Jeff Peltier

It's been a wild couple of weeks! I was having shortness of breath, going on for about a week and a half and just not feeling right - really tired, bruising easily, etc. I was tested for Covid-19 and on Sunday, April 5, the results came back negative. But, something just wasn't sitting right so Jeanne took me to the emergency room (she wasn't able to come in with me) and had a 103 degree temp. I spent the next few hours waiting to be seen and was given yet another painful Covid test. I was admitted to the hospital and taken to the Covid floor until the 2nd test results came back. Unfortunately, SD didn't have the tests where results came back within a few hours so it was a couple more days of waiting. Because Covid couldn't be ruled out, no treatments could be administered so I spent the next couple days drifting in and out of a high temp fever. Finally, a diagnosis was given and then the 2nd Covid test came back negative and I was immediately moved to a new floor. Unfortunately, it was The oncology floor and I was diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).   AML is a cancer that affects a type of whte blood cell in the bone marrow called a myeloblast.  Healthy myeloblasts grow into different kinds of white blood cells.  In people with AML, the myeloblasts are immature and abnormal.  Not the news we wanted to hear!   Because the doctors feel I'm pretty strong, they are following an intense chemo treatment plan. Two sessions down, I'm starting to feel a little tired but my spirits are high. One of the hardest parts to all of this is, and as a sign of the times, I am not able to be with my family. We Facetime and talk often but it's not the same. I'm going to be in the hospital for 4-6 weeks undergoing treatment.  I've had a great number of you reach out to me and have shown your love and support. It's been awesome - thank you.