty bad stuff, but not as bad as the alternative. My induction chemo was the absolute pits but it does get better. HiDAC (High dosage ARA-C) chemo isn’t as bad and, after a while, you develop a routine of blood tests, blood transfusions, and platelet transfusions. I do look forward to the day that this will all seem like a memory. For the most part, you can lead a mostly normal life with a few precautions. The problem is that there is always one word hanging over your head…relapse! This term will make you physically and psychologically ill. My physical condition is progressing well, I am putting my weight back on (I lost 32 pounds during induction chemo…I’ve gained 10-15 back). My psychological condition has gone through several peaks and valleys. The peaks have been almost entirely due to the support of my family and friends (especially my saving grace…my lovely wife Tina!) How did I get so lucky? I guess God has his angels! Then there are the valleys. Everyone goes through periods of despair and self doubt and I’m no exception. My mind gets going when I’m not feeling well and I wonder what the future holds. It is SO scary receiving what you perceive as a death sentence. You try to be strong for your family, but it’s pretty easy to almost give up at certain times. I keep thinking about throwing up all the time after the first round of Chemo (mid-November). It was a miserable time for me. I could not even go for a walk without feeling sick. I’m glad to see those days behind me. With strength returning, I worry about my military career. My life for the past 12 years has been my family and my job. I honestly feel so lucky to be a part of the military family that I consider the 16 SOW. For those that work with me, I guess the “workaholic” would be used to describe me. Suddenly, it’s all gone. I’m not allowed to fly right now and I can’t plan military exercises or deploy on contingencies (when I was medically evacuated in October, I had to be ordered to leave). When the military deploys, it takes a little bit to get everyone on the same sheet of music. There are so many moving pieces and so much is changing, it’s chaotic. I live for those moments. When the chaos is at its peak, training and personalities take over and I was just getting going. Those first few days deployed set the stage for everything that happens. At least I was fortunate enough to have been a part of that. The military is not like any civilian company when it comes to family emergencies. When I was being medically moved from Germany to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the 16 SOW was busy contacting my wife, making sure she was OK, and arranging for her to fly from Florida to Washington. Phone calls from my bosses (Thank You Col. Ediger and SMSgt Dan McMullan) assuring me that everything else would be OK are of great comfort during the confusion. I owe the 16 SOW so much for helping me when I needed it most. Now, I am eager to get back to work to repay that debt. It will be at least 2-3 months before I can return with any sense of normalcy. I hope to start flying again in July (there are a lot of waivers required for me to fly again). All of these things affect my psychological wellness ( I can’t believe I just said wellness!) I will continue to draw strength from my family and friends, and hope the peaks replace the valleys. Now I have to go and pay up a bet (My boss bet me I couldn’t make it the whole journal without babbling on about something!)
January 13, 2002 – Pretty easy day today. Did the morning routine of blood work and the hospital waiting game. Dr Dice was happy with the counts, so I’m off until tomorrow. WBCs are at .4 and my Neutrophils are at 0.0%. I’m no expert, but that sounds like one suppressed immune system! I am trying to take care of everything, an infection for me is BAD news right now. Washing hands and alcohol pads are the norm for a little while longer. Spirits are still high.
January 17, 2002 – Finished with the hospital for the day. My platelet count was only 8,000 (150,000-400,000 is normal) so I received a bag of platelets. Everything else is going as planned but I’m still getting anxious because I’ve been neutropenic (lack of germ fighting cells) for a week. I hope that I start recovering soon. I’ve been very fortunate this round as I’ve been able to eat pretty much everything. When I was in Walter Reed, I could not eat due to the Mucositis (Chemo makes the cells in your mouth break down and this “sloughing” of cells and tissue causes some pretty big issues with swallowing and digestion of food. Mucositis is the term they use for this sloughing.) This time, we were prepared with soup and soft foods, but I haven’t needed to go that route. (I still ate the soup!). When I lost all the weight, I was worried about my appetite, but let me tell you that when it returned, I started eating everything I could. I ate 4-5 times a day and had snacks in between each meal. My appetite has pretty much returned to normal, but I do get hungry more often. Side effects for this last round of Chemo have been relatively mild (knock on wood). The problem is that every little thing you feel you think is a side effect. All is still well and sprits are high.
January 18, 2002 – Finished up at the hospital early
today. Dr Dice is giving me tomorrow
off! It’s always good when you get a
day off. Counts are creeping back up,
my WBCs are up to .8. That doesn’t mean
much to you, but it’s a big deal to me.
WBCs (white blood cells) contain neutrophils,
lymphocytes, eosinophils, basophils,
and monocytes. These cells control your immune system as well as a host of other
duties in your muscles and organs. We
watch all of these counts very closely.
It’s strange; four months ago I was concerned about Taliban and Al Qaeda
forces, now I’m looking for cells in my blood.
Isn’t it strange how life’s priorities change? Family and faith in God take on a whole new meaning. I am anxious to get back to work, even if
it’s only for a few weeks. My next
round of Chemo starts around February 15th, so the longer it takes
my counts to come up, the shorter my time at home.
January 19, 2002 – Off day! Nothing to do but lie on the couch and watch football. Tina has been great with both this website and keeping the place clean. I think I'll capitalize on this Neutropenic thing! It gets me out of doing laundry and washing dishes. I don't think that it'll work much longer! I am now doing my blood work in our room. I get up in the morning, draw blood, take it to the lab, take my pills (7 in the morning...Aciphax, Diflucan, Acyclovir, Multi-Vitamin, Magnesium, Potassium, and Levaquim), eat breakfast, then go to the clinic. My evenings consist of dinner, more pills (6 in the evening...basically the same as the morning minus Levaquim), my Neupogen shot (I still HATE giving myself shots), and getting ready for the next day. Every 4-5 days, I need platelets, RBCs (red blood cells), or both. These are long days. When you get either platelets or RBCs, they take your temperature and your vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate, and pulse) every 15 minutes. It takes 2-3 hours per bag of RBCs and about an hour for platelets. Needless to say, I hate getting them because I don't like to spend any more time than necessary in the hospital. 2 bags of RBCs and a bag of platelets usually spell at least 8 hours in the hospital. The reason I'm rambling is I'll probably need both tomorrow, so I'm planning on a long day!
