2/29/08

Hey everyone.....it's Devon. BJ's having a pretty good day today. I talked to him a little bit after 2:00 and he was up and said he was feeling good. His white blood cell count jumped up to 1160 today, which is a good sign. His platelets were still low but they should start working their way up as well. He did not sleep too much last night. He is attributing that to the fact he basically slept for three straight days, then all of a sudden he was wide awake. He didn't seem too bothered by it.....I think he was glad to be awake and feeling better.

They are still trying to get a handle on the "Super Bug" and the spot on his lung. They are going to try yet another antibiotic. That, coupled with the fact that his counts are starting to come back up will hopefully take care of both of them. I know the "Super Bug" is one of the big things bothering him right now. He said he feels like everything else is right on track, if he could just get rid of the "bug" and concentrate on the next step.

He also got some encouraging news today. They mentioned that he might get to go home for a little while next week. Of course a lot of things need to go right for that to happen, but he was pretty excited about the possibility. One huge step between now and then is Monday. They are going to do another bone marrow test. This will be really important to make sure the acute cells are still gone and they can start getting ready for the transplant. So everyone pray that the test goes well. I will let you all know the results when they tell me.

BJ sounded great today and was in his usual good mood. His strength and attitude impress me more each day. Your prayers and words of encouragement are also helping, so keep them coming.


Hope everyone has a good evening, talk to you tomorrow.

2/28/08

Hello everybody..... Just wanted to give you a quick update on BJ's day. He slept most of the day today. It seems that this is more of a result to the changes his body has gone through rather than a direct reaction to the medicine he is taking. His counts were up a little more today and the medicine they are giving him to boost his white blood cell count seems to be working. He did have a bit of a fever today and got the chills a few times, but did not experience the severe shakes that he had a few days ago.

Mr. Green was able to go see him today, which had to to be good for both BJ and Mr. Green. He also had a pretty good night last night. Ashley said that he would have probably slept straight through the night, if not for the people coming in to check on him.

He is waiting on results from the biopsy of the spot on his lung and the status of the "Super Bug". Hopefully, he will get some good news in both regards tomorrow.

I also wanted to thank everyone that has posted comments on the site. I know it really means a lot to BJ. I wanted to say a special thanks to Mike from London and the Terry Davidson family. You two can empathize with BJ and his family like no one else because you have been where they are right now. I know your comments and words of encouragement will definitely be appreciated. So please continue to be a regular contributor here. We would all appreciate it.

Have a good day, Talk to you tomorrow.

2/27/08

Hi everybody......I got to talk to Mrs. Green, Ashley, and BJ today. First, I will tell you what BJ had to say. I called late this afternoon and caught him awake. He told me that he thought the longest he had been awake straight was probably 1 hour the last three days. All of the medicines have really just made him very tired. That, combined with the fact he didn't sleep much more than an hour straight the three days before that, he is just really tired.

His white blood cell count did go up a little bit today. They have started a medication to help boost that count. They gave it to him both yesterday and today. The fact that it is going up has to be encouraging to him. He is still experiencing some side-effects from the medicine they are giving him for the spot on his lung, they are just not as severe as what he was dealing with with the first medication. He told me "he had never been through anything like that", so I'm glad they switched medicines.

The doctors that has been seeing BJ this week is also on the transplant team. He is familiar with BJ's case, which I think has BJ and his family feel a little more comfortable. I may not have mentioned it earlier, but BJ does have a match for a transplant. So, he just has to get through these hurdles to move on to the transplant. He also had a new nurse the last couple of days that knew Dana from nursing school. BJ likes him and Mrs. Green said he was really good....we'll pray that he can stay on the floor to take care of BJ as long as he can.

Ashley has finished her classes for the week so she will be staying with BJ for the next several days. Not only will BJ enjoy having her there, but it will also give Mrs. Green a much needed break. She won't look at it that way, but I'm sure she needs it.

I will post again tomorrow afternoon. Everyone continue to post posistive words. BJ is reading them and I know they are helping.

2/26/08

Hey everyone....hope you all had a good day.

B.J.'s counts remained about the same today as the last couple of days. The doctors did give him some more platelets and plasma. They also started a new anti-fungal antibiotic for the spot on his lung. This one is supposed to be less aggressive than the first one they gave him. Hopefully, it will still work but without some of the rough side-effects he was experiencing.

