Yup, Missed Friday

This is Saturday, right???? Time flies when you're having fun..... Actually, I made another run to Albany yesterday (Friday) in order to pay bills, pick-up a few things, and touch base with work. The house and yard look great thanks to neighbors. By the time I got back to Portland, Florence was tired and I was tired so I said I blog tomorrow.

As for Florence, she had visitors all day Friday. She usually sleeps some of the afternoon away but, she said she had a great time visiting.

She did get some more platelets last night and now some she is getting a potassium chaser with her NaCl IV.

Today Rachele is Florence's RN and Michelle is her CNA. Both of these wonderful people were helping Florence when we first arrived at OHSU but haven't been assigned to her for sometime. It was almost a month ago now....... I can't believe it has been that long but at least I can get outside, Florence can only look out the window so it probable seems longer to her.

It sounds like today should be pretty much a waiting day. Only thing keeping her here now is low blood cell counts. So we wait for cells to form and hair to fall.

Florence should be having some visitors arriving anytime now so I will sign off for today.

Keep those good thoughts comin' ............ Larry

Another Day is Done

So today was a little tough...lack of sleep last night. Seems that tests, blood draws, meds, etc. all added up to very little sleep. So it will be early to bed tonight, I hope things go better. Florence is missing home some. It has been 28 days since this all started, 25 of those days have been away from home. It is beginning to get to her and I can't blame her.

Today added a chest x-ray to her list of tests. I think it was for the infection they are watching. It was also a day to change back to a past, broader spectrum, antibiotic since they have stopped the rash spread by stopping the Daptomycin antibiotic. They are still battling a low grade fever and feel this past med is better. Florence also was told she is the first person they have seen that reacted to Daptomycin. She is so proud, she now has a green "Don't give me Dapto" bracelet.

Speaking of Dapto and rash...... since she has been off that med her rash continues to improve so I don't have to keep reminding her to ......QUIT SCRATCHING..... now it's "drink something".

Dr. Kovacsovics, Florence's primary physician, stopped in to say Hi. He is an associate professor here at OHSU. He seems pleased with her progress and wants her to be patient and understand that this all takes time and to give herself that time to heal. Florence sometimes feels like she isn't progressing as fast as she should.

This is a short one, but I'm beat. Florence is already asleep and I will be leaving early in the morning to go to Albany while Florence's brother Paul spends the day here with Florence.

Thanks all for thinking about us and....
Good night
Larry

Day 23 - Still Lookin' Good

The medical staff was in and said that Florence’s White Cells are starting to come back. The Doc told her to crank some more out so he can get her outta here. I’m not sure if it is because Florence teases the poor guy every morning or that it is because he likes her and wants to get her home for a break before further treatment.

That’s right folks, it ain’t over yet. Even if everything shows clean on the next bone marrow test Florence will still need Consolidation Therapy or move towards Blood Stem Cell transplant. If it is Consolidation that means three 1 week rounds of Chemo separated by some recoup time, as we understand so far. The Chemo is delivered on days 1, 3, and 5 of the week then they watch how you respond. The regiment is to better assure that all the Leukemia cells are destroyed. If it is decided to go Transplant, then that will be a whole new chapter.

Hair, did someone ask about hair??? Yes she still has it…… but for how long??? Florence showed me this morning that she could run her hand through her hair and each time has a bunch of strands come out. Then, while helping Kristin change Florence’s bed linens, we noticed it looked like she had a monkey in bed with her last night. (I’m gonna be paying for that comment later).

Test results are slow getting back. The FLOW results are still MIA; next CT scan to check the little lung spots is set for Thursday or Friday; and, the cultures from yesterday’s blood letting will be a couple of days still along with ones they took today.

So it is good night again from OHSU and thanks for all the good vibes…..

Larry

Speaking of Platlettes...

For all you Albany/Corvallis area folks, there is a blood drive this Saturday at Ray's Food Place in North Albany. Florence has been a big believer in donating blood, and when she was well, she gave regularly. Now that she’s been getting blood, it seems fitting to donate in her honor.