January 21, 2002 – Great day today! My WBCs have risen sharply and my platelets are coming back. If all goes well, we should be able to leave tomorrow. I am not giving myself Neupogen shots anymore and did not need the platelet transfusion. Thanks again to everyone for all of the emails. At one point, I was getting around 45 emails per day. I just ran out of time to respond, so if I did not respond I'm sorry. The website has pretty much answered most of the questions everyone asks. It is very reassuring to know we have so many friends concerned about us. Thanks again to everyone for the kind words and your continued prayers.
January 22, 2002 – We are home! I went to the clinic for my blood results
and all was well so they told me to go home.
I had a few strange cells in my blood work (NRBC, Metamyelocytes, and Toxic Granulation) but the doctors tell me
this is normal for me due to the chemo and Neupogen shots. It feels good to be home and the dogs are
happy to see us. There is a quote that
says “I wish I was half the person my dog thinks I am”. How true!
The best medicine is being home.
January 23, 2002 –
Blood work looked good today. I
called Dr. Turner in Biloxi with the results and I am now waiting for him to
get back to work to go over them with me.
Hopefully, he is as happy as I am about how things are going so
far. Got the back yard cleaned up and
sold the wave runner today. It’s a
bummer getting rid of the wave runner, but I can’t go out during this anyway. Oh well, it accelerates the prospect of
moving to our new house which should happen this spring.
January 25, 2002 – Did blood work again today. Dr Turner called from Keesler. He’s very happy with my progress and wants me to start the next round a week early. I’ll start chemo again on 4
Feb 02. Mixed feelings on this one, it’s good to get started so I get done earlier, but I lose a week at home. I am feeling great and hope this good fortune continues throughout the treatment. An upset stomach and an itchy eye summed up the last round. I guess all the prayers are paying off so far. I really believe that attitude has a lot to do with it. Your attitude may not cure you, but it will help you and those around you regardless of the prognosis. A quick side note, if you look at any of the charts, move your cursor over the subject (example: WBC) and it will explain what that subject is. Tina is so creative! She is my rock (but don’t tell her that, she’s getting a big head from all you people!) I have next week off! No blood work or hospitals. I’ll continue this journal next weekend when I get back to Keesler. Thanks again to all for you continued prayers as I think they’re working.
February 3, 2002 – Well, I’m back at Keesler AFB, MS again. This time to start my 2nd cycle of HiDAC (3rd overall Chemo treatment). I have to say that I am not having an easy time with this one. I am feeling good and my blood counts are good, so I don’t feel like getting sick again. I know that it’s a small “investment” to make for my future, but it is still quite difficult to start all over again. It seems like I just finished. Last week was great, seeing everyone at work and getting back into a routine. Oh well, I guess it’s for the best. Let’s see what tomorrow brings. I am missing Tina pretty bad already, as she won’t be coming out here for a little while. She gives me strength when I need it. Tomorrow will be better.
February 4, 2002 – First 2 infusions of chemo – As I write this, the first bag of Cytarabine (ARA-C) is going in. This one should be done in about 20 minutes. One down, five to go! I’m ready to get this round finished and I’ve only just begun. My counts looked really good today, which makes knowing that they will crash again twice as difficult. Oh well, I’ve got to keep a positive attitude. Spirits are OK but will get better as the routine gets going.
February 5, 2002 – Well, 2 infusions down, 4 to go. The first two went well. I can tell that I have been given the infusions as my stomach notices the change. No pain or discomfort, just a different feeling. As the doses continue, my stomach will react a little more (I’m guessing based on last time). I feel pretty good and the steroids (decadron) will cause an increase in my appetite. My spirits are picking up and my anxiety is dropping as we’re underway again. I have the stinking hiccups again. They don’t list them as a side effect, but trust me, they are. All three rounds of chemo have given me the hiccups up front. Thanks again to everyone for the emails and calls as they really do help with motivation. I am ready to get this week behind me and play the neutropenic game for the next few weeks.
February 6, 2002 – Second 2 infusions of chemo – I’m finishing yet another bag of Cytarabine right now. Seems to be going well so far. After I finish this one, it’ll be 3 down with 3 to go. I’ll get bag 4 in the morning. I am starting to get back into the routine of this again. Those darn hiccups sure seem to be around again. They drive me nuts. My counts are consistent with the last round. For anyone going through this ordeal, I would highly recommend getting to know your blood. It all seems so confusing at first, but Tina and I monitor my blood very closely now and can tell if something is out of the normal range. Tina is quite smart on all of the blood work. The blood differential is the most important page. Neutrophils and the rest can tell you quite a bit about your body and it’s capabilities. Everyone should ask their doctor or nurse for a printout of their blood work to include CBC w/Diff, Chem 7 or 10, and CAMP. These will give you great insight into your body and how it is functioning. Remember, no one cares about you more than you.