I mentioned yesterday that the doctors gave him platelets in preparation for some tests today. They did a biopsy of the spot on his lung today. They expect the results back in a couple of days. I will try to let you know how that goes and it's impact on his condition as soon as I know. He was given a lot of different medications, both throughout the day and last night, to prepare and recover from the biopsy. So, he slept a good bit today too. When I spoke to Mrs. Green she said there was a lot of traffic in and out of the room last night, so neither of them got much sleep at all. Thankfully, he has gotten some rest yesterday & today, which is a lot better than it was Friday, Saturday, & Sunday.

I will update again tomorrow. Talk to you then.

2/25/08

Hi everyone.... Tonight's post may be a little shorter than usual because thankfully, BJ slept most of the day. He had a really rough night last night and didn't get much sleep, if any. So early this morning they stopped giving him the antibiotic they had been using to treat the fungal spot on his lung. The side-effects were proving a little too much to deal with so they are going to do some more tests and decide on a different approach. A lot of sleep and rest is something he has not had in quite a few days, so it was welcomed news.

His counts did not change much today. They did give him some more platelets today in preparation for some of the tests they will do tomorrow.

I did want to mention a great article that was in the Montgomery-Advertiser this morning. Mrs. Bailey (Ashley's mom), called and let me know about it. I have contacted the writer for permission to use some of his words on the homepage, but in the meantime here is a link to the article http://montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080225/NEWS/802250317/1001. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I will post again tomorrow with any new news. Hope everyone has a great day.

2/24/08

Hope everyone is doing well... I got a chance to speak to BJ this morning. The last two days have been pretty tough on him. I mentioned a couple of days ago that Dana said that she hoped the spot on BJ's lung was bacterial, unfortunately now we know why. The antibiotic they are giving him to treat the fungal spot's side-effects are proving to be just what the doctors told him they would be. Friday night he didn't get any of the shaking that they said would come, but yesterday it did start happening. I am not going to call these "shivers" as I described what he had with his initial fever because he said this was much different. With his initial fever, they were able to give him Demerol and he would sleep for a few hours. With this new antibiotic the Demerol does not last nearly as long. So he has been dealing with "shaking, Demerol, shaking, Demerol, nausea". I don't want too be graphic, but I do want everyone to know what he is going through. When I called Mrs. Green this evening to check on him, she said he had expeienced that same cycle most of the day and they had just given him another round of the antibiotic. He did tell me that he has had some chances to get online when the shaking eases, so I would encourage everyone to post comments. I know he reads and appreciates them.

As usual, despite what he has been going through BJ continued to look at this with a positive approach. He said "what we need to happen is for my counts to come back up, so my body can help fight this thing along with the medicine". Currently the medicine is doing all of the work. His white blood cell count dipped a little bit today and his other counts that measure his ability to fight off infection are still at zero.

Hopefully they will get this spot knocked out. The doctors haven't really given him a time table for that, but the sooner the better. Everyone pray his counts start to go up and that will help in a big way. I will post again tomorrow evening and let you know how his day goes.

2/23/08

Hey everybody, first I want to apologize for the delay in my posts. My home computer experienced a bit of a meltdown, so I have been doing it from my office. Thanks to some help, my home computer is back up and going so I should be able to provide more timely information.

I wanted to let everyone at the University of Alabama know that BJ has been listening to the baseball games on his computer. He was very touched by the gestures and kind words at Friday night's game.

As for an update about his condition, he did get the results back from his CT scan. As I mentioned there were two spots that the doctors wanted to look at more closely. One spot thankfully, was not there anymore. The other spot is smaller than they originally thought, which is good news, but it is fungal. So they started him on another antibiotic to help with that. They told him one of the side-effects of that medicine is a fever and bad chills or shivers. The good news is last night he didn't get those chills, the bad news is he stayed awake most of the night because he was nervous that he would. So after feeling pretty good yesterday... he was pretty tired today.

His white blood cell count dropped from 400 to 300 today. The doctors told him not to get discouraged, just hang in there and that would take care of itself. They did give him some more platelets and blood today, so hopefully that will make him feel better. The rash I have mentioned is still there. I don't know if this new medication will help with that or not, but I hope so. Mrs. Green and Ashley have both told me that he has remained extremely positive throughout all of this. I know if he can keep that attitude along with everyone's thoughts and prayers, he will get through this and move on toward the transplant.

I will talk to you again tomorrow.

2/20/08

Hey...I wanted to give everyone a quick update. Mrs. Green called this morning to fill me in on this morning's doctor visit so I could let all of you know how BJ is doing.

