Update & Request for Prayer: June 22, 2010

The challenges continue. I returned to outpatient IV treatments yesterday. My lab results revealed that I was (again) neutropenic and I received a Neupogen injection to assist with that concern. My WBC remained quite elevated at 110,000 (Normal WBC being 5000-10,000). This could be an indication that an infection is not being treated.

Dad and Mom (again) took me to receive my IV treatment this morning. I had a bad night last night with a lot of coughing and nausea. My oncology nurse noted this morning that I was coughing more and did not look as though I felt well. This afternoon I realized I was very flushed and sure enough - the fevers had returned. At the request of my doctor, late this afternoon I returned for the second time today to the cancer center. They drew blood cultures (to see if an infection in the bloodstream had originated from my PICC line); performed a urine culture; and other labs. Then I went to the radiology center for a chest x-ray.

My doctor just called me at home (she is an angel). She is very concerned that a fever has developed in the presence of my taking so many antimicrobials (seven). She believes we are now left with no choice but to proceed with a bronchoscopy (scope into my lungs) to gather samples for culturing to determine if we have missed covering any infectious organisms (bacterial, viral or fungal).

It appears that I will most likely be admitted to the hospital on Thursday morning for this procedure. She is also trying to coordinate an endocscopy of my sinuses at the same time so that I do not have to do that unsedated. As many of you know, I am never sedated for anything due to all of the drug reactions that I have experienced. The doctors do not believe that even Stalwart Stacie can endure the bronchoscopy unsedated, These are our prayer requests for tonight.

Please pray for the sedation to go without complication or reaction.
Please pray for the scope to result in providing answers that will help me and that it will not harm me.
Please pray for all of the doctors involved to have wisdom while performing these scopes.
Please pray that the infections will not worsen and that I will not develop septicemia (blood stream infection). I will post more details when they are available.
Please pray that I will have God's peace during these procedures.
Please pray for these infections to begin resolving quickly.
Please pray that I do not develop infections due to the procedures themselves.
Please pray that I will not have any bleeding problems since my platelets are low.

I am so tired and weak. After receiving over two weeks of IV treatments, a week's stay in ICU and everything else that I have experienced over the past two weeks, it is very discouraging to see signs of worsening versus improvement. I will trust Him.