Day 104

It's been quite awhile since our last post, and although many of you have heard the good news, we thought we'd share here just in case. Jack's blood numbers have been holding steady for awhile (low, but not alarming) so they did all of his day 100 tests early. His lung function tests came back great and his bone marrow biopsy came back completely cancer free- and 100% female! That means his donor's cells have made themselves at home. Jack also got his Hickman catheter out last week, and it left quite the hole in his chest. It's still healing, but it looks better each day.

Before

After

To celebrate Jack's day 100, and to thank all of the volunteers who helped at the Be The Match registration drive, we went to a Diamondbacks game on the 25th. Even though the D-backs lost, it was still a lot of fun. 

The next few months will still be filled with doctors visits and medications, but those will slow down even more as we move on. His hair is starting to come back, and he is feeling much better. He even has a softball game scheduled for next week!
Things are starting to settle down quite a bit, so there won't be as many blog posts in the future, but we will update if anything changes or as we pass milestones along the way. Thank you again for all of the ways you have supported us for the past 6 months. We are truly blessed to have such a large support system around us. Thank you!

Some Exciting Developments!

This week, Jack "graduated" to one trip back to Mayo per week! This is great news, but surprisingly not the best news we heard this week. Jack also asked his doctor if he could return to work earlier than she had originally planned, and she agreed! She told us previously that he should not expect to return to work for up 6 months following his transplant, but that it may happen earlier depending on his progress. Since he has done so well, she has given him the approval to go to work 2 days per week for 4-5 hours each day. Jack is excited to go back, even at a reduced schedule. We got one more piece of good new this week- Jack can drive again! Dr. Sproat wants him to drive with others in the car for a few weeks and then he can start going short distances on his own if everything goes well.
It also seems like Jack has developed allergies. Dr. Sproat said that this is very common in post transplant patients. Some doctors think that patients inherit the allergies of their donor, and other doctors think that your body resets after all of the chemo, so you may develop new allergies. Either way, Jack cannot have an allergy screening until after he is off most of his medications, because they will cause the test to be inconclusive. Based on what makes him sneeze and get a runny nose, we think he is allergic to dust and pollen, but he will have a full screening next spring. If/when we get to meet his donor, maybe we can compare their allergies to see if they match up! I'm not sure if I have mentioned this, but we must wait 1 year to meet Jack's donor. She also has to agree that she wants to meet Jack. Before then, neither can know any personal information about each other beyond age, sex, blood type and disease. Hopefully we get to meet her!
That is all of our new information this week! We'll keep updating you as things change and progress.

Day 41

We haven't updated the blog lately, so we thought we would let everyone know how Jack is progressing. He is doing great- better than the doctors expected! He only needs to go up to Mayo twice a week. He is feeling great too, he is starting to run in the mornings before it gets too hot or riding the stationary bike at our house to get back into shape. He's even got a soccer team lined up to play with in a couple of months once Dr. Sproat gives him the go ahead!
This isn't a long post, but we wanted to let everyone know that things were going well! Thanks again for keeping Jack in your thoughts :)

Day 30

Today marks 30 days since Jack's stem cell transplant. We originally thought that he would need to come back to Mayo for daily visits, but so far it has been every other day! Next week the doctors hope to change it to once every three days.

This means that Jack is doing well. His blood numbers have been slow to come back, but that is typical. He feels great- he has his appetite back, and we are going on daily walks around the neighborhood (after dark of course- it's supposed to get up to 112 degrees here this week!) Jack even got clearance to eat at restaurants as long as he is careful about what he orders. He cannot have fresh produce unless it is thoroughly washed, and he must avoid food that has been sitting out or may be undercooked.

We have become pros at staying on top of Jack's medications! The doctors have added a couple more since he was released from the hospital, but we have learned to recognize them all by sight. We have a handy system down using a dry erase board that sticks on the fridge. We abandoned the spreadsheet idea because the doctors change medications and dosages every now and then, and it was getting to be a chore to re-print it after changes were made or open his laptop each time he needed his meds. With the dry erase board, we can make the required changes and have the schedule handy throughout the day. Most days, Jack takes 13 pills in the morning, 3 in the afternoon, and 8 at night. Lots of pills, I know, but he will take fewer and fewer as the summer continues.