She stayed down at the hospital with him last night and I'm glad to let you know he got a much better night's sleep last night. He didn't have the fever and chills that he had the night before. Mrs. Green said he would have really slept well if not for a her snoring. Apparently, it got a little loud and woke him up a couple of times. But other than that it was a good night.

The doctors came in this morning and confirmed that BJ does have the "Super Bug". That was kind of strange because BJ and Mrs. Green thought they had confirmed that yesterday, when they told him he had it. So as a precautionary measure, when they go to see him they now have to wear a gown and gloves. This is not necessarily for BJ's protection because he already has the virus. It is to keep them from catching it or taking it out with them when they leave. Yesterday, the doctors did a chest X-ray because this "Super Bug" can cause pneumonia. They did find 2 spots (one on each lung) that they want to look at closer. They are going to do a CT Scan to determine if the spots are bacterial or fungal so they can determine how to treat it. This is where my lack of medical knowledge hurts because I don't really know the difference, all I know is Dana said that she hopes it is bacterial, so that's what I'm hoping as well. I want to reiterate that they haven't said that he has pneumonia, that's what they are testing for.

BJ was running a fever when the doctors came to see him. It wasn't as bad as yesterday but a fever none the less. He also still has the rash that I mentioned yesterday. They did start yet another antibiotic today, so maybe that will help.

I will update again today if there is any new information. Just keep praying they get good results from that CT Scan.

2/21/08 - P.M.

I called Mrs. Green this afternoon to check in. She said that BJ was feeling about the same as he he did this morning. He still has a fever and has been sleeping off and on most of the day. I know that they gave him some more platelets today, but other than that, there is not much new to report. I think he was trying to sleep when I called, so we kept our conversation short so we didn't bother him. Maybe this new antibiotic will start to take affect soon and he will get some comfortable rest tonight.

I will update everyone again tomorrow.

2/21/08 - A.M.

Hey everyone, I spoke to BJ and his mom this morning. The bad news is, he had a rough night last night and was not feeling very well this morning. The good news is the doctors think they have identified what is causing his fever. BJ said he was up most of the night with a fever and shivers. His temperature got up to 103.7 last night and had gotten up to 101.6 this morning. They gave him Demerol last night to help him sleep, which would work for a little while, then he would wake up again shivering. His mom said that they had just given him some more Demerol when I called and they were going to give him some Tylenol for the fever.

Apparently, BJ has developed what the doctors called the "Super Bug" which is a result of all of the anibiotics he has been taking. That is what has been causing the fever. He also has a rash on his arms and stomach that are a result of his antibiotics. The positive news is they have another antibiotic that they started him on this morning that is supposed to get rid of the "Super Bug" and help with the rash.

Mrs. Green said the doctors implied that these are all pretty normal reactions to the chemo so there is no reason to be alarmed. His counts didn't have any drastic changes as of this morning, so we'll have to wait and see how those go. Hopefully, this new medicine will work and he can shake this bug and start feeling better. I will talk to them again this afternoon and let you know how his day went.

2/20/08

Hey everybody, I just got off of the phone with BJ. He is feeling a little rough today. The fever we thought he shook came back last night. It got up to 102 last night and then jumped back up to 102 today. So, needless to say he has been pretty tired all day. The doctors still aren't sure what is causing this. They are giving him all of the standard medications that they usually give, but he can't seem to shake it. They told him that if the fever is still there tomorrow they are going try some different medications to get it under control.

His white blood cell count dropped a little bit more today. He is trying to be patient with this because the doctors said it would start going up any day, but I think he is really ready to see that number and his other counts start to increase. Not only because we could go visit, but more importantly he would be another step closer to getting out of there for a little bit and getting ready for the transplant. They did not give him any platelets or blood today. Those numbers continue to hold pretty steady. So, it sounds like he just has to hang in there until his other counts start moving back to where they need to be.

When I called, BJ had just gotten a shower and lost a good bit more hair. He said it had started falling out pretty rapidly now. We talked about the fact that he knew that was going to happen going in, so it's not a big deal. The bigger deal is nagging fever that he wasn't expecting and can't be explained. Let's hope they get it figured out so he doesn't have to worry about that and can think about those counts and getting to that next step.

I'll talk to him again tonight and hopefully in the morning. I'll try to post in the morning tomorrow and keep you updated.