You can make an appointment to donate at https://www.givelife.org/index.cfm?Group=Home.

Best,

Audrey

Day 22 - Loose at Times

WARNING – this installment has pictures that may be offensive to OSU/OS (whatever you’re called these days) Fans

Welcome again to Florence’s Blog & Day 22 @ OHSU….. and again thank you Trent and Audrey for creating it. Everyone’s continued support is so encouraging for both of us.

The question of the day was the results of the Flow Cytometry. Well so far it ain’t available yet. So we will wait for a late night report or one during morning rounds. (I’m pretty good at getting this Grey’s Anatomy lingo down)

But, all is not boring. Florence woke up smiling this morning and did manage to get disconnected from her pump laden IV pole most of the day. With the need for periodic IV antibiotics she is now hooked up for only a couple hours during the day and then again all night. So she’s loose at times, free to roam the hall of the Unit unfettered, during daytime hours. If we can get her to drink a couple additional bottles of fluid a day, she can be off it all night too.

We talked with Amber about blood cell life spans. Just how long do different blood cells remain viable??? This came about because it seems the infused platelets Florence has been getting haven’t been lasting too long. So now she has ordered only the freshest platelets to infuse. So far it seems to be working. Answer to the life span question later…..

Of course she couldn't go without a test today so she spiked a 100.5F fever about 1600 hours (4PM for normal people). That led to another blood sucking and filling 4 culture bottles and a coupled of vials for good measure. Results will be back in days.

And, here is the new room protector watching over Florence…..
Bevs Beware…..


Pump Trappings
Earlier & Now

Answers:
Red Blood cells last about 4 months
Most White cells last 18-36 hours
Platelets last 9-10 days

Trivia note – Red blood cells are produced continuously in your bone marrow at a rate of 2-3 million cells per second.

OK, that’s enough, my heads starting to hurt…. Too much at one time…….

Good night and we appreciate the good thoughts and prayers….
Larry

Tests and More Tests

Welcome again, today one of Florence's sibling stopped in to be typed for possible donor status if that becomes a reality. As for Florence, waiting for blood cells to return is starting to get on her nerves. With sunny skies outside and not being able to enjoy the sun, cabin fever is setting in. She was told once her white cells get up to a minimum level she will be able to to venture out onto the patio with a mask. Now that won't be for about 3 weeks.

The medical team changed the last antibiotic in hopes to curtail the rash. It will take about 2 to 3 days to see results. Keep your fingers crossed. Oh yes, the CAT scan. It showed some small spots that are indicative of a fungus which isn't unusual and that is why they started Florence on an anti-fungual as soon as her temp started up. They expect that will take care of it. But to be sure she gets another CAT scan the end of the week.

Another interesting development is that the platelets they are infusing into Florence seem to be disappearing way to fast. Guess what, they have a test for that to. So tonight the plan is to draw blood a couple of times to see how fast they disappear and if there is an abnormality she get another test to see why.

To take some of the tension out of the day, the dynamic duo, Amber and Kristin, decided to get a little happy hour started. I'm not to sure of their choice of beverage but they seemed to be enjoying it. As you can see Florence joined them but her drink was a little browner and thicker.

What you will do when you're bored......

So for now I'm calling it a day......

Thanks for stopping in.....

Larry

PS: We weren't bored, we were getting our "swerve on" (flojo)

Staff and Campus

Welcome to an early installment of “For Flojo”… I’m actually doing this before midnight and those of you that look during the day will get the info first. We have told you about OHSU and the staff so I was sent out to get some pictures to show you around.