There isn't too much more to report. We have been trying to lay low to keep Jack healthy and well. We will continue to update the blog as we learn anything else, or as his recovery progresses.

Thank you!

Day 21- Jack is Home!

Jack with all of his medicines

It's been 3 weeks since Jack's transplant, and his blood counts have been continuously improving so the doctors let him leave today! He has officially en-grafted and his doctors say that things are going well so far. He is feeling well- a bit nauseous and tired, but those are common side effects of many of the pills they sent him home with- 12 bottles in all! We are still working on a system to keep them all straight- he needs to take most pills twice a day, certain ones 2 days a week, some are two pills once a day, others as needed...you see where I'm going with this :) The doctors suggested spreadsheets and since Jack is so good with excel, that's what we will try first.

Saying bye to Mayo

Jack will begin his daily trips back to Mayo tomorrow. They will be checking his blood numbers to make sure he doesn't need any nutrients or blood products, and they will be making sure that everything is going according to plan. Since he can't drive quite yet (due to medications) he will always have a "buddy" take him back up to the hospital. As the summer goes on Jack will begin having fewer restrictions on his diet, driving, and ability to go out in public. For the next few weeks though, he plans to take it easy.

Thank you all for your support through the past 4 months! Jack has had so many prayers, positive thoughts, helpers, cards and games sent his way and we certainly appreciate it. Thank you!

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have white cells!

It may be a bit early to make that announcement, but this morning Jack's white blood cell count went from <.1 to .1! I know it doesn't sound like much progress, but this is exactly what needs to start happening for Jack to be able to heal from his digestive issues, mouth sores, & fever. It's also what needs to happen so he can go home. Our nurses said that even the slightest jump can make a world of difference, and Jack was saying that his mouth felt a bit better this morning- even before he knew his white cells had come up a bit.

His fever has been much lower- hanging between 98.9 and 100.6. The antibiotics that he is on seem to be keeping it under control. He has been using his treadmill and walking laps around his pod to stay active, and staying out of bed as much as he can. Even though it has gotten much easier for him to swallow liquids, he is still too sore to eat. As long as his white cells keep growing that shouldn't be a problem for much longer.

Jack's chemo schedule for this hospital stay- he's finished!

Jack also finished his last round of chemo! He had been receiving a type of chemotherapy as an immunosuppresant to help the graft come in slowly and to prevent graft vs. host disease (GVHD). He got his last dose yesterday and even though one of his nurses wrote in his chart that he was handling the Methotrexate "like a rockstar", he is excited that he doesn't have to do that anymore.

For now, that is all the news we have to report. Hopefully his counts will keep coming up and our next update will have an estimate for when Jack will get to come home!

Day +8

It's Day +8, and up until today, Jack was keeping things pretty boring around here. He had been experiencing stomach issues and fatigue, but all in all it was pretty uneventful. Today however, Jack spiked his first fever of 101.2. The doctors and nurses have been expecting this- they say it happens to almost ALL transplant patients. Jack is feeling pretty rotten today. He's exhausted, and in addition to the fever and stomach issues, he has developed some swelling in his mouth that is making it difficult and painful for him to eat. This is also a side effect from the chemo that is pretty normal, so the nurses and doctors are prepared for it. They've given him pain medicine as well as Tylenol for the fever. Hopefully that makes him feel a bit better. They said that this is likely how he will feel for the next 1-2 weeks, or until his new cells en-graft.

At this point it's a waiting game. The fever isn't necessarily from infection, it could just be his body reacting to what it's going through. Ideally, there is no infection and the fever goes away on it's own, but just in case, they have him on antibiotics. The most important thing at this point is that Jack stays active and keep his positivity. He has a great big group of people wishing him well, praying and sending positive thoughts his way- we are all grateful for that! We'll keep the blog updated as things progress.

Day 0!

 Here we are ladies and gentlemen, Day 0. The long awaited transplant is complete! This morning around 8:00, Jack's nurses began to prep him for transplant (Benadryl, Tylenol, LOTS of IV fluids, oxygen, heart monitor, etc). At 9:15, his cells arrived. The stem cell infusion process took about 30 minutes, and was as simple as hanging two bags on his IV pole. Sometimes, patients feel side effects from the preservative they use to keep the cells viable, but Jack felt pretty great!