2/19/08

Hey everyone, this is Devon. Thanks to BJ and Ashley for taking over for a few days. I'm sure everybody was glad to hear from BJ, but now you're stuck with me again.

I talked with BJ around 4:00 this afternoon and he was still doing well. He took about a 1/2 mile walk today and didn't feel too fatigued. His counts are still down, but the doctors expect them to start going up any day. Then we can start going down there to see him again. They continued the antibiotics and were planning on giving him some more platelets, but they still haven't given him a blood transfusion because his levels are just above the the point where they can do it. He didn't seem too concerned by that, so I guess we shouldn't be either. He said he was losing more hair today and pretty soon he may shave it on down. I told him might end up liking the look and sticking with it. I kind of doubt that happens, but he seems OK with change of pace.

As BJ said, Mrs. Green has gotten over her bug and was able to go see him today. He said she was coming back down there later this evening. I haven't had the chance to talk to her in the last couple of days, but I know she is excited to be able to go back down there. Hopefully in the next couple of days we'll all be able to do that.

Glad to be back, talk to you tomorrow.

2/18/08

This is B.J., I will hand all of you back over to Devon tomorrow. He has been calling and keeping updated with me on everything that has been going on since he has been gone.

Yesterday, I mentioned that I thought I would receive blood today. The doctor decided that I didn't need a blood transfusion or platelets today. I have received my normal antibiotics. My white blood cell count is down in the 400 range, and the doctor likes where I am at right now with all my counts.

I do have a bit of information that I think alot of you would be interested in. While, I was in the shower last night I did notice that my hair was starting to come out. So today, I came to the decision that I was going to go ahead and shave it down real close. Teresa and my mom brought the clippers down today, and Teresa gave me a buzz. Everyone that has known me for a long time knows that I have never shaved my head for fear of what my head would look like. The results weren't that bad, but it is all going to come out eventually anyway so I feel a little better about that now.

They are telling me I will probably have another week in here waiting for my counts to come up if there are no setbacks along the way. Then hopefully we can proceed with the transplant quickly. The quicker the better if you ask me. There will be another bone marrow test before the transplant can take place. Please keep the prayers coming and hopefully I won't have anything throw me off course from beating this.

I will be checking the website daily, and I appreciate all of the comments they don't go unnoticed!

Love all of you,
B.J.

2/17/08

First of all, I want to let everyone know this is B.J. writing today's blog entry. Devon is enjoying some well deserved time in the mountains with his family. Hasn't he be doing such a GOOD job keeping everybody informed! I really appreciate the time he is putting into this, and I can tell from everybody that I have been talking to that alot of you appreciate it as well.

The medical update is very uneventful which has been very nice. It has been the normal regimen of antibiotics and some platelets. The fever that I couldn't seem to shake for a few days has gone away (knock on wood!). My levels were still low today so I think I may receive some blood tomorrow.

Devon has mentioned that my parents have been a little ill and haven't been able to come visit for a while, but I think they may get to come back tomorrow. They both seem to have shook the bug that had gotten them. But, in that process I think my sister has been bitten by the bug.

I definitely wanted to mention before I finish that I am sure alot of you have heard about the tornado that went through Prattville today. It directly affected some members of Ashley's family including her parents, brother, and sister. They didn't suffer any injuries but some damage was done to their home and automobiles. Ashley has been great for me through all of this and her family has been good to me as well, and I hope all of you will keep them in your thoughts and prayers as they try to clean-up and get things back to normal.

I wanted to write tonight to let everyone know how much I appreciate all the support that I have been shown throughout this whole process. I have received cards, text messages, emails, and phone calls from so many people saying how much they are pulling for me and praying for me, and it means so much to know how much people care. This is all part of the process of me getting better and I am going to try and stay positive throughout all of this and hopefully share some laughs with all of you again real soon.

Love all of you,
B.J.

2/16/08

Hey Everybody, this is Ashley!! As Devon mentioned in the previous post, he is going to be out of town for the next couple of days, so I am going to keep you all updated on B.J.'s progress until he gets back. B.J. has already spoken with the doctor this morning and he has decided to start him on an additional antibiotic to try and help with the fevers. The doctor also said he would be getting blood today to help raise his Hemoglobin levels. We are hoping that after receiving the blood he will begin to feel better soon!!
That's all for today. I will post again tomorrow. Thank you to everyone thinking and praying for him!!

2/15/08 P.M.

