March 2 Update on Mark

Hi All!

First off let me say how grateful we are for all of your thoughts and prayers. We can feel them working so please keep it up!!!

I am writing this from Mark's laptop as we sit in ICU. We do not know at this point how long Mark will be in the hospital, however, we do have transport plans to be out of ICU sometime today. We will be going to Oncology.

Yes, Mark has officially been diagnosed with CMML. This type of Leukemia, as I think I said before is treatable by a bone marrow transplant. As soon as he can beat this infection in his body, he will be able to start chemo therapy and get on the donor list to receive his transplant.

The infection he's fighting right now is the Herpes virus. It has attacked his vocal cords so he can't talk (a blessing in disguise????) and his lungs. He has horrible coughing spells, but the steroids and anti are helping and he's breathing much better than he was yesterday. We were VERY scared yesterday. He had a lung test where they put a tube down his throat, and then flushed out his lungs and drew out samples. Usually a patient is put under for this procedure, but Mark could not be PUT under. The doc said he put enough meds in him to put out TWO people, and yet Mark was still awake! It was very traumatic as it feels like drowning, but he made it through ok and we are still waiting on those results. His white blood cells are still through the roof and his platelets continue to drop every day. he's now at 33 (normal is 150) which means if he falls, gets hit, bumps into something...whatever, he will bruise which could potentially cause a bleed. This could be VERY bad and he could bleed to death before they would be able to find it, so pray he uses his grace while moving around!!! :D

He has his good attitude and sense of humor back, making the nurses roll their eyes, and that is SO good to see!! He's a bit like my Mark again.

Please know that as much as we would love for everyone to see him and be able to give him hugs, his health depends on people staying away. Any virus someone might be carrying on them without actually being sick, could be fatal for Mark. His body has no resistance. He will not be able to fight ANYTHING anyone brings in. The doctors do not want any visitors at the hospital, and when we get home the visits will have to be few and far between. He's already been told he'll have to get over his phone phobia and call all of you! We know it sucks that you can't see him, and we will miss you all SO much. But right now, Mark staying healthy so he can fight this cancer is what matters most.

Please just keep praying and call ANYTIME!! I will post all our numbers for you at the end here, so feel free to call, text or whatever! Those are germ free!!

We love you all so much!!!

Mark cell 513-6506
Becky cell 513-6422
Home phone 895-3245
Debbie cell (Becky's Mom) 513-6514
Kathy cell (Mark's Mom) 521-9260