"Personal battles are won

in the heart of the person"

 Latest News for the Month of

February 2006

     January is gone and February is here. This month is always special as both my kids birthdays are on the 3rd. Yes, both of my kids were born on the same exact day - 4 years apart. That was some pretty good timing huh ? :) It's hard to imagine sometimes that Lindy is now 28 and Natalia is 24. Where has the time gone too ? They say our kids make us feel old and I have to believe that old saying is true. I look at them both and it seems the days when they were running around the house and driving me crazy are so far in the past now that it creates a blur of time. Still I remain proud of them and feel extremely fortunate I have such a close relationship with them both. Happy Birthday kids !! I love you both.

On the coach front, we are now situated in Chula Vista, California. For those who are not certain as to where this city is located it is on the Pacific coast between Mexico ( about 7 miles ) and San Diego ( about 7 miles ). This is my first trip back to this area since my Marine Corp Days. I cannot believe its been 31 years since I boarded a plane in Lansing and flew out here to start my basic training. We plan on exploring the area ( health permitting ) and seeing all the sites, and there are a ton of sites here to see. Sea World, Balboa Park, The USS Midway Aircraft carrier, Miramar Marine Corp Air Station, San Diego Zoo and a host of other places.

The resort we are staying at is a true 5 star resort, unlike the one we stayed at in Yuma for a few days. This resort has some gorgeous landscaping and excellent privacy, security and amenities. I think the thing we enjoy the most is that we are approximately 500 feet off the Pacific ocean. Everyday I wake up, I get my coffee and look out the window of the coach and I can see the ocean. You cannot start your day any better then that. What's nice about this resort is that its a mix of old people as well as young successful parents who bring their kids here for a week of relaxation in their motorcoaches and travel trailers. It's going to be very hard to leave this resort next month but we will enjoy ourselves while we are here.

On the health front, not much has changed. I am still on high chemo doses and some days are surely better then others. But this salt air and gentle breeze coming off the pacific sure helps me forget about the pain and sickness. I plan on having a round of blood tests done soon and will post the results here. I miss all my girlfriends ( as Ingrid calls them ) at the Doctors office, the hospital and at the lab. I did make it a point to call them today and harass them. I reminded them of the weather we are having here and the ocean breezes. They were none to happy to get the update. :)

I know some of you are still freezing your behinds off and if I could send you some sunshine, I would.......Well Maybe.... I am growing fond of the sun and warm air so I may keep it to myself here. I would also send you some sympathy, but after spending 40 years in Michigan winters, its hard to find any sympathy for my cold weather friends and family. Been there and done those winters folks. Still, I hope this finds all of you healthy, happy and moving on in life. Be sure and drop me an e-mail sometime and let me know the latest with you.

February 11, 2006

I wish this latest bit of news was a happy one but unfortunately its not. I just got the results of my latest lab tests and the results were not to good. While my blood volume ( hemoglobin levels ) were high ( we expected that much ) my liver enzyme tests were off the map. All indications point to the chemo drug Interferon. Both the AST & AZT levels were 5 - 8 times what they should have been. This is the second time in 6 months this has happened so it spells problems for me in the future. Interferon, sometimes toxic to the liver, has been a Godsend for me. It's twice turned back the hands of time for me and I credit it solely for me still being alive. This brings a new challenge now as I am left wondering what is in store for me in the future in as far as using this drug. Since my marrow has deteriorated and my last pathology test showed tear dropped shaped cells and progression back into Myeloid Metaplasia I am left wondering how I am going to combat these problems. Not being able to use this chemo drug has such serious implications for me we have cancelled the last leg of our journey and are heading to Seattle to see Dr. Deeg on March 23rd. For those of you who don't remember who Dr. Deeg is, he is my specialist that I consulted with two years ago. He is rated as one of the top stem cell transplant specialists in the world and the Hutchinson Center  ( affectionately called the Hutch ) where he practices is the world's top bone marrow transplant center. I don't even want to venture a guess as to the next option I  have as I really do not know. A stem cell transplant ? Drug therapy using Hydrea ? Wait and see ? All of these questions will have to be answered by Dr. Deeg and his staff after running more tests and doing another bone marrow biopsy.

As a follow up to my last message I wanted to let everyone know I contacted Bob, a very close friend of mine who suffers from the same disease I do. Bob has battled this disease successfully for many more years then I have and has a good grasp on the disease and treatments. He is also one of our moderators on our online support group. We had a great conversation ( as always ) and Bob suggested I begin taking milk-thistle along with the Interferon to see if it will reduce the liver enzymes. Like myself, Bob has used Interferon to combat Polycythemia Vera and Myeloid Metaplasia, both diseases that we share. He also had liver enzyme problems from using Interferon and the Milk Thistle brought his liver enzymes back into normal range. So I ask that all of you say your prayers, if you don't pray that's fine then I simply ask you send positive thoughts my way and lets all hope the Milk Thistle does the same for me.

I want to personally thank Bob for all his support and for always being there for me when panic set's in. I can explain the pain and the rotten days I have to others, but when I tell Bob, I know he understands everything I am saying as he has " Been there and has the T-Shirt to prove it ". Thanks again Bob for being such a great friend and true supporter in my own personal health battles.

Once I have the results from this " mini trial " using the milk thistle and smaller doses of Interferon, I will surely post it here. Until then, think positive and pray. All my best to each and everyone of you,

Chris

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