I talked with BJ later this evening. He remained positive and continued to impress me with his outlook. He said that he felt worse today physically than he has ever felt. He was hurting "from his scalp down", but he was not going to let it get him down after the news he got today. He slept most of the day today and said he would bear with it and get through it. He expects to get a blood transfusion tomorrow. His hemoglobin level was at 8.2 last night and he felt it was probably lower today. His sister told him that from her experience, anytime it was 8.0 or lower, they would do a transfusion. I haven't really mentioned this before, but Dana (BJ's sister) is a nurse that used to work in oncology, so her knowledge has been invaluable. She has been able to ask questions that no one else would know to ask and translate the results of his test in terms that the rest of us can understand. BJ told me that they had tried a couple of antihistamine's to control the redness that I mentioned in the last post. So far, they had not had much luck. But he continued to have a positive attitude. I know he will get through whatever they throw at him. I should mention that I will be out of town the next couple of days. I am not sure what kind of internet access I will have. I talked to BJ about it and we will make sure that someone posts updates for me... maybe even the man himself. So, be sure to continue to check in over the weekend!

2/15/08 - GOOD NEWS

BJ just called. The doctors came in to see him this morning and told him that the acute cells are 100% gone. The chemo worked on the first try. This is the news everyone was hoping for. BJ was really excited. He was trying to remain cautiously optimistic because there is a slight chance his cells could turn acute again before the transplant, but the doctors said that happens very rarely. So, we just have to hope that there are no more set-backs and he can get ready to get the transplant.

As far as how he is feeling, he did get another fever last night. The antibiotics they give him have been causing his face and stomach to get really red, so they have been giving him Benadryl to try and help with that. He said he couldn't tell that it was helping, but I guess it might be worse if he wasn't taking it. He didn't think he would be getting any platelets today because the ones they gave him yesterday seemed to be working.

The doctors told him yesterday that if the results came back positive he could expect to be there for another two weeks. Everyone's body reacts differently, so it could be a little less or more, but two weeks is what it usually takes. All of his counts (white blood cell, red blood cell, and ANC) are really low. This two week period is to allow all of those counts to build back up. The ANC count is critical, because that is the one that measures his ability to fight off infection. Once his counts get a little better we might get to go and visit him again.

BJ said "this was the best news he has heard in awhile", so thanks to everyone who has been thinking of him and praying for him. Hopefully the good news will keep coming.

2/14/08

Today, I talked with BJ a little earlier than usual. I was curious to find out if he was feeling better or still fighting the fever he has had the last few days. I am glad to let you know that he said he felt better today than he has the last couple of days. He said that his temperature wasn't going up and down as it had been. We don't really know if the fever is a side-effect from the chemo or he tried to pick up a little bug from someone. Mrs. Green said that they never really mentioned fever as a side-effect, so we're not really sure. BJ did say that they would be giving him some more platelets today. He was real positive when we spoke, just anxiously awaiting the results of his bone marrow test. Hopefully, he will get the results back soon. He said he would call as soon as he did so I can let everyone know.

Mrs. Green also mentioned that I should put something on here explaining who "I" am because some people didn't know. I am Devon Harper, a high school friend BJ's. We have remained good friends since then. Sorry I didn't clarify that earlier. So now you know who is responsible for all of the grammatical errors.

I will post again tomorrow, hopefully with some good test results.

2/13/08

I talked to BJ earlier this evening. They did the bone marrow test about 10 o'clock this morning. He said the test was a little painful. The doctors told him that they will have the results back in 2-3 days. After the test, he slept a good bit today due to to the anesthetic. He has had a fever off and on all day today. They have been treating that with antibiotics and Tylenol. His white blood cell count was down to 600 today. He felt positive about that because he knows the medicine is working. He is hopeful, as we all are, that the results of this bone marrow test will come back positive. If the chemo has worked and they have gotten rid of the acute cells, then he will start working towards the transplant. I will talk to him tomorrow and let you know how it goes. Hopefully, he will get some good rest tonight and have a good day tomorrow.