So, starting with some of the great staff. In no particular order…..
Amber, RN – Pic (aka Speed Racer, Amberella, Rubber Maid) This young lady and Florence have really hit it off. Amber took the time to just sit on the bed and talk, answering our questions and asking us questions to be sure we understood what was happening during our first few days at OHSU. I think she’s also an adrenalin junky, she’d probably make a good hoser (fire fighter) if she ever wanted a career change. She races motorcycles at Portland International Raceway when she isn’t fixing people. She says she likes going 170 MPH on a raceway. Yes guys, single too.
Dave, RN - Pic – This guy keeps Florence in check, if that’s possible. Dave tells her “NO WHAT IF'S” making her concentrate on today and taking care of today. He has been the fixer, a great sounding board, and with his experience is a wealth of information. Not to mention having such a positive outlook that he seem to be infectious to Florence.
Elise, RN – She is here from France going to school. She likes to visit Florence’s room because Florence plays ‘good’ music, not the old stuff from like the 1970’s.
Kristin, CNA – Pic (aka Foxy Brown, Chocolate Brown) Super young lady soon to be wed (we wish her well). She sat down with Florence and her IPod to find wedding music to use. Kristin is always smiling and her positive attitude and humor makes the days go smoother. Kristin and Amber are the dynamic duo together.
Jeanine, CNA – Her smile and attention second to none. She likes the music too.
Karen, RN – Grew up in Cottage Grove, has been at OHSU for sometime. Other staff-members regard her highly. Karen tells Florence how well she is handling everything she is going through. I think she put it, “With class and grace”.
May, Brittany, Diana, & Jon (RN’s) – These have been Florence’s night nurses. May prints off all the test results for me when she’s on duty. She always has a great smile. Brittney too has a great attitude. Diana giggles perfectly and is so helpful. When transport wasn’t immediately available to take Florence to CT one night, Diana said we’re outa here and took Florence herself. Jon is the newbee in the Unit and actually grew up with some of Florence’s Fusion workmates. He also liked Casey’s music on Florence’s IPod so he now has a CD from Florence.
There are more but I can’t remember all their names so there may be another installment when Florence gets done interrogating them for personal information.

About OHSU, if you haven’t been here it is quit impressive. They managed to put like 6 facilities on top of one hill, each a large facility, and a sky tram that connects this campus with the one along the water front. You should find pictures in this Blog site of the hall zamboni and some pics from around campus. That’s right a hall zamboni. Talking about a surprise with I opened the room door to find a miniature zamboni that washes and squeegees the floor. Not the best picture but I will try again. Not to hard to know when it is in the area.

That’s all for now.

Larry

Florence and Colors

I made another run to Albany today to pick up some items for Florence and to pick up mail. The house and plants look great thanks to our neighbors. I have to take a moment to thank everyone for their kind offers to help us with care of our home or anything else we need. Your kind consideration is greatly appreciated.

I met with some good friends today. They told me they check this blog often during the day. I 'm sorry I don't update more often, it seems like it is always 23oo hour (11pm) before I get to it.

Well, a side effect of Chemo is that it attacks the linings of the digestive tract. Florence is contending with issues from that and with her rash today. As for the rash, the staff has her on 2 antihistamines so that the itching is kept to a minimum. That seems to be working but the side effect is sleeping allot. She also told me she sees all kinds of colors when she closes her eyes. I think she likes taking some of this stuff..... she calls her little green pill "the magic carpet".

No news as to the final interpretation of last nights CT scan, but the Nurse Practitioner said she didn't see anything obvious of concern. The Doctor on-call was going to look at it later today but no info from that yet. We will hear about it in the morning.

As for morning, they start early here with rounds at 0730 (7:30am) so I guess I need to sign off and get some ZZZzzzzzzz....... It seems weird waking up in a hospital room when you're not the one that is ill. Probably will feel normal by week 5 though.

Keep those good thoughts coming.....
Larry

Rashes and Fevers

So, while Florence waits for her blood cells to come back to a point where she can get out of the Unit, the staff continues to work at finding the cause of her rash & fever. Dave (RN) told her today they want to get the itching under control. Florence asked Dave if he had seen this bad a rash on patients before, to which he replied that her rash was minor to many he has treated. That is why the staff is taking it in stride. Body rash is a norm in here. Antibiotics bring on the rashes and they use a lot of antibiotics in here since many patients develop fevers.