Here are some pictures of the process:

Jack's new cells- frozen in liquid nitrogen

Confirmation of the cells

Close up- they are in the red bag!

Jack "getting ready" for his transplant!

Jack getting his new stem cells!

From here, Jack's 100 days begin. There are some differing opinions as to how much longer his hospital stay will be, but we really wont know for sure until we see how his counts progress. A safe bet would be 4-5 more weeks. During this time, Jack will be taking lots of medications- immunosuppressants, anti-virals, anti-fungals, and anti-naseua, just to name a few. The goal is to get him out of here and let his donor's cells take over without incident. We were told that it is VERY common for patients to spike some sort of fever while they recover, so everyone, Jack included, is being diligent about washing hands, cleaning surfaces, etc. Obviously, we all want to avoid anything resembling what happened last hospital stay (pneumonia, flu, strep, etc). After he goes home, he will need 24/7 support for the remainder of the 100 days, just to make sure nothing weird happens. He will need to make daily trips back to Mayo at first, but as he progresses those trips should become more and more infrequent.

While Jack still has a long road ahead of him, it's incredible how far he has come in the last 3 months. He has been diagnosed with AML, gone through 3 rounds of chemo, spent over 60 days in a hospital, battled pneumonia and the flu, achieved a complete remission, and received his donor's stem cells all with a smile on his face and a positive attitude to share with everyone around him!

At the Stem Cell/Marrow registration drive last weekend, we were able to add 150 people to the registry! Thank you to anyone who made it out either as a volunteer, potential donor or supporter. Again, if you missed the event and would like to register, please visit Marrow.org to sign up (there is a link at the top right of the blog). One of the coordinators for  Be The Match has created a promo code that you can enter so that there is no cost for you to join the registry. The code is Jack. If you are not on the registry already and are eligible to join, please consider being added. There are so many patients in need of a transplant, but only about half of those in need will actually receive one. I can't imagine what it must be like to be in their shoes, and to go through all this without that life saving option. Although we may never know if one of the people who signed up this weekend (or will sign up soon) is a  match for someone, it's nice to know that there are 150 more possibilities for patients everywhere. Thank you!

Day -7...Guess who's back?

Hello everyone! Jack checked back in to Mayo yesterday, and had a procedure to insert a Hickman catheter into his chest. This is where Jack will receive both his induction chemotherapy and his bone marrow transplant. The procedure went well and he checked into his new room (4E65). When I came up from the surgery waiting area looking for his new room, I saw many familiar nurses. They all remembered Jack and were excited to see him. They are even working on getting him a bigger room with more sunlight!

Jack started chemo today, and is getting a dose of Busulfan every 6 hours for the first 4 days, and then one dose of Cyclophosphamide for the next two days. That will bring us to day -2. Day -1 will be Jack's rest day, and he will receive the donor's bone marrow on May 15th, or Day 0. From there, he can expect to be in the hospital for 3-5 more weeks while we wait for his new cells to en-graft. Interesting bit of information- over the next month, Jack will have 3 different blood types. Right now he is AB negative. After chemo, while his blood counts are low, he will receive O negative blood. Once his new cells en-graft, he will produce A positive blood (the donor's blood type). This is the type of blood Jack will produce for the rest of his life!
That's all of the updates we have for now! Don't forget if you are in the Phoenix area and would like to be added to the national donor registry, our stem-cell drive is this Saturday from 11-5 at San Tan Flat in Queen Creek.

I almost forgot! The weekend before Jack checked back in to the hospital, his doctor cleared him to eat at restaurants and go outside without a mask on! He LIVED it up, and at a restaurant for every meal for 4 days, and even went golfing with his dad! It was a great weekend :)

Happy Birthday Jack!

Jack's birthday was Sunday, and we had a big shin-dig at the new house! It was a lot of fun, and great to have the family over to celebrate with Jack. We were all SO happy that Jack got to spend his birthday at home!!

