Website Launch / Update 03/25/17

Hi friends and family, welcome to my web page.

This is something I have been wanted to do for quite a while, finally just put the wheels in motion and got to it. I created this website for a few reasons. I don’t like sharing my life on social media, not that this way is any better, but I am hoping that even if one person battling with leukemia reads this and finds it helpful then its money well invested. I also wanted to keep people up to date that I don’t get to see very often or those who may not have social media to keep up with what I post. I appreciate those who started following me during my transplant stay when I set up the CaringBridge blog. This web site format allows me to have better control of what I post in the layout that I feel most comfortable with. It also allows me to tag such blogs, posts, photos etc so that they can be found via Google search. Feel free to browse the site, look at past blog posts, see the photos that I have been keeping to share until now and please feel free to contact me or leave a comment with anything at all.

As for updates, Ashley last shared in December. The first 100 days after transplant were very rough. I don’t like to use the word depression but by definition that is what I found myself sunken into. I had very little energy. I couldn’t sleep, I didn’t want to eat or drink as all my taste buds were in whack from the chemotherapy. All I wanted to do was lay in the bed all day and curl up into a ball. I lost a total of 30 pounds from when I first entered the hospital. I am glad to say that as of now I have gained 20 back and am feeling much healthier since then. It was the hardest not only for me but for my family as well. I felt useless as my wife would have to help bathe me, separate medications for me and support me all while having to chase two toddlers around the house. I had A LOT of doctors visits at first. Constantly needing bags of fluids and magnesium, only on a few occasions needing blood transfusions. They would urge me to get up and walk around during the day, try to eat, try to be active and try to be healthy. It took a long while for me to start feeling better again. Finally one day I decided that I was not going to just lay in bed anymore. I told myself I would get up and get dressed and stop lounging around the house in pajamas or sweats anymore. I came so far to just do nothing. It was around that 100th day this all started happening. Doctors were happy to see me doing better and having a more positive attitude. Appointments started getting further and further apart, things were looking great.

January 13th, the wife and I were at the Wigwam Resort to spend our 6th wedding anniversary weekend together. I thought I was feeling fine that day, however during our late afternoon lunch I passed out at the table. I couldn’t tell you what happened, I don’t remember any of it. My wife said I just sank back into my chair and became unconscious. Ambulance was called and I was rushed to the emergency room at Banner Estrella Hospital, it wasn’t until then that I woke up and could not remember the events leading up to that. The doctors couldn’t tell what happened, they were just as puzzled as everyone else. I was kept over night for observation then sent home the next day. We contacted my doctor at Mayo clinic that day and they suggested we came in for testing. I was admitted into Mayo Clinic Hospital for 2 more days as they ran CT scan, MRI, EKG, Spinal Tap and 24 hour EEG Neurological exam. The final verdict was that it could of been a reaction from the graph vs host preventative medication along with anxiety. They cleared me to return home and follow up with oncologist the final week.

That’s been the only real scare as of late. This past week I developed some pain in my chest while breathing and shortness of breath upon minor exertion. We called the doctors and they suggested we return to the hospital as the feared it could be pulmonary clot. I have learned that I can’t just have a “suck it up” mentality with any small illness at this point. There are things the doctors look for post transplant that if caught early can be treated before they turn into a larger ordeal. After an overnight stay, blood samples, CT scan and Bronchial exam they found that I had some fluid and what they referred to as “crushed glass” in my lungs. They said this is common in viral pneumonia but since I don’t have any cough or fever that typically corresponds with that disease they couldn’t tell what else it could be. I was prescribed antibiotics and was told to return home and rest for the next week or so and return if symptoms get worse. Well here I am writing this and can say that although I don’t feel significantly better, I can see there has been some improvements. Getting up and walking around and taking short breaths is fine, but I cant do much more than that for now without my chest hurting. Taking deep breaths are the worst right now. Next doctors appointment is 3/27 so hopefully we can get some better answers to whats going on. I learned from this that my immune system is still weak and recovering, I need to take better care of myself by washing my hands more and wearing my face mask to avoid further illness.

Other than that I cant complain. Life is good!! Kids are great, growing up fast. Ashley is the most amazing wife and partner ever. She does so much and I don’t know how she does it. Thank you to everyone who has reached out to me over the past few weeks and months. Thank you for the cards. Thank you for all the prayers. I love you all. ~Mike