Jacquelyn Update from Baylor

[Guest guest]

Sent: Wednesday, January 03, 2007 7:16 AM Subject: It's me! Jacquelyn from Baylor)

A message from Jacquelyn to pass along

….

OK, here's my quickest run-down

of events....

As you all know, I was admitted

last Wednesday for dangerously elevated liver enzymes and severely depleted

blood volume. All day and night Thursday was spent doing blood cultures,

receiving multiple blood transfusions, having one test done after another,

including a liver biopsy and getting my central (PIC) line installed, etc.

On Friday, we were notified that the liver was truly in

grave danger. After the best doctors in this hospital were notified that

the biopsy was ready, they went to take a look at it, compare it with another

one done just 6 weeks ago and were stunned to see that even though we had been

treating it very aggressively, the Auto-Immune Hepatitis (morphed from my

original disease PSC) had gotten extremely worse and that the liver was very

close to fullminant liver failure. This caused the doctors to become very

suspicious and left them with few options. It was decided that the

first step needed to be to " tear down my immune system 100% " . Which leads me to the " treatments " you've been

reading about on the other updates. The treatments have been so risky

everyday for many reasons. First of all, the antibodies used are derived

from animal globulins (mine comes from " Rabbit " ) which opens

things up to a whole new risk for infection and for side effects that will make

a person very very sick. I've been very blessed that, even though I

suffered some very severe side effects for the past four days of

treatments, I was able to remain on the 14th floor and out of ICU.

So, now here we are on

the fourth night of the treatments and even though the doctors gave

me some of the most grim news today, I feel that my

faith is bolder and stronger than ever before. I imagine you're asking,

" What's the grim news? " ...OK, first you must

remember that there are many great doctors working on this case. (Lots of cooks in the kitchen!! ) Each one wants his or her own opinion and/or

diagnosis to be taken seriously, so, there are many! But

according to Dr.Hamilton and one of my transplant surgeons, they are most

worried about my immunosuppressive status. My transplant surgeon

explained it to me this way today: he said that even though I've been on the

treatments for 4 days, he is still very worried because there are a

lot of symptoms and things that have shown up on the blood cultures that should

not be there. He said that it was time we talked seriously about a cancer

diagnosis in addition to the Auto-Immune Hep. When they did the fluid tap

from my abdomen last week and again with the liver biopsy, they saw some

mononuclear cells that could be suggestive of cancer or lymphoma. He said

that the bottom line here is that they must pound me down with every single

immunosuppressive that they have, because if they don't, I will lose the liver

and die within a matter of days. Of course, the " catch-22 " to

this is that it leaves me a " sitting duck " for cancer to grow like

wildfire. He did ask me if I agreed that they should be as aggressive as

necessary and I told him that I knew God was going to let me live, so to go

ahead and " bring on " any treatments they want to try.... He

also said that he may go ahead and have the oncology staff

come see me and begin cancer treatments. I am absolutely convinced

that it is also a blessing and a miracle that I am being seen by the best

doctors in the world...a couple of times each day. Dr.

Hamilton, as you all remember, has always fought so hard for me, and this time

has been no different. His biggest concern is that I will run into

complications following the treatments with the immunosuppressant. But he

said that he was going to help me beat this and that we were going to do

it with " eternal optimism " . The

bottom line is that we need a true miracle here.

[Guest guest]

Jacquelyn,

Your positive attitude is a gift. Sending you prayers and best wishes.

Ricky

Re: Jacquelyn Update from Baylor

Dear Jacquelyn,

I am sending you light and prayers and good vibes..

Ali

[Guest guest]

Jacquelyn,

Keep the faith. Reading this post reminded

me so much of my mother. She has been recently diagnosed and started treatment

for lung cancer and is doing incredibly well – I believe it is her faith and

all of the prayers that are keeping her going and so strong. God is good. Keep

up the faith and believe that God is holding you in His arms with incredible

love.

If anyone wants to read my Mom’s story, I

set up a caringbridge site for her (thanks to my knowledge about it from this

group) – her site name is joannshandrick

LINDA

(Mom of Suzanne,

17; IBD 1/04; PSC 3/04)

From:

[mailto: ] On Behalf Of Barb Henshaw

Sent: Wednesday, January 03, 2007

3:05 PM

To:

Subject: Jacquelyn

Update from Baylor

Sent: Wednesday, January 03, 2007 7:16 AM Subject: It's me! Jacquelyn from

Baylor)

A message from Jacquelyn to pass along ….

I

feel that my faith is bolder and stronger than ever before.

I told him that I

knew God was going to let me live, so to go ahead and " bring on " any

treatments they want to try

--

No virus found in this incoming message.

Checked by AVG Free Edition.

Version: 7.1.409 / Virus Database: 268.16.3/614 - Release Date: 1/2/2007

--

No virus found in this outgoing message.

Checked by AVG Free Edition.

Version: 7.1.409 / Virus Database: 268.16.3/614 - Release Date: 1/2/2007