The transplant schedule has changed just a bit. We have learned that Jack's donor is too small to be able to donate stem cells, so she will be donating marrow instead. Thankfully, she is still willing to donate. This means that Jack's transplant schedule has been pushed back a bit, so that they can make sure they get enough marrow from his donor. He will now check back in to Mayo on May 7th, start induction chemo on the 8th, and have his transplant on the 15th. He is also expected to be in the hospital a bit longer (4-6 weeks) because bone marrow takes longer to en-graft (find it's way to Jack's marrow and start producing cells). 
Jack had one last bone marrow biopsy today, and as long as this one comes back clear, this schedule shouldn't change too much. His blood counts have been climbing- without blood, platelets or shots- and he has been feeling well. The nurses we see continue to comment on the positivity they see from Jack and anyone associated with him. His attitude is contagious :)

The golf tournament was a big success a few weeks ago- thank you to everyone who came out or helped out! Lots of fun was had by all!

Next up on our schedule is the Stem Cell/Marrow Registration drive, May 12th, at San Tan Flat in Queen Creek, AZ. We will be there from 11-5, swabbing cheeks to add people to the registry. Jack was lucky to find a donor from the National Marrow registry (only about half of patients that need transplants actually get one), so we are hoping to provide matches for the many patients that may not be so lucky. If you are interested in coming, you will get a free hamburger for signing up! If you aren't in the area or can't make it that weekend, you can always sign up to be on the national marrow registry at bethematch.org.

I think that's about it for now!

Wait a minute...that isn't the hospital!

That's right- Jack is home! He was suprised on Monday when the doctors came in and said, "Your counts look good, let's get you out of here today." It looks like Jack will get to spend his birthday at home! We don't know what room we will be in when he gets back to the hospital, so if you were planning on sending anything, hold off for just a little while until we know his next room number. 

From here, things are staying pretty close to the original schedule. He is in the process of doing his pre-transplant work-ups this week. There has been one change to the schedule I posted last time- the transplant is now scheduled for May 4th. He will still check back in on the same date that was originally scheduled, but he will have 2 extra days of rest between the induction chemo and the transplant. We'll keep you updated if anything else changes.

The golf tournament is this Sunday, and the event filled up fast! There are 36 teams of 4 that are competing for the win. Superstition Springs is shutting down the entire course to accommodate our group! Hopefully everyone playing watched the Masters closely over the weekend and got some pointers. It should be a great time.

We have also scheduled a date for the stem cell/marrow registration drive. It's going to be Saturday, May 12th from 11-5 at San Tan Flat in Queen Creek, AZ. Anyone who comes out and gets their cheek swabbed to be added to the national database will get a free hamburger. More details to follow.

We are all so excited (and I'm sure you are too) that Jack is home for a couple of weeks. It was such an awesome surprise! He said he feels like our bed is huge (it's just a queen) and our towels are really soft. He also has enjoyed sleeping through the night without a nurse waking him up every few hours. He is settling right in at the new house, and he is happy to be home. We'll keep the updates coming!

We Have a Schedule!!

Wow! It has been quite a while since I updated everyone, and we have lots of news to share!

First of all, Jack's pneumonia, strep and flu are much better. He is up and about, biking and exercising and eating as much as possible. He's lost quite a bit of weight, so he is trying to gain some back. We are all happy to see him active and moving around again.

Second, we got results back from two of the five people who were tested from the national marrow registry. They BOTH were a 10 out of 10 match to Jack!! The first one's blood type is a closer match to Jack's, so as of right now the doctors have decided to move forward with her. We don't know much about the donor- just that she is a 19 year old female who lives in the U.S. Whoever you are, thank you!

The only reason our donor may change is if one of the other people's blood types is a perfect match to Jack, or if our selected donor cannot donate for any reason.

With all that being said, here is the tentative transplant schedule:

The doctors are hoping that Jack will get to go home within the next week (fingers crossed everyone!) If that happens, he will come back to Mayo for outpatient work ups from April 9-11th. On April 19th, we will have a meeting with Dr. Sproat to discuss the transplant and answer any last minute questions we have about the procedure. He will check back in to the hospital on April 24th, and that will be referred to as Day -8 (the day of the transplant is Day 0). He will begin induction chemo on April 25th and it will last 5 days. He will then have two days to rest, and will receive the donor's stem cells on May 2nd, or Day 0. From Day 0, Jack will need 24/7 care for 100 days. The first 14 days or so will be spent in the hospital, and then he will be released as long as there are no complications. For the next 30 days (Days 15-45) Jack will need to be brought to Mayo every day for blood work and monitoring. From there (Days 45-100) the trips to Mayo will become more infrequent. 