February 7, 2002 – 2/3 of the way done, then the games begin. My counts are starting to drop and everything is going as planned. I noticed my Red Blood Cells are damaged (as normal). I can tell because Anisocytosis, Schistocytes, and Hypechromic readings have appeared in my blood work. I will take it easy the rest of the day and continue to draw on the strength of my family and friends (as Fr. Nolan says) throughout the world. I am, truly, very fortunate to have so much support. One more thing, Christy from The Marrow Foundation sent us another wonderful gift. As Tina said, it’s an autographed Jeff Gordon model with his new NASCAR paint scheme. There are people out there, like Christy, that go so far above and beyond what is called of them. We are all very fortunate people like her are out there. Thank you again Christy, you are a wonderful person.
February 8, 2002 – Third 2 infusions of chemo – I am getting ready to head to the hospital for my last two infusions on ARA-C for this cycle. I will very glad when tomorrow gets here as I will be done with this stuff. It’s not that it’s that difficult, it’s the feeling you get when you’re medicated. I hate that feeling and am ready to be done with it. Everything else is going exactly as planned. This cycle is almost identical to the last one except my counts are higher this time, which actually helps in the long run. Let’s hope things continue to go as planned. No surprises please. I compare each day in the cycle to the last round (you can look in the charts: 5 Feb 02 vs 3 Jan 02 to compare my counts. Each day should sort of match up with the last cycle from here). I look to the next day’s counts from the last cycle to get an idea what my counts may/should look like tomorrow. Sounds confusing, but it works! Morale is high and I am dying to start flying again. My boss called last night to check up on me before his flight and that gave me the flight bug again. I can’t wait to get back to normal (as if I were ever normal!)
February 9, 2002 – Well, ½ way done. I have just completed the Cytarabine chemo for the 2nd cycle. Now we wait for my immune system to crash and recover. The reason we do this is to get rid of any Minimal Residual Disease (MRD). Right now, I have no signs of Leukemia and there are no Leukemic cells found in my blood or marrow. Studies have shown an increased chance of cure or at least prolonged remission if you get 3-4 cycles of HiDAC (what I’m getting right now). I will get 4 cycles of this and be done, hopefully, sometime in May. Then, I get blood work every month or so for the next year or two to make sure I’m disease free. Cancer is a chess game, and I’m ready to win. The problem is, you have no idea what moves are being made and your opponent cheats! Oh well, all is well and I have tomorrow off. Next blood work will be Monday. Guess I’ll get ready to play the hermit game with the Olympics and NASCAR!
February 10, 2002 – 1 week down, 2 to go (hopefully). My goal is to be out of here and home in two weeks. I start with the Neupogen shots again today and will continue them for about two weeks. They help with my immune system and fight potential infections. I hope that this round continues to go as planned. So far, so good. We’ll just wait and see. A lot of the preventive measures that I take help in avoiding any infections. I wash my hands about 30 times per day and use alcohol swabs on everything. I have to keep my Hickman site clean as well with alcohol and iodine. It gets to be a busy day with the pills, shots, washing, and swabbing. Again, a small price to pay for life!
February 11, 2002 – Counts looked good again today, so I have tomorrow off. Dr Turner seems very happy with my counts. My blood counts are significantly higher than where I started from last cycle, so I have a little more breathing room. I hope this is a trend for the next couple cycles. I should need platelets and/or red blood cells by this weekend if my schedule stays true. Maybe I can get by with only one transfusion this time. It doesn’t matter, as long as I continue to get better. Now I have to figure out what to do with myself for the next 48 hours. Not having to do blood work is good, but I like to know what’s going on every day. I should be Neutropenic by Thursday.
February 13, 2002 – Well, I’m neutropenic as of today. Now we wait for my marrow to recover in about a week or so and then I can get out of here for a week. Looks like I’ll only have a week between cycles this time and that is bringing me down. All is still going as planned and I’m feeling good. I figure I’ll need platelets on Friday and blood by Monday. It gets pretty tiring when your body needs all of this “maintenance”. I am looking forward to finishing this cycle because that will put me over the hump and I’ll be able to see the end of the treatment. Three months to go!
February 14, 2002 – Well, so much for an uneventful cycle. I spiked a fever last night (101.2) and it carried to this morning. I am now a prisoner in the hospital again for the next 5-10 days. When you have no immune system, fevers are bad. I can not believe it happened, I am totally bummed. I have a lot of anxiety about being back in the hospital as the nurses and med techs give me antibiotics (Cefepime/Vancomycin) every 6-8 hours and take my vital signs every 4 hours. So much for sleep. Let’s just hope this week goes quick. I guess it had to happen sooner or later.
February 15, 2002 – Long day today. I had to get 2 bags of RBCs and 1 bag of platelets. Between the blood products and antiobiotcs, I’ve been glued to an IV pole all day. The blood culture for my hickman came back positive which means I have a bacterial infection in one of my hickman ports. The infection should be taken care of by the vancomyacin antibiotic and I may get to leave the hospital in the next few days (hopefully). I am feeling a lot better and my fevers are gone. I hate having to stay in the hospital and am looking forward to getting out of here. Oh well, at least I am responding to the antibiotics and getting better.
February 17, 2002 – The infection that I have is a pretty common one and easily treated, so I sit here in my hospital room and watch the antibiotics go into the line. An important thing about leukemics is that it doesn’t matter how common or small an infection is, it can be fatal if left untreated. That’s pretty scary when you think about it. When I spiked the fever, I treated it as if I were healthy, you know take your temp, get some sleep. This was stupid. It is so easy to think like a normal person (there I go thinking I’m normal again!) when it comes to treating the common cold or any fever. I have to remember that things can go downhill in a hurry. OK, lesson learned on this one. I am feeling great and haven’t had a fever since Thursday. My absolute neutrophil count is at rock bottom and I am still hopeful that this Wednesday or Thursday I should see initial marrow recovery. In other words, in 4-5 days, my counts should come back. When that happens, all goes back to normal and I’ll be allowed to go home. I’ll be home for about a week, then I come back and start all over again (YUCK!!!!). Almost half way done with consolidation therapy. 60 days to go!