Momentarily we will be going to CT for another scan since a culture came back positive. They want to check her lungs for a cause, even though they sound clear, they don't want to take a chance on missing something. It is nice to have all the equipment handy.

A few more platelets and a new anti-itch med was given today. The itching is better.

So we put another day behind us and we'll hear results of the CT late tonight or in the morning. We also are going to have Trent post some more pictures for us soon.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.
Larry

Marrow Looks Good

Good news today, your prayers and positive wishes must be working. The preliminary results from the bone marrow tests show the marrow is empty which means the Leukemic cells as well as all the other blood cells are gone, it appears the Chemo did it's job. Now we wait to see if the marrow starts producing cells again and the marrow FLOW tests come back with no signs of Leukemic tags (FLOW results should be back by Tuesday).

If all go well, red cell should appear any day with platelets coming back a week later. The white cells should come back in another 2 to 3 weeks. During this time Florence will stay at OHSU because her immune system counts on her white cells.

In another 14 to 16 days another marrow test will be done to see if the new cells in the marrow are still clear of Leukemia. If that happens she is considered in remission. Then some choices regarding Consolidation Chemo and possible transplant options will need to be made, but those are in the future. Today was the first big step and the results are good.

Thank you again for the prayers and positive vibes...... They are working......

Larry

Back Again and Another Hole

I spent yesterday in Albany getting the Training Office squared away so one of our Lieutenant's can fill in for me and also doing chores around the house (clothes, lawn care, bills, etc.). Florence spent the day with visitors, cruising the Unit halls, and sleeping.

When I arrived at OHSU this morning Florence was in good spirits, smiling, and sporting that same great rash that doesn't want to go away. Doctors are trying to isolate which antibiotic is causing the rash so another change was made today. Maybe tomorrow a little less red.....

OH yes, Bone Marrow Test......... & another hole.....
This went very well. If you remember Florence's first 2 tests were DRY.... that is to say, when the tests were done, no marrow could be extracted because the Leukemic blast cells were clogging the marrow. Today marrow was easily extracted and now we wait for preliminary results tomorrow and final results on Monday or Tuesday. The preliminary report could indicate more Chemo is needed or that things appear to be going in the right direction.

That's all for now...... Keep those good Vibes coming

Larry

Ribbons & Waiting

So Florence looks up those charity ribbons, you know the kind—pink for breast cancer, yellow for the troops—thinking to herself, hmm, I wonder what color it is for leukemia, maybe it’ll be something pretty. It turns out to be orange! LOL. All the Beavers in her life are getting a good chuckle about this. (And so is Flojo, who told me I could post this little story.)

Today is the bone marrow draw. The results probably won’t be in until Monday. Keep the good thoughts coming.

Audrey

Day 14 - Waiting

Today was another day of waiting and resting. Florence slept most of the day when her rash wasn't bothering her. Florence's brother, Paul, stopped in and visited for the evening. Erin Hurley called and also stopped in during the afternoon while she was in town.

Doctors continue to be pleased with the test results and tomorrow plan to discuss what the normal (if there is one) progression of treatment might be. This will give us a look at our possible future. The hospital's social care worker offered information on leave needs while a book on transplants and blood stem cells given to me by the BMT Coordinator was informative and raised more questions. I need to finish the book.

Tomorrow I will make a trip to Albany and Florence plans to sleep. Thursday will be the Bone Marrow test and the test results that will direct future treatment should be available on Monday.

Again, thank you for your thoughts and wishes,

Larry

Day 13 - Feeling Better

Florence said she feels better today. Smiling and joking when she was awake. Visitors from our other family, AFD (Katz, Wack, and Craig Lyon) stopped in and went to lunch with me and then came up to visit with Florence.