A couple of notes:
-The caregiver does not need to be a medical professional, it can be any of his friends or family, as long as they can drive and are not sick. The caregiver is more of a support for Jack, to make sure that nothing weird goes unnoticed, that he takes his medicine on time, and doesn't over exert himself.
- It is not uncommon for a patient to have to be readmitted during the 100 days of recovery following the transplant, usually just for short periods of time.
- If there are any complications, issues with the donor's health exams, or we find out there is a more perfect match for Jack, this schedule will change.

I think that is about it for now- I'll keep updating and let you all know if the schedule changes at all. Thanks so much for all of your continued support! Also, don't forget that the deadline to sign up for the golf tournament is tomorrow! Thank you!!

Drumroll please....

We got the results from Jack's biopsy on Tuesday and...there were no cancer cells! He is officially in remission! This is such GREAT news that we were so happy to hear :)

This means that for the next couple of weeks, we are waiting for two things. 1- Jack to recover from his pneumonia and 2- for his blood counts to begin to come back. If those two things happen, there is a good chance that Jack will be able to come home before his transplant. We still don't know when the transplant will take place, but we are certainly hopeful that he will get to be home for a short time before it.

We will keep you posted!

Golf Tournament

Attention all you PGA hopefuls, recreational golfers, or anyone who likes to follow the beverage cart around the golf course!

Jack’s dad has been hard at work planning a Benefit Golf Tournament for Jack on Sunday, April 15th at 7:00 am, shotgun start at the Superstition Springs Golf Course in Mesa, AZ. The format will be a 4-Person Scramble, and there will also be a silent auction and raffle prizes. You may also purchase mulligans the day of the event.
 
At this point, we are looking for a couple things: As many participants and sponsors as possible.
 
As a participant, your $80 entry fee (cash or check) will get you:
> Green/Cart Fees
> GPS Fees
> Range Balls
> Fabulous Lunch in the Club House
 
If you have a 4-some you would like to enter, please notify Jack’s dad Craig via email at (capochardt@cox.net) and include the names of your team members. He needs to get a final number to Superstition Springs ASAP, so the deadline for signing up is April 2, 2012.
 
If you are willing to be a sponsor or provide items for prizes or silent auction items, please notify Craig of that as well.
 
Thank you all for your continued support!

What's Happening...

Time for an update!

Last Saturday, Jack spiked a fever and since then has been battling pneumonia, strep throat, fevers and aches and pains. He has had multiple tests done including X-rays, CT scans, blood work and a bronchoscopy where the doctors inserted a tube into his lungs to get a sample of the liquid in there. They are going to split the sample into several different petri dishes, each with a different type of antibiotic, and see which antibiotic treats the infection the fastest.

Jack's Wall of Love

Because Jack's white blood cell counts are so low, it will take him more time to get rid of this infection than normal, but he has been making steady progress each day, so that is a good sign. He is happy to be feeling better and glad that he can get up and move around again. He has started watching March Madness and gotten a new laptop from work so he can get much more accomplished. The pain medicine that he is on has been causing some hallucinations and strange dreams, so he has been able to keep us all laughing this week :)

Yesterday marked his one month anniversary of being at the Mayo Clinic. How long his stay will be depends largely on the bone marrow test results from the biopsy he will have on Tuesday. If all goes well there, we will need to see how his blood counts progress over the next couple of weeks. We will keep the news coming as we get it!

This week...

Hi everyone! I wanted to give you an update- Jack has developed pneumonia and strep, so we ask that no one come to see him this week. He's been having a rough couple of days, and the doctors have ordered lots of tests to make sure he gets the perfect treatment. We will keep the updates coming as he progresses. Thank you!

