Sue Charen

Just More Waiting

Sue reminded me to update the site. Well there really is not much news except that the wait continues. Hopkins and the National Marrow Donor Program are testing the rest of Sue's potential donors to make sure that they are full matches and that they can and will donate their bone marrow. It could be a couple weeks before we know much more.

Sue is otherwise doing well with weekly visits to the doctor, continuing to get anti-fungal IV medication for her liver (and which continues to get better). Sue is doing better with walking, often without a cane. We are increasing the dose of the medicine that may help return feeling to her feet.

Also a warm thank you for Sue's temple Adas Israel for help with leave for Sue for when she goes through the bone marrow transplant.

Back to waiting

This is hard to explain, but Sue is going to wait for a bone marrow donor. Apparently Hopkins does not use its recent and very successful protocol for bone marrow transplants with peripheral stem cells. They will only do the peripheral stem cells using the protocol that they used to use (and as transplants are a very dangerous procedure it is probably better to wait or go to another center like Seattle).

Seeing that is has taken awhile to check each of the three potential donors and find out that they are either unwilling or medically unable (which is strange as the bone marrow donation is not usually a big deal medically), we are hoping that Hopkins and the national marrow program can quickly check the other dozen potential matches. The longer Sue has to wait the higher the chance of a relapse of leukemia. Sue has a strong remission that the doctor thinks/hopes can last through a short wait.

Sue is physically doing well, walking more and the liver infection has decreased a bit. We have moved up to Baltimore because Sue's folks had already leased a place hoping that it was about the right time.

It has been a difficult roller coaster of waiting. Sue is in good spirits nonetheless and is happy to be with her folks after several months apart.

Sooooo we wait...

Full Steam Ahead

Well, there was another couple bumps. The third donor can't give bone marrow according to their doctor. Nonetheless, we are moving ahead on the same schedule: admit to hospital next Tuesday.

Also, Sue had a lumbar puncture that gave her severe nausea and headaches. She is feeling better, but it was the first rough time in over a month.