Florence had developed a rash yesterday and a change in the antibiotics and some cream seems to be helping that issue. Other then that it was a day to sleep and wait because on Thursday a Bone Marrow biopsy is scheduled to see if the Chemo did its job and if the marrow is recovering. The results last time took 2 days so we will probably be waiting for results. These results will help direct further therapy which can be additional Chemo or transplant. Florence is still about 1 or 2 weeks away from seeing if her white cells come back and about 2-4 days to see if her hair stays in. She is looking on-line for hats and scarfs.

Thanks again for your cards and prayers

Larry

Day 12: Father's Day and a Trial Drug

Today is Father's Day so Happy Day to all the fathers out there. Give your kids a hug....

As for us, weekends are quieter and as usual the staff here is great. They continue to prod Florence to drink and eat more. Her appetite isn't real good and she never was good at drinking fluids.

Florence was offered the opportunity to get into a study for an antibiotic that has shown promise in controlling infections better the some of the usual meds. Her doctor felt that it would be an excellent option for her fever. We looked at the information and agreed. I noticed in the information that for the study they would monitor blood work much closer (like @ 15 min, 1 hr, 2 hrs, 4 hrs, 8 hrs, 12 hrs, & 24 hrs) This was much closer attention than when using the usual medication. Sounds great...... ahhh except when they start infusing it at 1930 hours (7:30 pm). You can do the math and figure when they came in to draw blood ALL NIGHT LONG. We still think it was a good idea. So far tonight, no fever.

Doctor stopped in this morning to say things were still looking good. All the specimens taken when her fever started have not shown any infection. He is working to relieve the itching from a rash she has which could be caused by the recent Chemo. And, this is Day 2 without the Chemo.

Other than that, Florence slept most of the day to catch up from last night and she even took to the hall, walking to the other end of the Unit, and stopping to talk with the nurses.

Thanks for stopping in....
Larry

No More Chemo...... at least for now

It's Saturday, things are a little quieter around the Unit. A big thanks to Audrey and Trent for staying with Florence while I made a speedy trip to Albany to pick up a few things and touch base with work. I also want to thank everyone that has offered to help. There are too many to mention here but know how much we appreciate each of you and the offers and help we have received. Both of our neighbors are watching our house, cutting the lawns, picking up mail, and watering (remember they're both cops - guns - - so who needs a security system). Lorri too, thanks for staying with Florence during the day last week - at least I think it was last week???

As Trent said, yesterday was Chemo Bag #7 and by 2000 hours (8pm for you normal people) the Chemo treatment was completed. I was told Dave (RN) shut it off and did a jig to celebrate. That doesn't mean Florence loses her friend and companion the 'pole and pump' though. Last night she was still getting IV antibiotics for the low grade fever and then early this morning another unit of red blood cells. So currently one of the three pumps are still running; Blood is done so it would be NaCl for now with another unit of blood to start soon.

The medical team feels good about the way Florence is progressing but is watchful about her fever. Florence's care staff today are two wonderful individuals, 'Amberelle' and 'The soon to be Mrs. Lowe', (that's what they put on the assignment board this morning... they are really Amber and Kristin). Super people!!!!!

So over the next 2 weeks we are looking for Florence's Red Blood cells and Platelets to return and the following week to three weeks for her White Blood cells to return in a functional state. That puts us out to about the 13th or 20th of July and today is only June 16th. Guess we will be watching fireworks from OSHU.

From my jaunt to Albany I brought up a boom box so we have some tunes, the ever present bills to pay, and a pile of cards. Florence's room wall is slowly being covered with good wishes and a stuffed bear now occupies a sentinel position on one of the televisions.

Your continued best wishes and prayers are very appreciated. Until next time.....

Larry

Day 10 - No Flowers Please

Today is Florence's last day of chemo! I'm sitting here looking at a nearly empty bag of chemo drugs, and Florence is looking great! The nurse that came by today said it was good to see her smiling again, so I guess the last few days have been the hardest so far, but things are starting to look up, Florence is feeling better, and seems to be getting at least a few more laughs in the day.