February 19, 2002 – I am still hopeful about getting released today, but I’m not counting on it. The hardest part of all of this is waiting for the doctors to make a decision. I barely get to see them, but can’t leave without their permission (very frustrating). I have SEVERE bone pains today. They came on last night, so I did not get any sleep. It feels like a pulsating throb in my lower back and in all my joints. This is actually a good sign as it means my bone marrow is starting to recover. I have 10% monocytes today which usually precede neutrophils in the blood. I am hoping to not be neutropenic by tomorrow or Thursday. My patience is gone with all of the nurses. I just wish they would all do things the same way. Every nurse is different and it drives me nuts. The throbbing in my bones is making me cranky. As always, tomorrow will be better.
February 19, 2002 – Finally, I have escaped the hospital! A week in “lock up” and I was going out of my mind! My counts are back and, with a little luck, I will be home tomorrow. I have to go to the clinic in the morning to get my counts checked, make sure my platelets are recovering, and get the antibiotics. After that, I’m on the road. I hope all goes well. 2 weeks and 4 days is pretty good. I am being completely unfair to the nurses and doctors at the hospital. Most, if not all, of them are very good, I’m just an idiot when it comes to my body. I am sure they are happier to see me go than I am. I should try to behave a little better for them. When you’re cranky and stuck in the hospital, it’s easy to lash out at those around you. They took my abuse pretty well. I would never want to have to deal with someone like me! I’ll get a week and a half off and then I’ll be back here to start all over again. Oh well, 2 down, 2 to go!
March 4, 2002 – First 2 infusions of chemo – And so we begin again! I feel better this round and I’m not having the anxiety I felt at the beginning of Cycle 2. Maybe I’m just getting used to this crap! My counts looked good, very similar to Cycle 2 and my spirits are high. Put all this together and I hope it spells an easier time and NO FEVERS! I hope to finish this cycle in about 3 weeks and set myself up for the last cycle. I know I shouldn’t get ahead of myself, but it is like being in school and looking forward to graduation. There’s a great unknown after graduation, yet we were all still so eager to get to that abyss. Scary and exciting at the same time. I’ll concentrate on this cycle and hope all goes well. Thanks to everyone again for your continued prayers as they are making all the difference (well, the prayers and the chemo!)
March 5, 2002 – I’ll let you in on a little secret, if you go through HiDAC, you’re gonna get the hiccups! Yes, they’re back! All is going according to plan and my attitude this cycle is SO much better. It’s weird, last time I was down in the dumps and this time I really feel good. My energy is very high and I’m feeling great. The blood culture we took yesterday revealed no infection left in my catheter (so far). Last time, the first results came back positive for Staph Infection. This time, nothing is showing up. They will continue to monitor the cultures for the next 5-10 days to see if anything appears. I feel pretty good about the infection being killed. I am such a germophobe now it’s ridiculous! Oh well, better safe than sorry. I’ll get the next two bags of chemo infused tomorrow at 10am and 10pm. After that, I’m off until Friday. This is getting to be obscenely routine. As always, spirits are high and I’m ready t o finish this crap! 10% through this round already.
March 6, 2002 – Second 2 infusions of chemo – My counts are looking fairly normal today and my energy level is still pretty high. Tina has placed a “last updated” block on the front page of the web site. Just scroll down below the guest book icon in the frame on the left-hand-side and you’ll see when the site was updated. This should make it a little easier. Everything else is going well and, after these two bags of chemo today, I’m already 2/3 of the day through this cycle! It’s all about how you look at it! For all you folks at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, make sure you sign the guest book, or Tina will be upset! Next update…tomorrow!
March 7, 2002 – My counts are a little different than the last cycle, but nothing out of the ordinary. Everything seems to be going as planned. My plan of staying “sanitized” and away from any germs seems to be working. I am using alcohol wipes and the Clorox disinfectant wipes on everything. These, in conjunction with my hand washing rituals, should provide for a fairly sterile environment. My spirits are still pretty high and this round seems to be moving right along. Hopefully, I’ll get through this one with no surprises!
March 8, 2002 – Third 2 infusions of chemo – The last bags of Cytarabine for this cycle are going in right now. Dr Turner has given me the weekend off. My next blood test will be on Monday. This is the anxious time for me as I wait to go neutropenic. I’ll keep doing my best to make sure I stay a sanitary as possible. I know I keep rambling on about this, but it is literally a life and death situation when you deal with infections. Pretty scary stuff! Oh well, everything else is going as planned. I start on the Neupogen tomorrow. I HATE shots, but what can you do. We are going with the higher dose (480mg vs 300mg) which might lessen my neutropenic time. We’ll see how that goes.
March 11, 2002 – Well, my counts are dropping fast and I should be neutropenic within 48 hours. I have to take care and keep things REALLY clean now. I always get a little nervous around this time. I hate not having an immune system. It’s pretty scary when you realize what can kill you! On a side note, today is my dad’s birthday. I always seem to reflect on my life on his birthday. I grew up the middle of three sons to wonderful parents who we tortured on a regular basis. Why are we embarrassed or distant from our parents when we’re younger? I wish I was half the man my father is as he is ALWAYS there for his family. There is nothing in life more important than family and the example set by my father is truly amazing. Tina and I are both blessed to have strong family backing and that really makes a difference during adverse times. My dad is the best and I look forward to being together again soon (even if it’s at a craps table!). Happy Birthday Dad!
