Urgent Prayer Request: February 6, 2009

Please keep me in your prayers. I have potentially dangerous infections. I have been at the Dr. all morning and have to get ready to return for a biopsy this afternoon. Overnight, I woke up and my lower, inside calf hurt. When I checked it, there is a knot about the size of a golf ball with a pink ring around it. I called the doctor and went in.

In addition, we just learned that my sinus cultures from a couple of weeks ago have begun to grow out a mold (see note below) that has yet to be identified. So my doctor does not know if this leg problem is fungal or bacterial in nature. I am going at 3 to a dermatologist for a biopsy and cultures of it but that will take time to yield answers. My doctor wondered about erythema nodosum (spelling?) that could be the result of a deep fungal or other infection? She also mentioned sporotriosis (spelling?)

She ordered a stat CBC and also blood cultures. My CBC shows I am again neutropenic (less than 700)-they found 5 neutrophils in a 500 manual cell count. My platelets have taken a good drop, which often accompanies infection for me. We don't know which way to turn as choosing drugs is difficult with the history of anaphylaxis. The doctor said we add an antibiotic and it is fungal, that the antibiotic could make it worse. And we don't have an ID on the sinus mold yet.

This is the e-mail I just received from my doctor:

Here is the CBC result:
WBC [H] 70.7 k/cmm 4.8-10.8
RBC [L] 3.65 ml/cmm 4.20-5.40
HGB [L] 10.5 g/dL 12.0-16.0
HCT [L] 32.4 % 37.0-47.0
MCV 88.9 fl 81.0-99.0
MCH 28.8 pg 27.0-31.0
MCHC [L] 32.3 g/dL 33.0-36.5
RDW [H] 18.0 % 11.5-14.5
MPV 9.1 fl 7.4-10.4
Platelet Count [L] 79 k/cmm 130-400
Lymphocytes [H] 99 % 13-43
Neutrophils [L] 1 % 44-80

I called and yes there were only 5 neutrophils in a field of 500 so you are neutropenic. I spoke with the ARUP lab folks-it is definitely not aspergillosis in the sinus and they are running some additional tests and will call me back-she said it is a diatomatceous mold based on the first line id on culture. (will tell me more about what that means when she calls back with more info).

It's a good thing I am not graded on my lab values as I only have 3 normal values out of 11 -- that would be 27% correct.

Please pray for the doctors to have divine wisdom in deciding how to proceed. I really need to avoid the ICU with all of the flu and germs, but it is the weekend and if drugs are needed, that is where I will be headed.