Audrey and I were just chatting with the unit manager and he would like us to remind everyone that Florence CANNOT receive any flowers or plants. She can receive balloons, silk flowers, cards, and other things of that nature. Flowers can harbor all sorts of critters that won't do Florence any good. She's loving the cards that she's been receiving.

That's what I've got so far.

Trent

Day 9 - And a New PIC

So, it is Day 9 but before getting into it, I will fill you in on our adventures from last night after I posted.

Florence's left arm, one with the central line in it, developed a tender spot which became a lump even with heat applied. A 10:45 pm a jaunt to ultrasound showed a clot had formed around the catheter which meant the catheter had to come out. Remember that this is where the blood samples are taken and where the Chemo is going in. Now an 11:45 pm a call to the IV team (they leave at Midnight) has two very nice nurses show up just at Midnight and one initiates a new IV in the Right forearm as the other DC's the central line (pulls out the 14" long catheter). They secure their respective sites and are gone.

That brings us to today, Day 9..... and a new PIC. The PIC is the central line they took our last night. Since the last one was in the left arm this one gets to go in the Right one. The PIC nurse shows up and starts a new line and has time to give me an ultrasound 101 class on locating deep veins. Pretty cool.....

Then tonight about 4 pm while taking vital signs Florence shows a temp of 100.4F which doesn't sound like a big deal unless you have no white blood cells (Leukemia does that you know). So what is causing it???? Draw blood for cultures, but that takes a couple days to grow so down to X-ray for a chest film, & back to the room for some antibiotics. Now with 3 bags running into her she is sleeping.

By the way she is on bag 7 of Chemo. It should be done about 9 pm tomorrow unless they speed it up a bit. This is the last bag of this series. Hopefully last night is the last night of her midnight adventures or I'm not sure I'm going to survive this vacation we're having.

If you drop in remember to sign the wall (LL, SC, and JB you missed that part.. guess you have to drop in again)

Again... Thanks for the wishes, prayers, and cards.

Larry

Day 8 and a Lumbar Puncture

So, it’s Day 8 @ OHSU and today exciting event was Lumbar Puncture. Yes, having a needle placed between one’s vertebrae and into the spinal column to extract about 6cc of fluid and then having Chemo injected directed into the space. That was fun!!!
This allows the medical team to monitor the spread of the Leukemia and to treat it in areas where the blood does not circulate the Chemo readily.

Florence is on the start of the 6th bag of constant Chemo, one more after this one. Nursing staff has gotten the nausea under control again, no pain, but Florence is still a little under the weather today. The medical team is happy with her blood test results. The whole point of the Chemo is to wipe out the white blood cells and get the bone marrow to start producing mature white cells again.

So as these last bags of Chemo are ran in, her immune system is more and more compromised. Needless to say if there is any possibility you have a cold or infection or been around anyone who has the same it is best if you, Stay Away… I guess being around little kids that recently have had immunizations puts you into the same category.

General visitations rules are ‘be well’ and to not have been around anyone ill for the past 5 days just in-case they gave you something to incubate.

Please remember to call before coming up since conditions change day to day.
Again, thank you all for your kind words, wishes, and prayers

Larry

June 12... In from OHSU...

Chemo wasn't so bad the first few days but with time even modern medicine has limits. So, while the nursing staff works up a regiment to combat nausea that doesn't cause Florence to sleep all day, it means that visits are limited to watching someone sleep. (This rates right up there with watching paint dry.) So, my day is filled with answering phones, e-mails, and helping my drugged up wife navigate to the restroom which can prove interesting as you can imagine.

Just before the sleep set in some of the AFD members made it by while in Portland, as well as one AFD member being discharged from OHSU after a short overnight surgery stay. Thanks for stopping in and saying hello.

The medical team is very pleased with the response they are getting from the treatment Florence is receiving. Some tests have been pushed forward because of this. Tomorrow afternoon will include further testing to allow the team to check on the spread of the Leukemia and some prophylactic treatment.