Too Much Awesome

As promised, here are pictures of Jack's new do! I can't tell you why he looks progressively more menacing they go, but he looks almost scary in the last one! He decided that the best way to go about shaving his head was to start with a reverse mohawk. Doesn't he look handsome with a buzz cut? When asked about losing his hair he said, "I guess I just have too much awesome in me, and I needed to lose a bit."

He finished his second round of chemo yesterday, and while that went well, he has now developed an infection. He is experiencing a high fever, body aches, nausea and exhaustion. The doctors and nurses are keeping a close eye on him, but say that this is pretty standard for chemotherapy patients since their white blood cell counts are so low. Hopefully his antibiotics kick in soon and he will be up and about again! This round of chemo should be the last one for a few weeks. We will know more once we get results from his next bone marrow biopsy on the 20th.

We heard more good news about the stem cell transplant! 5 of the 6 people that were contacted as potential matches for Jack have either already gone in for additional testing or have appointments this week. Normally this step takes several weeks, so we were excited to learn this information! We will keep you updated as we hear more about that.

For those of you who don't know, Jack and I closed on our new home the day before his diagnosis. Thanks to lots of help from family and friends, we are almost all moved in and Jack didn't have to lift a finger (well, except to sign the mortgage paperwork!) It will be a nice treat for him to come home to a brand new house that is painted, unpacked and ready to go! Thank you!

This next week should be pretty uneventful. He will be resting and recovering from chemo, and awaiting his next biopsy. Although today has been his toughest yet, he is still cracking jokes and doing what he needs to do to stay healthy. His wall of love is growing thanks to all of your cards, letters, balloons and love. The support we all feel in this room and in our lives is truly amazing. Thank you all- we appreciate you!

Round 2

Jack's second bone marrow results came back, and there were still some cancer cells in his bone marrow. The doctors have decided to do an additional round of chemo, this time only lasting five days for four hours each day. He will be getting a couple of new types of chemotherapy and will have another bone marrow biopsy in two weeks to determine how many cancer cells are left after the second round of chemo.

Jack also started to lose his hair, so he decided to shave his head. I'll upload pictures on the next blog post, but for now you'll have to take my word that he looks handsome as ever! One of his nurses even asked if he always wears his hair that short because it looks so good on him.

We heard some good news on the stem cell transplant front. The hospital's transplant coordinator searched through the national donor registry and her search returned a page and a half of potential matches for Jack. She picked the top six, and each of those six have a 99% chance of being a 10 out of 10 match. They're all in their 20's too so they've only been on the registry for a short period of time (you must be 18 to register at bethematch.org). This means they probably haven't had time to move or have any life events occur that would cause them to be unable/unwilling to donate. We were extremely excited to hear this news! We still plan to host a bone marrow/stem cell donor registration drive in AZ though.

We will keep you updated as we learn more. Thanks again for all the warm wishes and words of encouragement!

What's Next...

It's been a few days and we have learned some new info about Jack's treatment, so we thought it was time for a blog update!

Dr. Sproat met with us this week with the rest of the results from Jack's first bone marrow biopsy. She informed us that because of the genetic code that was uncovered, Jack will need to have a stem cell transplant to give him the best chance at curing his leukemia. The doctors knew this may be a possibility back when he was first diagnosed, so they had his sister Traci tested to see if she is a match. Her test results have come back and she is not a match. However, with Jack's heritage, the doctors are not concerned with finding a match for him on the national donor registry.

The time line for Jack's treatment is up in the air as we are waiting to find a stem cell match. What we do know is that until the transplant, he will need to continue chemo periodically to keep his stem cells dormant. We also know that Jack needs to be in remission before the transplant, and he had a bone marrow biopsy on Friday to determine whether he is or not. We should get those results early next week.

Many people have been asking what they can do to help, if they can be tested to see if they are a match, etc. Dr. Sproat advised us of a couple of things that people can do.
1- Donate blood (there is a national shortage). Jack has received about 10 bags of blood and 12 bags of platelets since this process began, and will likely need many more bags throughout the course of his treatment.
2- If you are comfortable with it, register to donate bone marrow and stem cells at bethematch.org. From that site you can order a kit that includes everything you need to complete initial testing where you will swab the inside of your cheek. That is all it takes to be added to the registry, but if you could be a potential match for someone, you will be contacted for further testing through your blood.