March 12, 2002 – And so the game begins! I am neutropenic as of today. My counts are still dropping and I should need blood and platelets by Friday. I am a little concerned with my blood work today as a type of cell known as a “Dohle Body” was noted. This abnormality usually occurs with chronic infections. Click here to find out more: White Blood Cells 1 I have a feeling, if there is an infection; it’s in my Hickman as that seems to be the common place for infections. I have my bags packed for the hospital just in case I spike a fever. Too much worrying and I sure could use some good news for a change. Leukemia sucks!
March 13, 2002 – My checkup went well today. Dr Turner did the once over on me and we’re still right on track. So far, so good, as far as being neutropenic. I’ve kept myself and the place pretty clean. Paranoia is a good word to describe my mindset right now. Leukemia is such an emotionally and physically draining disease. One minute you’re normal, the next you’re in the middle of what seems like a whirlwind of precautions and warning signs. This is very tiring on your mind. It seems as though this stuff will never end, but suddenly you realize it’s tomorrow. My mind gets going and the paranoid thoughts creep in. I’ve been very fortunate with my disease and, so far, have had very few problems since November. When I stop to think about it (which is literally ALL the time), the journey has been a lengthy one. I can’t believe 4 months have passed since the onset of this whole ordeal. I am just SO tired of dealing with Leukemia and all its associated ramifications. My spirits are still high and I believe God is watching over me. I also believe that this is all part of some master plan. It has to be! God’s plan for me will be clearer when the time is right. All things being equal, I just hope His plans involve me hanging around here for the next 50 or so years! I should need platelets and blood on either Friday or Saturday as my numbers are coming down. We’ll see what tomorrow holds!
March 14, 2002 – Survived another day of bloodwork and labs. I am pretty tired right now, but that is because my counts are so low. I am trying to hold my transfusions off until Saturday. If my platelets drop below 15, I’ll get platelets tomorrow. I’ll just have to wait and see what tomorrow’s labs bring. My counts are nearly identical to day 12 of cycle 2, so I’m hoping this means I’m 1 day ahead of schedule. If all goes well I should be in the clear around Tuesday or Wednesday of next week and ready to get home next Thursday. Tina and I will definitely be ready to get home. Family members of someone with cancer have it a lot worse than the patient. Sure, I feel tired and my stomach gets upset from all of the drugs, but your family has no idea what to do to make things better. They try to be upbeat and cheery, but it’s difficult when there is nothing you can do to make it better. There is another guy here that has Lymphoma and I feel pretty bad for him. He is fighting hard, but he has a tumor in his stomach and they can’t operate yet because he has some pancreas problems. He is not allowed to eat or drink anything so all of his nutrition comes from his IV. Times like these you realize that, as bad as it is for me, it’s 100 times worse for him. Everyone that has been praying for me please include him in your prayers. He is so strong for his family and, at 25 years old, is too young to have all these problems. I try to give him pep talks, but it’s hard when I know there’s nothing else I can do. We’re not family, but I sense what family members must go through when I think about how helpless I am in helping him. We patients forget that at times as it’s easy to immerse yourself in your own problems. I hope things get better for him. It’s strange when you realize you are just one of many people having problems in this strange world. As always…tomorrow will be better.
March 17, 2002 – Well, I had to get platelets on Friday. My boss came out to see me and brought Tina with him. It is SO good to have her here as I get worried about being by myself when my counts are so low. It’s pretty easy for something to go wrong and, with her here, I don’t have to worry as much. I got to take Saturday off and my counts are looking good today. I am anticipating a good jump on Tuesday. The reason I think this is, each cycle has been a little shorter than the previous and my Neupogen dosage was increased from 300mg to 480mg per day this cycle. I figure that this will cut a day off of my Neutropenic time. Last cycle, my counts came back at day 17 of the cycle. Tomorrow is day 15, so that leads me to hope for Tuesday as my target date. On a serious note, please pray for the Tatum family as Lt Col Tatum had an abnormal biopsy and is back here. Our thoughts and prayers are with them. Lt Col Tatum’s website can be accessed here: Mach's Leukemia Homepage
March 18, 2002 – My counts have started to
recover. My WBC count is up to 0.8 and
I have 5 Bands as well. I should see a
noticeable jump tomorrow. We are ready
to get out of here and it is now possible that I may get out of here without
needing any blood transfusions. This
would be a big morale boost for me. I
am kind of treating these cycles as competitions. I try to get better and need less “assistance” than the previous
cycle. I know it is completely out of
my hands, but it keeps me busy. I feel
very bad for the Tatum family and sincerely hope that their road to recovery is
a short one. There are now 7-9 Leukemia
cases from the Eglin AFB/Hurlburt Field area.
This is VERY suspicious and I am wondering what the doctors think. Sounds a little like a cancer cluster to
me? We’ll see tomorrow how my counts
are doing and we may be able to leave as early as Wednesday. Hope springs eternal…as always, tomorrow
will be better!
March 19, 2002 – Well, my recovery is going as
planned with the exception of my white blood cells. I was really hoping to see a jump, but they dropped instead. I have 19 Bands as well as Metamyleocytes
and Myleocytes, which is a VERY promising sign. These cells usually precede Neutrophils during bone marrow
recovery. I anticipate a big jump in my
counts tomorrow based on the SEVERE bone pain that has returned. It feels like a dull throbbing in my leg
bones and all of my joints. Every now
and then, there is a massive surge of pain that lasts about five seconds and
then subsides. It is a very
uncomfortable feeling but I know it’s a great sign. Dr Turner said that it’s a sign of strong marrow. I don’t know, but put the bone pain together
with the blood counts, and you have yourself a potential marrow recovery on
your hands! Let’s hope this holds true.
March 23, 2002 – We did manage to escape on Thursday and made it home. I did a blood test on Friday and my platelets are coming back as planned. My hemoglobin is still low, so I'm not running any marathons this week. I start the next round (my last!) on 1 Apr 02 and am ready to get this stuff behind me. The next step is a big one. I'll write more next week once I get back to Keesler.