I was able to contact one of my physician friends who is very familiar with OHSU's Oncology Department. He had only good things to say about their abilities, accomplishments, and staff. So far we have been very pleased with the staff here. Their concern for their patient's well-being is second to none. Taking time to sit on the bed and just talk about what is happening, what to expect, and answering any questions we have in a quiet, unrushed manner has greatly help us through this process. We appreciate their compassion, humor, and patience.

By the way we got our first installment of mail (cards). They will soon find a place on the room wall. Thanks for all you positive wishes and prayers.

Larry

flickr things

Blogger is a great tool for blogging, but it tends to fall short in the photo department. I know that Florence loves photography (she and I spend a good bit of time talking photo stuff), so I set up a flickr group.

Its address is: http://www.flickr.com/groups/flojomojo/

I'm thinking that this will be a great place for people to post photos of and for Florence. As it's web-based she'll be able to easily access the images from anywhere. I've already uploaded a few photos (you should see some of them to your right), however I'd love to see more photos.

Flickr is a free place on the web for the posting, sharing and organization of your photos. It seemed to have the best set of tools available for this purpose. In order to post pictures to the group you will need to be signed up with flickr and a member of the group. You can send me an email (manachar [at] gmail.com) and I'll send you an invite to join the group.

Thanks Much,
Trent

Florence's New Doo

Yesterday Megan from Mia Bello (in Eugene) helped Florence set a new standard of fashion for adult oncology patients at OHSU.

Mailing Address For Florence

All correspondence can be sent to:

Florence Allen, Unit 5C Room 7
c/o Oregon Health Science University.
3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Rd.
Portland, Oregon 97239-3098

Please note, she cannot receive any plants or flowers. They could contain bacteria. Ditto on any food products. She's on a strict "low-bacteria" food diet.

Cheers,

Trent

Thank you!

Thank you Audrey and Trent, my fellow Fusionites for making this blog so that we can all keep in contact.
Today is my first day of chemo - they just hooked up the first treatment so "we're off and running" so to speak. Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and kind words. I love each of you more than you can comprehend!!!
Love, Florence

P.S. Larry is actually staying here at the hospital most days and nights. They arrange so family can stay in the room.

This just in from our Correspondent Trent...

They will start chemo tomorrow and will continue for 7 days. Each treatment of chemo will basically be a 24/7 thing. During this week her immune system will be EXTREMELY depressed. As Florence states, she's not afraid of fighting the cancer, or of the chemo, but of getting some infection that can't be treated. She will lose her hair. Flo plans on getting it cut to a short bob so that it comes out in smaller neater bundles. Will and a friend were there when she received the news and immediately offered to shave their heads with her. Flo declined.

After this week they hope that it will drive the cancer into remission. She mentioned a 60-80% success rate. There is a lower possibility that this treatment could be a complete cure. After the week they enter a 5-week monitoring period. This is where everybody hopes for her marrow to start producing healthy white blood cells again. At the end they will do another marrow test. If the cancer is there, they will do chemo again.

Florence had a clean blood checkup at the end of Feb. This suggests that the leukemia didn't hit until after that, which is good because it means they caught it relatively early. Drs stress that she is a young and healthy cancer patient. No mention of any spreading. All of the chemo will be done at OHSU. She is going to be hospitalized for the entire 6-week period at the minimum. (Flo was happy to hear this. She thought it was going to be 3 months). It's much better that she stay in the hospital, especially for the first week. Good for bacteria management--if an infection happens they can be on top of it.

...Thanks for the update, Trent! Other Blog readers: feel free to email me your Flojo reports! My address is audie777@comcast.net.

Audrey

Update, Thursday p.m.

I wish I could report that there was some medical lab mix-up and that Florence just has a bad flu bug, but alas, that is not the case. She has been diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), and she starts chemo tomorrow.

For information about AML, visit the National Cancer Institute (www.cancer.gov) and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (www.leukemia-lymphoma.org).

I'll report more as soon as I hear it.

