What happened to Bill?... Condensed version - 9/11/2007

So many people have asked....What happened to Bill?
Here is the condensed version to help you understand what we have learned in the past 10 days.

Bill has Acute Myelogenious Leukemia (AML) type M-4 (Myelomonocytic).

It attacks quickly when the white cells mutate and multiply, cluster, and expand to get out of your bone marrow. It surrounds the good red and white cells and keeps them from doing their function in the body. Thus, these new white cells are called “bad white cells” and are a liquid cancer. They do not attach to an organ, but just their numbers can keep an organ from functioning properly. Normal is 3,000-7,000 cells. Bill’s count was 225,000 when we arrived at the hospital. An emergency situation for a Leukemia patient.

He receives 5 units of platelets each day, and when his red cell count is low, he receives
packed red blood cells (which is not the same as plasma) .

Bill is now on Day 6 of 7 days of chemo. The chemo is given 24 hours a day. Then on Sept 19th he will have a second bone marrow aspiration to get a new reading on the bad white cells in his marrow. The goal is zero. If the reading is not zero, he begins a second round of chemo. If that doesn’t work, a bone marrow transplant will be discussed. His white cell count is below 600 at this point, because the chemo is doing it’s job. Bill actually feels better on chemo then he did before he enter the hospital.

We cannot have any flowers, visitors (sterile environment), or fresh fruit (bacteria). At the moment he is feeling up to phone calls, but that may change as the effects of chemo set in. He cannot reach the room phone by his bed. He has too many tubes to worry about a phone cord.

Nancy’s cell phone is 630-240-5724- She is his personal secretary right now.

Mr. John William Huber (patient)
Room 6392-1
Loyola University Medical Center
2160 S. First Ave.
Maywood, IL 60153

Live today to it’s fullest. Because each day is a new adventure.