An Update and Request for Prayer: October 10, 2009

We are still awaiting identification of the two fungal cultures. Bacteria cultures will yield answers much more quickly than the ones for fungus. I continue on two antifungal medications. I will see my Infectious Disease specialist on Tuesday, so he might have new plans or observations.

My lymph nodes and spleen continue to enlarge. This is a bit concerning to me for a couple of reasons. First, this means that my partial remission is no longer any form of remission. Enduring eleven weeks of treatment and already having enlargement of the lymph nodes and spleen is quite discouraging. However, having them enlarge due to the leukemia is probably the best of two options. The other concern is that when a sudden enlargement of lymph nodes occur that a Richter's transformation could be occurring. Please pray that this is not the case for me. This is a serious, rare possibility with the leukemia that I have. Survival after a Richter's transformation can range from 6 to 12 months. I will have a test done on Wednesday that can be an indicator if Richter's is the cause of the lymph node and spleen enlargement.

I continue to have pain, fatigue, and periodic fevers and sweats. My lab work is not too bad, for me. My total White Blood Count was actually 12,000 this week (normal is 5000-10000) and my WBC was over 160,000 when I began treatment. My platelets and hemoglobin remain low, but stable for me.

The CDC flu map has revealed widespread flu outbreak for most of the US. Normally, when I self-quarantine, it is late December or early January before the flu reaches this level. The H1N1 flu is definitely a concern for people with compromised immune systems, so my self-quarantine is already underway. I pray that this widespread level of flu will quickly pass as I cannot imagine months and months of not leaving home.

I remind everyone to keep your hands clean, avoid crowds, take supplements such as Vitamin D-3 (if your physician approves) that is being shown to help prevent H1N1, take you flu vaccines, and at the first sign of the main flu symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat) to be tested to see if you have H1N1 as quickly as possible so that Tamiflu will work for you.

Emory University has a handy online tool for helping to self-diagnose H1N1. Go to:
https://h1n1.cloudapp.net/fluquiz.aspx

Stay well!