2/12/08 - Important Update

I talked with BJ this afternoon to get an update on how he was feeling. He said that he started feeling a little sick last night with fever and chills. They gave him some antibiotics during the night and later today to help with some of his symptoms. As I was talking to him, they were giving him some additional platelets to replace the ones he has lost during the chemo. He still remained extremely positive given the circumstances. When the doctors spoke with him today, they told him that he is extremely neutropenic. His level is zero. That means his ability to avoid infection is also almost zero. Unfortunately, because he is so susceptible to infection, BJ and his family have asked that no one go to see him right now. With all of the viruses going around, it is just too risky to take a chance on giving him some virus that would make him really sick. I cannot imagine how difficult this willl be for BJ's family, so please help them by keeping both them and BJ in your thoughts. I know I have mentioned this before, but you can post comments to him on here. He does check it daily and I'm sure he would appreciate it. They are still planning to test his bone marrow tomorrow. He doesn't know what time they will do the test, and is not sure when he will get the results, but I will let everyone know as soon as BJ tells me.

2/11/08

BJ had another good day. He had some new visitors and also got some good news. His bone marrow test has officially been scheduled for this Wednesday (2/13/08). We aren't sure when he will get the results back, but I hope to post good news as soon as he does. His white blood cell count has continued to drop, down to 750, which explains his lack of energy. He did not have to receive any additional platelet's today, which is good news. He said that he was feeling even more tired today than he did yesterday. It was not the kind of tired where you want to go to sleep, but you just want to lie down because of a lack of energy. Unfortunately, Mr. Green has been feeling "under the weather" the last couple of days, so he has not been able to go see BJ. As a result, Mrs. Green has had to avoid going to see him just in case she might have any part of his virus. As much as I'm sure it is bothering them not be there with BJ, we should all follow their example and make sure we don't take a chance on bringing any kind of virus with us to see him. He has had great results from his treatment so far, and if everyone will continue to support him, hopefully it will continue.

I had the chance to go see BJ this morning, and apparently I wasn't the only one. When I spoke to him this evening, he said that a lot of people had been by today. I would hate to leave anyone out, so I don't want to mention names, but he was very appreciative to everyone that came by. As far as how he is feeling, he said that he was probably more tired today than any day so far. When I got there this morning the doctor had just given him the results from his blood test and his white blood cell count had dropped considerably. As I mentioned yesterday, this is good news. But with that considerable drop, he has also become neutropenic, which means his immune system has become extremely sensitive. Not only should no one visit with any kind of infection, he also can't be around any kind of plants or live flowers, so they (the hospital) won't allow them in his room. It is also not a good idea for him to be exposed to small children because they can carry so many viruses. He was starting to feel some side-effects, besides general fatigue, from the chemo. I won't go into those details, but I will say that BJ has a remarkable, and frankly inspirational outlook on the fight he is going into. I asked him about the side-effects and he said getting thru them was just another step toward getting well, and basically "bring it on". I would only hope that I would have the same attitude going into something like this. Hopefully, he will have another good day tomorrow.

I

2/9/08

Not much new to report. I talked with BJ yesterday, and he said still felt about the same. He still has not felt any dramatic side-effects other than being a little more tired than normal. He has continued taking walks around the floor, especially when he gets bored. He did say that after stopping the chemo his white blood cell count started going back up both Thursday and Friday. The doctors told him not to worry, that it would come back down, which is what he needs to happen. I spoke to his mom this afternoon and she said that it had dropped today, which is good news. When I called, Ashley and Mrs. Green were there and BJ was taking a nap. I am going down to see him in the morning, so I will post again tomorrow afternoon.

2/7/08

I spoke with BJ this afternoon. He finished up the first round of chemo today, so hopefully it worked well and he will get good results next Thursday when they do his bone marrow test. They disconnected everything that was connected to his IV pole today, so he was able to go for his laps around the floor without pulling the pole around with him. He said the walk made him a little tired, but he still hasn't felt any dramatic side effects from the chemo. He said he keeps waking up expecting to feel different, but so far he feels fine, just losing some of his stamina. Chris made a comment to my last post about how to go see BJ or send him something. BJ is at UAB in Birmingham, AL. He is in the West Pavilion Room W934. If you go to the 4th Ave S parking deck there are signs that will get you to his room. If you are sending something to him the address is: UAB Medical Center 619 South 19th St. Room W934 Birmingham, AL 35233 If you are going to go see him, which he would really appreciate, just please make sure you are well and don't have that crazy flu virus (or any other kind of virus for that matter) that is going around. I hate to keep harping on that, but his immune system has been weakened by the chemo and the slightest infection could cause him or other people on the floor some very serious problems. I will post again tomorrow. If you have any questions, please post it in a comment and I will do my best to answer it or ask somebody that can. Also, BJ does check the site everyday so you can send him words of encouragement thru the comment section.