We know that both of these options may not directly affect Jack's treatment, but could mean the difference for someone in a similar situation. A few of our friends in AZ are in the process of organizing a bone marrow/stem cell registration drive. More details on that to follow!

In the meantime, Jack's outlook is the same. He is still staying active, keeping up with work, and hosting golf tournaments in his room. He really appreciates all of the cards, letters, snacks, books, support and love he is getting from all of you! Thank you! 

The Room 4E-61 Open

Over the weekend, the Bingold family brought a putting green to Jack. It's been a great source of entertainment and of course, competition. As you can see, his friends have created a difficult course, complete with obstacles and sand traps (the floor). It's got a great view of the mountains too! Yesterday his nurse walked in, saw the putting green and said, "Well this is a first!"

Jack is also starting to feel his first side effects from the chemo. He had a sore in his mouth that tested positive for strep throat, but after just one day of penicillin, the nurses say it looks much better. He also has been experiencing a facial edema, which means his face is swelling. This is a side effect the doctors have never seen. Normally, patients experience swelling in their feet or stomach. We have met with a few different types of doctors and have had several different tests done, and the consensus is that the swelling is not dangerous. At this point, the doctors are waiting it out to see if it goes down.

Jack's next bone marrow biopsy is scheduled for Friday morning. This is the test that will determine if he needs to have an additional round of chemo next week. Other than the strep and swelling, things are going well. Usually by this point, patients have lost both their energy and appetite, and Jack still has both of those things. He also feels healthy, and appreciates all the support he is getting from everyone. Thank you!

Days 5, 6 & 7

Today is the last day of this round of chemo! Jack is still feeling great, and everyone that comes to see him says they wouldn't know anything was wrong with him if he weren't in the hospital. He's staying positive just like we all knew he would :)
Jack finally got his glasses! He has been sent a few books from some of our friends and relatives (thank you!), and we're working on getting his Xbox set up. He is also able to work without keeping his monitor within 6 inches of his face, so he should be much more productive.
Also, Jack hasn't had any takers on the biking challenge and last night he went 20 miles! He says he's going to hit a homerun his first night back out at softball, so he needs to make sure he's ready to run those bases.
Thanks again for all the love and support! It means a lot :)

Days 3 and 4

Jack finished up his last dose of Daunorubicin, and the doctors decided to give him the extra dose since he has been handling it so well. For the rest of the week, he will just be getting the Ara-C. He says he is still feeling great.
He has been keeping up with his biking, trying to create a new personal best every day. If you are curious, his current record is 5 miles in 14 minutes and 20 seconds, but he will surely try to beat that tomorrow. He also wanted to say, "Anyone who wants to get their butt kicked can come challenge me."
His dad was able to get a pair of glasses made and they should be here this afternoon. Jack's boss also stopped by yesterday to discuss things that Jack can do from here to log some hours and stay busy. He also brought a Dallas Cowboys pillow pet for Jack, even though he said it burned his hands while he was holding it (his boss is an Eagles fan)
Once Jack can see, we will hook up an Xbox for him, get a cribbage board in here and watch a movie or two (or three, or four). In the meantime, we will keep having bicycle races and looking forward to the end of his chemo!

Day Two

Good news! Today Jack got the packing out of his nose! He's extremely excited about that, as that was the thing that was making him the most uncomfortable. His dad was also able to get him a pair of glasses from his optometrist. They should be ready by the middle of the week. Today we also met our new doctor, who will be caring for Jack for the next two weeks. His name is Dr. Reeder, and from what we've heard, he's the best in his field. That seems to be a recurring theme at the Mayo Clinic. (FYI – the doctors at here are on two-week rounds, so it's normal for us to see more than one doctor throughout the course of Jack's treatment. They all work and consult as a team so they are well informed about each patient they see)
Day two of chemo was relatively uneventful, which is again, a good thing. The doctors are upping his dose of the Daunorubicin, because his liver seems equipped to handle it. They may extend that treatment one more day depending on how his body responds. Jack still says he isn't feeling any side effects!
Again, we're completely overwhelmed by the amount of love and support we're getting from friends and family. Thank you all so much!

