Thursday, September 10, 2009

Prayin' for Janet


One of my letterboxing friends on AQ is Blooming Flowers, her real name is Janet. Another friend, kmbaker, posted this yesterday:
I'm not sure how to start this post off but here goes...As most of you know Janet was diagnosed with AML back in March. She has gone for a couple of rounds of chemo and everything was looking good. Last week she went in for her scheduled chemo and was discharged. Sunday night she went to the ER and was sent home. Monday she went back into the ER for a high fever and uncontrolled pain. They ended up admitting her. Yesterday morning things started going terribly wrong. Around 5pm they intubated her. She is in multi-system failure. She was given a 50% chance of making it through the night. She is an amazing woman and a fighter. She did make it through the night but continues to decline. Her doctors have listed her condition as "gravely ill". She loves the letterboxing community and thought of you as extended family. Please lift her and her family up in prayers.
If you feel so inclined, please pray. This situation sounds dire and I fear the worst.

I'm so sad.

Here's a little info on AML from Wiki:

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML), also known as acute myelogenous leukemia, is a cancer of the myeloid line of blood cells, characterized by the rapid growth of abnormal white blood cells that accumulate in the bone marrow and interfere with the production of normal blood cells. AML is the most common acute leukemia affecting adults, and its incidence increases with age. Although AML is a relatively rare disease, accounting for approximately 1.2% of cancer deaths in the United States, its incidence is expected to increase as the population ages. The symptoms of AML are caused by replacement of normal bone marrow with leukemic cells, which causes a drop in red blood cells, platelets, and normal white blood cells. These symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, easy bruising and bleeding, and increased risk of infection.

Although several risk factors for AML have been identified, the specific cause of the disease remains unclear. As an acute leukemia, AML progresses rapidly and is typically fatal within weeks or months if left untreated. AML has several subtypes; treatment and prognosis varies among subtypes. Five-year survival varies from 15–70%, and relapse rate varies from 78–33%, depending on subtype. AML is treated initially with chemotherapy aimed at inducing a remission; patients may go on to receive additional chemotherapy or a hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Recent research into the genetics of AML has developed tests that better predict how long a patient is likely to survive and whether a drug is likely to be effective.

5 comments:

Ari C'rona said...

Oh, I'm so sorry - I'll be praying for sure. :o(

Stacy Christian said...

It occurred to me yesterday that althought the relationships on AQ are mostly virtual, that doesn't make the grief any less real. Praying for God's grace for Janet!
S

Mama Cache said...

I read that post yesterday and my heart sank. When I think of all of her cheery and funny comments, I am both thankful for her and so, so sad.

Thanks for posting this. I am certainly praying.

Liz Henderson (Hendel D'bu) said...

UPDATE, Sept 11, 09:
Carrie Clark 9:00 Status Report: Janet remains sedated, but she is stable presently. She is resting comfortably. They have increased her dialysis to get some of the fluid off her system. She is tolerating this very well. Some of her problems are a direct result of volume overload. This was a good visit to end the night. She remains critical, BUT shows improvement in her condition.

Liz Henderson (Hendel D'bu) said...

UPDATE, Sept. 13, '09:

Janet has sadly lost her battle with AML and has passed away from us.

She will be greatly missed. :-(

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