Family and Friends,
Marc's journey started nearly 15 years ago when he was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder called Polycythemia Vera (PV). He has been able to keep the PV mostly in check with regular phlebotomies at first, and then with daily meds. The splenectomy in 2007 and the foot issue in 2011 were related to the PV.
Unfortunately, the PV has progressed to Myelofibrosis (MF). This is not unexpected but stinks just the same. According to Marc, the several bone marrow biopsies aren't much fun either. If you want you can learn more about MF, check out
http://www.mpnresearchfoundation.org/Primary-Myelofibrosis.After exploring treatment options at MD Anderson and Baylor in Houston and the University of Colorado Hospital in Denver we decided that, although all have very good programs, logistically CU Hospital in Denver made the most sense.
Fortunately for Marc, a willing donor has been found through the Be The Match donor program. Marc will be admitted to the hospital for a stem cell/bone marrow transplant (BMT). This is a risky and controversial procedure, but is his chance for a cure. In his many years of treatment the word "cure" has not been part of the prognosis, so we are hopeful and optimistic that the BMT will be successful and Marc will be back in action later this year.
If you want to learn about how to become a potential donor, check out
http://bethematch.org (
http://bethematch.org/). It's really easy!
Our "team" at CU consists of doctors, nurses, physicians assistants, nurse practitioners, a nutritionist, a psychiatrist and a social worker. They are helping us get educated on the process and prepared for both hospital and outpatient life.
We've set up this CaringBridge page to help you stay up to date with Marc's progress. I plan to update the journal as often as I can so that no one feels out of the loop and you'll have an idea of what his days are like. Feel free to leave your comments and I will pass them on to Marc during his treatment.
We appreciate all the thoughts and prayers. Keep them coming!
Fondly,
Teri