2/6/08 - CORRECTION

I needed to correct something I posted earlier today. For some reason I had my Thursday's mixed up. BJ's bone marrow test is next Thursday (2/14/08). I apologize for that mix up. I guess I was in a hurry to find out the results, so I decided to move the test up a week.

When Mrs. Green called me to let me know about my Thursday mix-up, which I appreciate, she also said that BJ has changed rooms. He has moved to the penthouse suite. His new room number is W934. It is just past his old room at the end of the hall. This room is a lot bigger and complete with two walls of windows. He said he has a nice view of Birmingham, a big improvement from the view of a brick wall he had previously. I plan on going down tomorrow to check it out.

Again, sorry for the confusion about the test. I will update again this evening or tomorrow morning.

2/6/08

Eric & I went down to see BJ last night. His sister (Dana) and his niece (Brooklyn) were there with him. His mom had just left after spending the day with him. He said he was not as tired yesterday as he had been the day before. He will start his last bottle of the "drip" chemo today. The bottle lasts 24 hours, so he will finish up the first round tomorrow. As I mentioned before, they have given him medicine to control the nausea that can come from the chemo, but he may feel some other side effects when he stops the chemo. I think the major effects that I will mention on here will be fatigue and loss of appetite.

His white blood cell count has continued to drop dramatically. Yesterday it was down to 5,000. When he went in last week it was 62,000. The doctors will continue to drop it, hoping to get rid of the acute cells. After they test his bone marrow tomorrow, if everything goes well, they will let it start to build back up to a normal level. So, tomorrow will be a huge day. The test they do to check his bone marrow is uncomfortable because they have to actually go into the bone to extract the marrow. They give him an anesthetic for the pain, but it is still very uncomfortable. Everybody pray that the test goes well tomorrow, so he doesn't have to start more chemo. If the acute cells are gone, then he is one step closer to getting the transplant.

I don't know if he will get the results of the test back tomorrow, but I will post them as soon as I find out.

2/4/08

I spoke to BJ briefly this evening. He went for another walk-around the floor today and also got a good bit of sleep. He felt like the chemo is starting to affect his stamina. He is still scheduled to finish the "drip" chemo this Thursday, and will have another test next week to see if this round of chemo has controlled the acute cells that prevented the scheduled transplant. Hopefully, he has knocked it out and can move forward to getting better. As for the 9th floor SuperBowl party..... Mr. Green, Dana, Brooklyn, and Ashley were there with BJ. Unfortunately, he was disappointed because he was pulling for the Patriots and a little bit of history. I plan on going to see him tomorrow night, and will update as soon as I get back from the hospital.

2/3/08

I was able to go see BJ this morning and I'm glad to let you know he is getting more used to his Hickman Catheter and has been getting some sleep. He received his last round of the "red" chemo yesterday, so he will just be getting the "drip" chemo today thru Thursday. Yesterday afternoon, he decided to get out of the room for a while and walked some laps around the floor with Brooklyn (his niece). He said last night he was feeling a little tired. He said he thought the medication was starting to affect him a little more. His white blood cell count has dropped dramatically over the last three days, which is what the medicine is supposed to do, but also wears him out. He also discovered another strange and somewhat annoying side effect to his medicine. He has had the hiccup's for a couple of days now. He said last night he actually went to sleep with them and woke up with them this morning. They had given him some medicine just before I got there this morning to try and help stop them. He was still waiting on it to start working when I left. Hopefully, they will get this under control because I think it's starting to get on his nerves. One last thing I wanted to mention is in regards to BJ's immune system. The doctors have told him that the medication he is taking will really weaken his immune system. So, if you have a cold, cough, or any other virus it would be best to drop him a line rather than visit. This will not only help BJ, but the other people on the floor that could be further along in their treatment and more succeptible to infection. I will update again tomorrow, and let you know how the 9th floor SuperBowl party goes. BJ was "really fired up" about it.

2/1/08

I spoke with BJ today. The good news is that he was getting "more comfortable with" the Hickman catheter. The bad news is that he did not get much sleep last night. This thing is pretty invasive and I'm sure it will take a little time to get a comfortable night's sleep with it attached. He recieved another round of the"red" chemo today. He will get another round tomorrow. That should be all of the "red" stuff for the week. He was still feeling no ill effects from the chemo, both the "red" and the drip. I plan to go see him tomorrow and will update with a little more detail as to how he is feeling.