Tuesday +316 (Evening) In Rochester

Well it has been a couple of weeks since I last updated the blog. We are back in Rochester for a routine checkup. We will be here through Thursday and return home on Friday.

Jackie has not felt particularly well for the past several weeks. There is no good reason why she hasn't felt good but we believe she may have some minor graft versus host disease in her stomach and gut. Today she had blood tests and the results were excellent. Her WBC count was 12.8. This is a little high but the doctor doesn't seem too concerned and says that a slightly elevated WBC count is normal after transplant. Of course for a long time her WBC count was below normal and we would have dreamed for a count this high. Jackie's hemoglobin is 11.4. This is slightly low, but still very good. Her platelets are at 232 which is excellent. Her neutrophils are above 2000 (23%), which is also good, but slightly below a normal of around 40%.

Today Jackie received here Pentamadine breathing treatment. This helps protect her from pneumonia.

The doctor has decided to perform a couple of tests to see if we can determine Jackie's lack of energy and lack of appetite. They will perform a series of CT imaging test tomorrow of her stomach and gut. They will also "scope" both ends to test for GvHD. This should give the doctors a definitive answer about GvHD. If no GvHD is found they will continue to taper her anti-rejection medications. They will also conduct a flow cytometry test of her peripheral blood to once again check for any traces of CLL. They don't expect to find anything, but her elevated WBC count gives them cause to perform the test. They will also perform an endocrinology test to make certain she is producing the levels of hormones necessary. We will meet with the doctor on Thursday afternoon to obtain test results.

So, all-in-all it should be a boring week in Rochester. They had a snow storm over the weekend and Rochester was left with a dusting of snow (15 inches). They expect another blizzard beginning tomorrow afternoon/night. It should make driving back on Friday fun!

Until Later,

Bruce and Jackie
From Rochester

Thursday +290 (Morning)

It has been a few weeks since I last updated the blog. I suppose that is a good thing. That means there has been no significant news to report!

Jackie has been doing better. She continues to have issues with morning pain and requires a daily pain pill to get started. She has had some minor rashes so we feel she is having some minor GvHD issues. She continues to struggle with her diet. Her weight seems to have stabilized but she isn't gaining any weight. Once she takes her pain pill she does reasonably well for the remainder of the day. Her energy level is still low, but she is able to perform light housework.

Her most recent blood counts continue to improve. Her WBC count has risen to 9.2 with a neutrophil level of 3.1. The neutrophil level is still a little low given the higher white blood cell count. Her lymphocytes are normal at 5.1. Her RBC count is a little low at only 3.89 (normal 4.2-5.4). Her hemoglobin is still a little low at 11.8 (normal 12-16). Platlets are once again normal at 137.

So as we continue to approach the 1 year anniversary of the transplant Jackie continues to slowly improve. We return to the Mayo Clinic at the end of this month for follow up. Assuming the weather is good I will be flying and the trip will be about 2.5 hours versus the drive of about 11!

Until Later...

Bruce and Jackie
From Pryor