Audrey

She looks like a junkie, jokes Larry :)

Just got off the phone with Florence and Larry, 11:30 a.m. PST. So far, no word back on test results. She's had tests up the wazoo: cat scans, liver scan, a heart scan, multiple bone marrow and biopsy repeats. Larry said the heart scan was called "MUG" or something like that; I'm guessing (after a quick Google search) that it was a Multi-gated Cardiac Blood Poll Acquisition. This test determines how well the heart is working in relation to the rest of the body (this test, plus others, will measure her body's strength for treatment options).

Today the hospital staff will put in a central line, so that Flojo won't have to "look like a junkie," as Larry joked. He even had to take a picture of her arm, she'd had so many wires and tubes. The central line will allow for easier delivery of meds and blood draws, so that Flojo doesn't have to get her viens stuck each time. She's also taking Atavan, which has helped calm her nerves and allowed her racing mind to let her sleep. She took this after Casey died, and knew that it helped her then. She's in minimal pain--only at the bone marrow draw site--plus she's had some oxycodone (Oxycontin).

Other random things: yes, Florence has Larry's insurance. This was a cause for concern, as Fusion closed a few months ago, and I wasn't sure if she chose Cobra or just switched over to Larry's. Currently, Larry is checking into things with their insurance to see if it will cover bone marrow match testing for Florence's siblings, if that is a recommended path. Florence's appetite is good, but the hospital is quite careful about food prep/sanitation as germs are the enemy. Her sandwich comes with no tomato or lettuce; she's not allowed to have strawberries--basically anything that can't be peeled. Sounds like a traveler's diet--if you can't peel it or boil it or unpackage it, don't eat it. She's getting decent sleep, considering she's in a hospital.

Larry is working with the fire department to arrange time off. He's spent the last two nights in a recliner chair in Florence's room, which cannot be comfortable. OHSU does have a sleeping area and cots, but the place is just packed right now and none are available. I just got off the phone with the Unit Manager who promised to find Larry a cot, even if they need to borrow it from another building. Florence said Larry has been a champ and it's great to have not only her husband but someone with over 20 years of EMT experience who knows his way around some of the medical jargon, etc.

Right now they do have some internet access, via Larry's work computer with a phone card (no wifi at OHSU). They are busy fielding phone calls, etc. Their neighbors are going to water plants, check on the house, etc., and at this moment they don't need anything from home. Again, once tests results are in there'll a better idea of what's on the horizon in terms of how long they'll be at OHSU.

What we do know right now is that Florence initially tested positive for an acute variety of leukemia. We do not know which subtype, though. Again, waiting on test results.

As far as visiting goes, here are some guidelines given to me by the Unit Manager:

• Do not visit if you have a cold or other communicable disease or virus, etc. Wash your hands well upon entering the unit.
• NO live PLANTS OR FLOWERS! They could contain bacteria.
• You will not need to gown up, as Florence has been "cleared from isolation."
• Do NOT bring food as she is on a "low bacteria diet."

Here' s a link to OHSU's visiting hours, maps, and so forth: http://www.ohsu.edu/about/directions.shtml

All in all, FLorence is in good spirits and quick to laugh, as always. Send prayers and funny stories her way.

Welcome to Florence's Blog

I'm Audrey, Florence's friend from our days together at Fusion. I've started this blog as a place where Florence's friends and family can easily access information about her health. On Friday, June 1, 2007, Florence went to the hospital because she'd been feeling pretty crummy all week long. Her CBC results showed low platlettes, which prompted a bone marrow test. On June 5 she found out she tested positive for leukemia. Things move fast, and the next day she and Larry were off to Oregon Health Science University in Portland. (For those of you not from Oregon, OHSU is a renowned teaching and research hospital.)

To say that it's a stressful time for them is an understatement. She's staying in the main OHSU hospital, Unit 5C, Room 7, and Larry is staying with fire fighter friends in Portland. Test results to verify the diagnosis will be back tomorrow. I'll write more as soon as I find out.