Quick Update

Just a quick update to fill you in on the details of the past couple of weeks.  I was able to come home from the hospital for Easter, which was awesome.  The Wednesday following Easter I drove down to Dana Farber for a series of tests and consults in preparation for my transplant.  While there I was informed that the 12 out of 12, 53 year old female donor has been replaced.  They couldn't tell me why, but I now have a 9 out of 10, 44 year old male donor, who may or may not have been exposed to Mad Cow Disease.  All this really means is that he is European (they said he's probably German, but I'm not supposed to know that).   I'll post more about this trip later.
Last Monday I had another Bone Marrow biopsy, and unfortunately it came back pretty hot.  64% blasts.  5% Blasts is considered remission.  Since it appears that my disease may be refractory, meaning its resistant to standard chemo treatments, the doctors are going to try a drug called Sorafenib.  Its an oral pill, that I can take at home.   I've been in a lot of pain again so I'm back on the Oxycodone and Oxycontin.  The Sorafenib treatment should last 3 weeks, which is going to push my transplant date back by at least a week if this drug gets the blasts under control.
Lastly on Sunday night as I was falling asleep and noticed my heart was racing with what seemed to be an irregular heartbeat.  Thankfully my mom was still in Vermont and able to drive me to the Emergency Room, since nothing happens during normal daylight hours and our kids were off in their own lala land.  When I got there they determined I was in Atrial fibrillation, which means I had an irregular and rapid heart rate - yet another thing typical of older people.   With a little help from an IV drug called Cardizem and some mental focus (including Missy's breathing techniques that as mentioned earlier may have helped her in labor but did nothing for a man with leukemia induced muscle spasms) I was able to bring my heart rate down and into a regular cadence.  The doctors aren't sure what caused this, but one theory is that my blood counts were way too low.  I got two units of blood yesterday and am feeling good this morning.  Now I'm off to the clinic once again for an echocardiogram, to see if there is any obvious damage to my heart.