Day One- Done!

Although today has been pretty uneventful, I still thought we should update the blog. Jack started chemo yesterday around 5pm. He did very well! He says he is feeling ok, even with the continuous IV of Ara-C. He is having some difficulty seeing, because he cannot wear his contacts while receiving chemo. For those of you who don't know, without his contacts Jack is just about legally blind. Needless to say, today has been a bit boring for him since he can't see the TV, read magazines or books, or even see facial expressions. His nurse called me his "seeing eye wife". The good news is, Jack's Dad and Grandpa Pochardt are working hard to find an old pair of glasses that will get him by until he can wear his contacts again. The Mayo Clinic also has an optometrist on staff, so one way or another we will get him seeing again.

Jack also needs to stay active, which can be difficult since he can't leave his room or the hallway just outside of his room. His friend Chase searched around and found him a stationary bike, so that has been keeping him busy today. As you can see in this picture, he is really taking his biking seriously :)
If you are wondering, the thing in Jack's nose is packing to prevent bleeding. It's basically a 5.5 inch long balloon that puts pressure on his blood vessels. He has had that in since Friday morning, and so far, he says it has been the most uncomfortable thing he has experienced (bone marrow biopsies included!) He should get that out sometime tomorrow. The white netting on his arm is covering his PICC line which is where the doctors and nurses draw blood, deliver IVs, and give him his chemo. This prevents him from getting poked with needles multiple times a day. Also, he really dislikes wearing hospital gowns, so athletic shorts are his attire of choice.

There really isn't a whole lot of new information to share today. The nurses say that being bored is a good thing, because it means he isn't feeling too many side effects from the chemo. I'll update more as the week goes on!

Treatment

Jack will begin a 7 day chemotherapy regimen today that consists of two drugs, Ara-C (Cytarabine) and Daunorubicin (spelling might be off on those). Ara-C will be given continuously for 24 hours a day, for 7 days. For the first 3 days, Daunorubicin will be given for 15 minutes a day.
7 days after this round of chemotherapy ends, Jack will have another bone marrow biopsy. If there are additional cancer cells in that biopsy, he will begin another 7 day round with the same drugs. If there are no cancer cells in the biopsy, then we will wait an additional 14 days to determine what his cells look like as they grow back. Depending on those test results, the doctors will decide how to proceed with treatment.
Jack will be in the Mayo Clinic for a minimum of 4 weeks, possibly more depending on test results after this round of chemo.

THANK YOU
We also want to say a big thank you for the prayers, words of encouragement and support. The past few days have been a whirlwind, and it is comforting to know that we have such a large support system of friends and family behind us. Thank you!

What's Going On...

I'm not sure what everyone knows/doesn't know, so I will start from the beginning.
Last Friday, 2/10, Jack had a pretty bad nosebleed that lasted long enough for us to check him into the ER. While we were there, the doctor cauterized his nose to stop the bleeding, and ran some blood tests. After getting the results, we learned that Jack's white blood cell, red blood cell, hemoglobin, hematocrit and platelet levels were extremely low. The doctor transferred us to a larger hospital that had a hematologist on site to see what was causing his low counts. After a weekend in the hospital, a blood and platelet transfusion, and a bone marrow biopsy, we were released.
Later that week, we got a call from the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, asking to schedule an appointment to come in and meet with one of their hematologists/oncologists. They had been given Jack's bone marrow biopsy results, and wanted him to undergo additional testing. We came in and met with Dr. Lisa Sproat who diagnosed Jack with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). We had another bone marrow biopsy done at the Mayo Clinic for further testing and confirmation of the preliminary diagnosis. We have not yet received full results from that biopsy, but Dr. Sproat says initial results confirm her diagnosis.
Dr. Sproat also says that 80%-90% of people go into remission after the first round of chemo. There will be additional treatment needed to cure it, but this type of leukemia is curable and Jack has a few things on his side. His age and his white blood cell count are working in his favor, and the Mayo Clinic is said to be one of the best hospital systems in the country, with world renowned doctors and cutting edge treatments. We feel like Jack is in good hands here, and as you can see, he is staying positive as well! :)