What a day - renewed hope!

With rising liver enzymes, jaundice and concerns of Hepatitis or liver failure [signs looked to the former, fears "imagined" the latter], today has been quite the rebuttal. And we praise God for answered prayers!!

The day started with another blood draw at the chemo station since Cathy's blood from Friday, 1/15 was still inadequate to allow for therapy. Results came back with a solid 3.6 well above the cautionary point and platelets exceeding 200 [160 being the low point of "normal].

The next stop was to meet with Dr. Bayer and get the full results from the liver enzyme and tests for hepatitis. Cathy was negative for hepatitis A, B or C and the cancer marker even ticked down slightly! However, many of her already significantly elevated liver enzymes more than doubled. The CT scan from 1/13 could reveal any clues, Cathy can't get MRI scans now, so Dr. Bayer had Cathy admitted to the hospital for more tests and to be seen by a gastroenterologist and infectious disease doctor. The concerns being a possible blockage causing the increased enzymes. Chemo was not administered and won't be until the liver enzyme conundrum is deciphered.

The intake procedure, subsequent scans [EKG, X-ray and ultrasound] and visits by doctors was done with remarkable precision and timeliness. Both doctors, as well as Dr. Bayer, suggested the Flucazanole for THRUSH may have contributed to these elevated enzymes and the ultrasound did not indicate any blockage. Additionally, blood drawn today showed one of the key enzymes even retreated between last Friday and today ... and Cathy took her last Flucazanole this morning! If subsequent tests on Tuesday, 1/19 show enzymes continuing in a decreasing fashion, Cathy will be released from the hospital and will not need and ERCP procedure to be done.

This sure looks like great news and should allow chemotherapy to resume sometime soon. HOWEVER, with weekly chemotherapies resuming, the concern is now focused on a way to keep Cathy's WBC from degrading to the point that she gets THRUSH again as the treatment [Flucazanole] may be as disquieting as the ailment!

For now, the patient is resting [as best possible] in the hospital and we'll fight tomorrow's battles with renewed optimism! Praise be to God for answers to many faithful prayers!!