March 29, 2002 – Last weekend we were able to take a trip out with the dogs and look at houses. I think that the dogs had more fun than we did. We have been gone, on and off, so much lately it was nice to spend the day with the "family".
April 1, 2002 – First 2 infusions of chemo – We begin again! I have just completed my morning round of chemo. 1 down, 5 to go! My next round will begin tonight around 9:00 PM. I am so ready to get this done and over with. As usual, I’ll get the chemo this week and go neutropenic next Tuesday or Wednesday. I’ll keep clean, keep the room clean, and try to avoid any infections. Spirits are very high as I know this is the last time around for this crap! My time here is/has been an experience and I know I need to take things one day at a time. I hope to start flying again by mid-summer and get back to work full time by 1 Jun 02. As I said, one day at a time.
April 3, 2002 – Second 2 infusions of chemo – I am finishing up my 3rd infusion right now. 3 to go! My counts are still pretty much normal and we’re right on schedule. I am pretty happy with everything so far. Tina will help keep me in line and we’ll keep everything clean. I can’t believe this round is FINALLY here. I am very anxious to get this one over with and get my biopsy next month. As Lt Col Tatum says, it’s all in God’s plan, we are not in control, He is! I hope His plans for me are better than what they’ve been, but… either way! Spirits are high and, with the exception of the hiccups (again!), no real big side effects. As always, tomorrow will be better!
April 5, 2002 – Third 2 infusions of chemo – Well, it all comes down to this. Today is, hopefully, my last day of chemotherapy. With a little luck and some strong prayers, I should begin my grasp at normal life. I have to wait for my counts to drop and then come back. This should take about two weeks and then we wait. I will get a biopsy in about a month and another one in about 6 months. This is all quite frightening. Suddenly, I don’t have another chemo round or appointment to schedule, I just go back to life and take it one day at a time. It really plays havoc with your mind! Oh well, I could just as easily get hit by a truck, so I shouldn’t worry about things that I can not control. I can’t believe this is it for the chemo. I am looking forward to weaning myself off of the medications and getting my blood counts back to normal. I have the weekend off as far as blood work is concerned. As always, we’ll see what tomorrow brings…
April 8, 2002 – My counts are looking almost identical to the last cycle, which is a good thing. My stomach is the big problem as it just keeps rumbling. I usually get an upset stomach around this time and this one is no exception. The doctor gave me tomorrow off since we can kind of predict the next ten days. It should go something like this: neutrophils drop to 0 by this weekend, bone pains early next week, marrow recovery around Wednesday, and home on Friday or Saturday! Let’s hope the infections and fevers stay away for this last cycle. As always…tomorrow will be better…
April 10, 2002 – My counts have nearly bottomed and I’m neutropenic (lack of infection fighting cells). My stomach has really been upset this cycle and it sure makes life more difficult. Other than that, so far so good. I figure I’ve got about a week to go before my counts recover and go back to normal. I am just trying to get through this week. I’ll feel better when my stomach settles down. I’m pretty tired of heading to the restroom every few hours. Slowly but surely, we’re getting closer to the end…
April 13, 2002 – Off day today. I had to get platelets yesterday and had a minor scare. We proceeded to transfuse them at a rapid rate (at my request) and my body did NOT tolerate it very well. I felt the cold going in and, suddenly, I started having trouble breathing and got light-headed. The nurse said my face went completely red and my eyes got bloodshot instantly. Needless to say, we stopped the transfusion and I was put on oxygen. After a little more Benadryl, I was able to complete the transfusion without further incident. Let me tell you, no matter how many times you do this (I’ve gotten blood or platelets at least 50 times), every transfusion is unique and can be dangerous. I was pretty scared. Tina came up and got me from the hospital and we were able to go back to our quarters. Everything else is right on track and we should see marrow recovery in about 96 hours! I’m at rock bottom today and will start my slow creep up tomorrow. We’re being careful to keep me and the place clean and we’re both ready to get home for good!!! As always, tomorrow will be better.
April 14, 2002 – Well, I had to get platelets today. I was pretty surprised when they called and told me my platelets were down to 5,000 (150,000-400,00 is normal). It was a good day as they put Lt Col Tatum and me in the same room so we had the opportunity to chat for a few hours. Both Lt Col Tatum and his wife Nancy handle life’s adversity so well it’s truly amazing. Please keep them and Maj Dan Staley and his wife Brooke in your prayers as both families have a long road ahead. With God’s help and your prayers, I’m sure that both families will be healthy and happy in the coming years. My problems seem minor in the big picture and I realize that, while this is hopefully the end of this journey for me, it’s either the beginning or the middle for others. My wish is that these two families continue to draw on the support from others and have better news in the future. Actually, Lt Col Tatum’s biopsy results were better than first thought (7% Blasts vs. the 12% they originally thought) and Maj Staley’s biopsy was even better (4% Blasts which means he is in remission after 2 bouts of induction chemo). These are both promising signs and, with a little prayer, could be even better by next week.
Tina and I have noticed that folks from other countries like Israel, Australia, and Lebanon are looking at the site. We ask you folks to either sign the guest book or drop us an email. The same goes for anyone else out there as we’d love to hear your story or why you’ve looked at ours. It is our hope that someone benefits from this site and gains a little insight into the road ahead for a newly diagnosed person. Finally, thanks to everyone who has been praying and wishing us well as the end of this part of the journey is near. With a little luck, I should be complete by Friday. The next chapter is to return to normal life and ease back into work. Tina and I are so fortunate to be part of a family that lends so much support. Our friends have been nothing short of amazing and we wish we could find some way to repay everyone for the kind words, prayers, and help that has been available to us since this whole ordeal began in October. As Lt Col Tatum says, I realize that I too am not in control and I’ll put my faith in the Lord and I’m sure this all fits into His master plan. 72 hours until I’m not Neutropenic…hopefully!
