Friday +23 (9:45 AM)

Jackie is doing well this morning. She is still very unsteady with little energy but she was able to walk to the appointment this morning.

I don't have her blood counts yet, but they will be available by the 2:00 appointment. She is getting a 1/2 unit of fluids. I'm not certain why? She seems to be well hydrated.

The current plan is to remove her from the IV antibiotics this weekend if all goes well.

It turns out that her lung/chest X-ray showed a small area of her lung that was compressed. They want her to try and cough and take a series of deep breaths to put it back in order. It was nothing too serious.

The nutritionist was in this morning and talked to Jackie about eating more solid foods. She probably won't have much of an appetite for at least another 2 or 3 weeks. At that time her taste buds will have rejuvenated.

The doctor commented that her CT scan showed a marked reduction in lymph node size. This is a very good indication her CLL is being eradicated. CLL cells tend to congregate and hide in the lymphatic system. Actually excess cells are being stored there. That is why the lymph nodes swell. The swelling can cause discomfort in many areas. Jackie's nodes were swollen to the point that they were causing difficulty in breathing. In time the lymph nodes should be free of all CLL cells.

Until later,

Bruce and Jackie
From Rochester, MN