This is the news... Tue Sept 6, 2005, 9am.
I know you have been very busy lately, praying for those who have been affected by Hurricane Katrina. I would like to ask you to add one more prayer.
Please keep my father, Stefan Maca, in your prayers this week, as he needs much strength and support.
After fighting colds and infections for over 5 weeks, he went to the ER yesterday afternoon. He was expecting maybe a stronger antibiotic prescription, maybe some answers as to what has been sapping his strength and keeping him sick these past weeks. The answer he and my mother received yesterday was nothing they had expected. He has been diagnosed with Leukemia - acute myeloid leukemia.
He will be undergoing a bone marrow biopsy this morning, Tuesday Sept. 6th. The results of the biopsy will give us more answers than we have now; it will show what sub-category of AML he has, how advanced the AML is, what the prognosis is, how aggressively his treatment will proceed, and any timeframes for such procedures.
What we do know is the following: He has been diagnosed with AML. We are in the process of confirming all results with a second opinion. Stefan's body is producing too many white blood cells - his white blood count was over 100,000 yesterday - normal range should be about 15000. He underwent a hemo-dialysis for three hours early this morning, which - in layman's terms - filtered his blood and separated/thinned out some of the white blood cells, to try to reduce his high numbers of them.
As a results of his weakened immune system, he has been battling several infections. Though it is important that he regain his strength and immunity, right now they are trying to control his high fever and pneumonia. He has a number of infections in his sinuses, chest, and throat, which he had received antibiotics for last week; those infections have, unfortunately, spread to his lungs and he has the beginnings of pneumonia now.
In fact, the combination of his symptoms and the fact that they weren't going away or getting better these past two weeks are what prompted his ER visit on Monday. His symptoms were shortness of breath and difficulty breathing, a high fever that wouldn't break for too long without spiking again, pale/jaundiced coloring, lethargy and lack of energy, slow healing of cuts/bruises, night sweats followed by the chills, and loss of appetite. He had a chest/nasal/throat infection that had grown steadily worse. Unfortunately, Stefan is one of those people who have a very high tolerance of pain, and because of that, he put off going to the doctor because he was only "in mild discomfort" [his words]. When the pain finally got bad enough that he agreed to go see someone [an E-N-T Dr.], he wasn't able to get an appointement immediately. He went in last Thursday and that's when he started his antibiotics. But since his symptoms didn't lessen in severity as the long weekend progressed, even under treatment of antibiotics, he agreed to go in to the ER and at least have some blood work and a chest xray done. And the rest you know.
His attitude is positive. "It is what it is," he says. He's not looking back or asking "Why?" but he is instead looking to the future and how best to fight this to overcome it. He is a fighter and a survivor and though he has a hard battle in front of him, he will overcome this. The oncologist has said that the blood work shows this was caught early and that the bone marrow biopsy will give us more information on that end. Courses of treatment have not yet been discussed in detail, but will include chemotherapy and most likely, a bone marrow transplant once the leukemia is in remission.
Since he was taken to the Resurrection Hospital Emergency Room [Chicago] yesterday, that is where he spent the night and underwent the hemo-dialysis and other initial testing. The oncologist there has informed my parents that there are clinical trials being conducted at NorthWestern that he may want to consider. After the team of specialists comes to read the results of the biopsy, my parents will further discuss with them their options as to the best course of action. However, they will be requesting a transfer, most likely to Northwestern. There are three hospitals in the Chicago area that perform bone marrow transplants - Northwestern, Loyola, and University of Chicago, so his preference is to begin his courses of therapy at one of these hospitals. The therapies that he will start will keep him in the hospital for the next four weeks, minimum.
We are in the process of learning more information about the bone marrow transplant and the processes involved. Stefan's siblings will be tested to see if they would match as a donor, as they are the best bets for being a match, followed by myself and my brother. Stefan's bloodtype is A+; that's the first step in a match. Then, the blood antigens have to be at least a 70% match. I'm sure they will put him on the national donor recipient list, but they will also try to find a match in the family first.
This is all the information I know right now. At this time, I only ask that you keep him in your prayers. Neither you nor I can do no more than that right now.
I am asking that anyone who wishes to call to leave a message at my parents' home. As my father is in the ICU, my mother has her cell phone turned off. If you would like more information, please call me and let me know, and I will add you to the list of who to keep updated. I will not be sending out email updates en masse; if you would like to receive information via email, please reply and let me know, and I will do my best to keep things current. I am only sending this out in request for your support with prayer. Any further emails will be sent out by request only, so let me know.
My mother is one giant bundle of emotions right now and needs to spend her time with her husband. I feel they are both still in shock from receiving this news, and need time to let the reality of it register, as well as figure out where to go from here. I will be returning to the hospital to be with my mother and father today, as they await the results of the bone marrow biopsy. I will know any new developments as they occur. I ask you to please refrain from calling my mother's cell phone, so she may keep her mind focused on my father, rather than constantly trying to retrieve her voice mail to see who has called. My mother will retrieve her voice mail messages, both on her cell phone and home phone, daily - as she gets the chance to leave the ICU and go to cell-phone safe area where she can retrieve messages. But time will not allow her to return all the calls she receives; for that, I am the middle-man, as they say. I am the go-to gal - if you want me to call you with info, let me know. If you have questions, please call or email me. Thank you for understanding that though you and your call are very important to my mother and father, they may have the time or energy to speak with each of you when you call, or to return a call for each message.
Thank you for keeping him in your prayers.
-- Suzie Maca Koivun