April 15, 2002 – The SEVERE bone pains have returned. These pains are a mixed blessing as on one hand, it means my bone marrow is starting to recover and I should see my counts jump dramatically in about two days. On the other hand, all of my joints are sore and the pulsing, nagging, throbbing feeling is not fun. My counts are at the bottom still and I have to keep being careful as far as infections are concerned. These bone pains sure make for a long day and do weigh on your attitude. I am gearing up for a couple of cranky days. We’ll see how tomorrow goes…
April 17, 2002 – Well, we’re at the end of this part of the journey. My WBC’s rose to 8.0 and I’m off of the Neupogen. As long as my platelets hold steady or rise tomorrow, we’re heading home. I can’t believe we’ve come this far. I am going to keep my hickman in until I get the results of my biopsy next month just in case. I’d hate to get it removed and then it turn out that I need it. As I think back, I realize just how much chemo I’ve received. I have completed 1 round of induction chemo (Cytarabine: 180mg x 7 Days = 1260mg and Idarubicin: 24mg x 3 Days = 72mg) and 4 rounds of consolidation chemo (Cytarabine: 5.4 grams x 6 infusions x 4 cycles = 129.6 grams). Put all of this together and that is some serious toxins I’ve had cycle through my body. This isn’t even counting the medications, vitamins, and steroids that I’ve had as well. It’s amazing how the human body works. This whole ordeal started on 25 Oct 01 and here we are, hopefully, at the end just 6 months later. I hope to return to work full time in the next week or so and get back in the airplane sometime this summer. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that this disease is gone forever. We’ll take it one day at a time. I’ll try to keep this site updated every week or so. Please make sure you all keep Lt Col Ken Tatum and Maj Dan Staley and their families in your thoughts and prayers as they continue their journey through this and recover fully.
April 22, 2002 – So much for closing the book on this chapter. Around 3 am this morning, I decided to spike a fever and by 9:00 it was at 103. We did the usual CBC and blood cultures of my Hickman and I was shipped off to Eglin A.F.B. hospital for more tests. The highlight of my day was a wonderful spinal tap (which they called a "lumbar puncture") to check for meningitis. We have to wait about 3-10 days before the culture results come back but we did get the results of the other tests and they all came back negative. I was put on an oral antibiotoc, Dynapen, and sent home. I'm looking forward to these antibiotics kicking in as my temperature is still hovering around 100 and I remain tired. As always, tomorrow will be better...
April 30, 2002 – It’s been a pretty busy week. I started back to work on Monday and wound up in the ER at Eglin AFB with that fever. The blood cultures came back positive for Staph Infection (again!) so I’m on Vancomycin for another week. Every morning and evening I hook myself up to the IV and give myself the dosage. On Friday, my hemoglobin dropped to 7.1 so I decided to try and get some blood. 9 hours later, I finally received 1 bag. They wanted to admit me to the hospital overnight for the second bag. I refused the treatment and went home. I just couldn’t see exposing myself to any more infectious stuff plus I felt a lot better after that one bag. It must have worked because my hemoglobin is up to 9.7 today and my pulse is really good. Other than that, everything else is going well. I am looking to start flying again within a month as long as this stuff behaves. So far, so good. I will update my journal once a week unless something significant happens. As always, tomorrow will be better!…
May 7, 2002 – I have finally finished the IV antibiotic. I’ve been busier with hospitals and blood than I was when I was at Keesler. The bad part is that no one here is familiar with my case and keeps referring me back to Keesler. The Keesler folks are busy enough with their own patients and don’t need me calling them every 10 minutes. It’s really a no-win situation yet we still manage to get through it. Tina came home sick last Thursday so I played nurse to her all weekend. She is finally getting better. I took the opportunity to clean up the back yard and finish up the front yard. It’s amazing how bad your lawn gets when you don’t fully clean it for 7 months. Between deploying to the Middle East and dealing with this Leukemia, I let the yard get terrible. Recovering it gives me something to do and it’s good exercise. I am feeling great and my hemoglobin is getting better every day. It’s up to 11.0 today. Should be in the normal range in a few more weeks. I am back to work and loving every minute of it. You don’t realize how important friends are until you’re faced with losing them. Everything else is starting to get back to normal but I still have that dreaded biopsy next week hanging over my head. Let’s just get it over and done with. A very good friend is have some medical issues and needs as much support as we can spare. His situation is worse than mine (although he says mine is worse!). He’s had radiation treatments, chemo, and surgery. He is just getting back up to speed and needs that shoulder to lean on. For everyone who has a prayer line, please include him (name withheld on purpose as this is personal to him). Anyway, every day is a better one and what a miracle friends and family can be. We are all so proud; too proud to admit we need a little help from time to time. I sure have realized that help can bring you a long way. Our friends and neighbors Ted and Mary Ellen have moved to Texas and we hope they're doing well. Thank you guys for everything, we miss you. As always, tomorrow will be even better!…
May 14, 2002 – The Bone Marrow Biopsy was today and we got the preliminary results back (click ----> here). GREAT NEWS!!!
