Other Plans...

As Amanda and I continue to search for a cure for my leukemia the words of John Lennon continue to ring true, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." 

Nearly four years have gone by and we're still fighting. As I sat down to eat breakfast in my little hospital room this morning I realized just how lucky I am. 

I realized that if someone hadn't donated that bag of blood hanging above my head - I wouldn't be here. As a cancer patient I'm lucky to know how fragile each moment is. It keeps me humble that's for sure and grateful for that special gift - to breath - to be alive. 

When placed in a position of suffering, one often wonders, "What is the purpose of this?" and "What am I supposed to learn from this experience?" If I've succeeded at anything at this point it is getting people to pray. Your prayers are truly supporting a miracle. 

Most recently my fight with not one, but three bacterial infections that sent me into septic shock. A state that has a mortality rate of nearly 50%.

Let's have a look at the culprits:

Enterobacter

Klebsiella

Lactobacillus

Since my trip to the ICU I have been able to fight off the first two bacteria with the right antibiotics. However, the third bacteria (which I'm told is pretty wimpy to someone who has a healthy immune system) has been lingering. My doctors suspect that it is hiding out in the central line in my chest. 

To avoid future complications we inserted two IV lines in my left arm today and tomorrow we are scheduled to remove my central line and hopefully any infection that may be hiding there.

The plan at this point is to pull the line and continue to allow my body to recover from the last round of chemo. It could take a couple of weeks to reach this point but I am getting neupogen shots each day to help speed up the process.

At that point, barring any other setbacks we will proceed with three days of preparatory chemotherapy and then introduce my re-engineered t-cells. Thank you for your prayers. I am ever grateful for your support.