Update on Andrew 5/23

Hi all. Andrew finished his 6th round of chemo last week and has been back in St. Louis recovering since last Sunday. This round was a lot harder for him - we think all the chemo is just really getting to him, making his body a bit weaker. He's been more tired, battled some mouth and throat sores and even felt nauseous at times. He's been working some, but mostly from home this week, as his energy has been very low.

Yesterday he went in for a blood draw to check his levels, and his white blood cells were at zero. This is normal for this period in his chemo cycle - but they did a few more tests and had him rest at home. Last night his fever got up to 102 - so he was admitted to the hospital. With a high fever there is risk for infection - so they will keep Andrew in the hospital in St. Louis for the weekend, running lots of tests, checking for any infection and bringing his fever down. This is all very normal for someone going through chemo. Actually, all the doctors and nurses in Houston have been surprised this hasn't happened until now. Andrew is on antibiotics, receiving lots of fluids and of course making the doctors and nurses laugh. Andrew also had a blood transfusion this morning, to help boost his red blood cells. He will receive another pint this afternoon.

Andrew returns to Houston on June 2 and will have his normal full body pet scan and meeting with his doctor on the 3rd and 4th. This is a BIG appointment, as the results of the scan will determine the next step. He may receive 1 or 2 more rounds of chemo in Houston or his doctor may decide to take a break for a while.

My mom is en route to St. Louis right now to give Andrew some extra support and I am headed there on Thursday morning to be with him until he goes to Houston. Let's all be thinking about Andrew this Memorial Day weekend and pray that his fever comes down and that he does not contract any bacteria or sickness.

That is all for now - thank you again for all your support. It is truly amazing!