Low Immune System + Foot Infection = Hotel Huntsman

Well, just when you thought I couldn't make my life more interesting, I decided to try something new.....

My last post indicated that I was going to stay on the Votrient until after the Holidays.  The more Angela and I thought about it, the less comfortable we became.  We felt like we needed to pursue solutions and not waste our time with medications that were not working.  So we decided to do the recommendation of our Primary Children's doctor and our New York doctor, the "Red Devil" (also called "Fruit Punch" because of its color.) + an antibody.  I would have two cycles, then we would have another scan.  After the scan we would decide on another treatment based on the scan results.

Some of you may recall that I already had the Fruit Punch (which I did) and that I couldn't have any more (used to be true).  New studies have found that the human heart can tolerate more of this chemo then initially thought.  My heart has been affected, but not enough.  Lucky Me!

One of the side effects of Fruit Punch is a loss of hair, so we had a Kool Aide hair dying party, went shopping with funny hair and then Angela shaved it off.  : ( 

Well, I had my first dose of the Fruit Punch and first dose of the antibody on Thursday, December 7th (my brother's birthday, Pearl Harbor Day, etc...).  Everything seemed to be going as expected and we had arrangements made for me to receive the second antibody dose a week later in Utah Valley.  I knew the chemo would make me sick, the worse being 7-10 days after the initial dose.  I was taking my medications and thought things were tolerable.

Tuesday afternoon, my left foot began to hurt, but not so much that I was worried.  I just limped around and hoped that it would heal quickly.  On Wednesday, there was more pain in the toes and ball of my left foot.  I went to work but began to feel worse and worse so I went home.  I had gotten a blood draw in the morning, but had forgotten to order all the tests we needed.  My foot was looking pretty bad so Angela took me to our family doctor.  H was not sure what was causing the swelling, redness, and pain.  An infection or gout were his top choices.  He recommended an antibiotic and ordered another blood test to check  my uric acid level.  I had already started an antibiotic due to my weakened immune system, so I thought that should take care of it.  After the doctor's appointment, we went and had more blood drawn for the other tests.  We got home and I took up residence on the couch.  A dear family friend brought us pizza and salad for dinner.  It was such a great blessing to not have to fix a meal after all the business.  Angela had even cancelled some piano lessons so she could take me to the doctor.  She borrowed crutches from some wonderful neighbors which turned out to be a life saver, as my foot was in more and more pain.  Before going to bed, I did fold some laundry so I did feel entirely useless -  you can do that sitting down : )

We had been communicating with our doctor about whether to get the second round of the anti-body, and I was scheduled to receive it Thursday morning.  Well, this is were things turned south.  Thursday morning at 4:00 am, I got up from the couch to use the restroom.  Angela had come up to check on me and helped me with the crutches and I made my way to the bathroom.  On the way, I  began to feel nauseous and thought that it good that I was heading to the bathroom.  As I was trying to maneuver in the bathroom, I fainted.  I do not remember falling, I just remember waking up and Angela looked really scared.  Later she told me I was unresponsive for 30 seconds or so.  We called 911 and the paramedics came and checked me out.  Angela saw my back hit the tub and thought I had broken my ribs again.  The paramedics said I passed all of their tests.  They helped me get back onto the couch and I was able to fall back asleep. 

We relayed this incident to our doctor and asked about the scheduled infusion.  My Huntsman doctor was very concerned and scheduled an appointment for me at the acute care facility at Huntsman.  So, Angela took me up and they began running tests and evaluations.  It was decided that I should be admitted to the hospital at Huntsman so they could treat the infection while my immune system was pretty much  non-existent.  It is now Saturday, I still have no immune system, but the infection is improving. 

On a side note, my picture that is on file is the picture with my white hair and beard.  All the staff keep doing and double-take and have to ask some identifying questions to ensure I really am the same guy.  The beard lives on....

A HUGE THANK YOU to all those who are helping my family right now.  I cannot adequately express my gratitude for all the help you are giving us.  We are so very blessed to have so many wonderful family members and friends.  Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!

I pray for you each day.  Please continue to pray for us.  We need revelation to know how to combat this cancer.  We believe  that the people we meet and the interactions we have are part of Heavenly Father's plan for us.  Huntsman has a spiritual wellness program and I was able to talk to a wonderful woman about faith and healing and our relationship with God.  She seemed very grateful for our conversation, I hope it was a blessing to her.  It was a blessing to me to reflect back on my life and think about my faith and how it has grown over the years. 

Thanks again for all you do for us.  Love,
-Doug-