A journey in life - musings of a doctor, husband, dad, grandad, brother, and friend

This past Monday I had a difficult bone marrow biopsy lasting 1 1/2 hours.  Jan and I have been waiting for the results and we got the results late yesterday afternoon My bone marrow revealed that... I AM IN REMISSION! This means that the biopsy found no evidence of cancer in the biopsy and the chimer test shows that there is only donor cells (and none of mine)! Praise and honor to GOD   (and the staff at Johns Hopkins).. If all goes well,  I should be discharged early next week and return home to finish recovery at home and then return to the office on a limited basis (at least at first).  Still a long way to go.... So... YOUR PRAYERS and support have worked.  Jan and my family is greatly relieved and also grateful. Bless you all!

It's been a long time since my entry --  there are a number of reasons. I have been hospitalized at JOHNS HOPKINS since Thanksgiving last year.  Today is the first day my vision has been good enough to use my laptop. Before you go, PLEASE go to the GOFUNDME website for other updates. One of the reasons for the admission was the development of hematomas (collection of blood) on the bottom of both feet. These plum sized collections of blood were excrutiating even after they ruptured.  Happily, I have grown new soles of both feet which took a few weeks. I had been receiving FOSCARNET, an anti-viral (for the CMV - cytomegalovirus), IV which also led to severe suppression of my bone marrow with other side effects (mostly metabolic upheaval on my electrolytes and liver).  However, PTL, I was able to get LETERMOVIR which was the first anti-viral approved for the CMV virus by FDA in 15 years (approved in late 2018).  While I am still recovering  from the FOSCARNET side effects, the