May 21, 2002 – It’s been a busy week. I received the results from my bone marrow biopsy…NORMAL MARROW!!!! This is the first step and there is a long way to go, but boy is it a great first step. On Friday, Dr Turner removed my hickman catheter. It was actually a little more difficult than that as he had to have the surgeon remove it from my aorta. It was quite an experience having this guy pull a foot long tube from your neck! Everything else is going pretty well. My blood counts are all looking normal and that is the best news I can have. If I relapse, we can expect my counts to start going haywire, then my bruising would probably return as my platelet count drops, and finally the relapse. I am not planning on this happening and, surprisingly, not worried about it. If it happens, it happens. Lt Col Tatum said one second spent worried about it is one second wasted! That’s great advice. Finally, I am still waiting for my medical evaluation board to come back so I can start flying again. I hope to get this done in the near future. The docs at Hurlburt are a little behind on this, but I’m sure they will get it done. This always seems to work so I’ll keep saying it…Tomorrow will be better…
June 5, 2002 – It’s been a little bit since I’ve updated this. I am recovering from a pretty bad cold right now and it’s pretty much kicked my butt. Last week, Tina and I flew to Shreveport to see my brother Rick and his wife Tana and their new daughter Paige. My parents were there and whenever you put us in a town with casinos, you know what’s going to happen! Tina made out the best with a whopping $1500 jackpot on slots and I made out pretty well, up about $900 on the craps table. We drove back with my parents and lost some of it in Biloxi, but it was still a good trip overall! I was supposed to go to leave for Little Rock, AR on Sunday, but the cold kicked in and I’ve been on the couch all week. I keep getting a little paranoid about this cold being a relapse but my blood work looked good and the flight surgeons aren’t worried. Let’s just get over this. I’ve got a trip to Germany and France in two weeks and don’t want to miss it. My medical board is coming soon and, with a little luck, I should be cleared to fly soon. We’ll see what tomorrow holds. I’ll try you update a little more often…
June 28, 2002 – Wow, what a busy couple of
weeks. My cold has finally passed and
I’m back to feeling normal. I got a
blood test this week prior to getting a couple of fillings. Everything looked great. My hemoglobin and WBC’s are in the normal
range (14.2 and 5.5) and my platelets are still high (up near 550,000). I guess this means I’m still good to
go. I still get nervous as time passes
without getting a blood test. As you
probably saw by the picture, I
FINALLY got back on the road last week with a trip to
July 5, 2002 – We are looking at a busy weekend. Click here for Daytona updates and pictures.
July 5, 2002 – Whew…what a week! Daytona was exactly what the doctor ordered. Rest, relaxation, and fun in the sun! The Winston Cup race was a blast, but ended the weekend for us. I had to drive back to Hurlburt on Sunday and then drive to Biloxi on Monday for a doctor’s appointment. I met my “new” oncologist and we talked about my history and prognosis. I tell you, they are all so pessimistic. I don’t rely on their numbers (he said 70% chance to be Leukemia free in 3 years). I trust my faith and leave the rest to God. It’s in the “master plan” so it doesn’t make a lot of sense worrying about it. Anyways, my blood looked GREAT and I feel great. I have been on the go since I finished chemo. I can’t believe it’s been 3 months already! Good news is my hair is ALL back and so is my weight. Bad news is my hair is a lot grayer and my weight is all in my gut! I weighed 163 lbs. when I deployed last year just before getting Leukemia and now I’m up to 170…yikes! Tina has updated my charts and you’ll see that everything is normal again! Good for another month! Tomorrow will be better…
July 30, 2002 – Been doing pretty well. I noticed a bruise on my chest this week and, obviously, hurried over to the hospital to get some blood work done. All is well according to the docs. I’m still not sure where the bruise came from. Other than that, it’s been pretty normal around here. My medical board came back yesterday...RETURN TO DUTY!!! This means we start on the waiver process and, hopefully, I’ll start flying in two weeks or so! Pretty exciting! My hemoglobin is up to 15.9 and my platelets are still sitting at 315. Next blood test is 8 Aug 02. We’ll update again then. No news is good news. As always…tomorrow will be better!
25 Aug 02: Well, nothing new to report. I am still trying to finish up the waiver to start flying but have been very busy with normal work. I just returned from a trip to Norway and the Netherlands. Quite an interesting trip and we got a lot of work done. My blood tests have all been good. I have an issue with drinking beer in the USA - every time I have a beer, my face gets completely red and I get very hot under my skin. It’s caused by blood rushing to my face but no one knows why. When I brink beer in Europe, everything is fine. It only happens in the USA. I guess I should just move to Europe! Everything else is still going well and we are still looking for a new house. Please keep Ken and Nancy Tatum in your prayers as he starts his BMT (transplant) in a few days. Major Dan Staley has just been medically retired and is getting ready to follow Lt Col Tatum. Dan and Brooke Staley are wonderful folks and need our prayers as well. These two guys and their families continue their journeys and we all look forward to their full recovery. Ken Tatum and Dan Staley both have great support systems but need every extra prayer you can spare. We have all kind of traveled this terrible journey together. In addition to being paranoid about my future, I also feel guilty that my path has been easier than theirs. Let’s continue to hope that they fully recover and make me feel like the cheater in the years to come. Lt Col Tatum is getting chemo and total body radiation right now and Maj Staley is getting ready to do the same in October. My thoughts are with these guys and any prayer for me needs to be deflected to them. I will try to update this more often, but no news is good news. As always, tomorrow will be better…
(P.S. Greg remembered something Friday night when we watched Terms of Endearment. He said that he remembered having lumps under his arms right before he was diagnosed. We are not sure if it is related but the lumps were so bad that it hurt to put his arms down.)
11
Sep 02: Wow…it’s been a year since that fateful day.
On one hand, I remember it like it was today.
On the other, it’s been a long year.
I’ve been fighting with the medical experts to get back in the
airplane, but they are being quite difficult.
It seems cancer protocols require several checkups and more stupid forms
from my Oncologists. They never look
at individual cases, they just go by the stats.
Oh well, I’m not done yet. I
went to
