Prayers and Miracles From Freepers - In Dire Straits

JP ^ | 12-6-03 | JP

[JustPiper]

Exhaling...I thought I would just add this to Logan's room but my request since has become twofold. My brother-in-law Tom who went to San Diego for his son's Marine graduation (Anthony graduated with honors) has landed in a SD hospital immediately after graduation. It does not seem life-threatening and I pray it will all turn out ok.

Now to yet another brother-in-law who is more like a brother to me. He is married to my closest sister. They live in OC. He has been caring for her Dad (long story) and has been sick for quite some time.

Peter is such a wonderful man. Dad is the third elderly parent they have taken in to die in their home. He is Dad's caregiver all day long. Peter is my sister's soulmate.

Pete's lung doctor called today with Lab results and wanted him in for a blood transfusion and kidney tests. It's looking more like Wegener's disease, but that can only be confirmed with a lung biopsy. He is having a kidney ultrasound today.

My sister is beside herself. He is the reason she moved to OC. All her family mostly is here. And she left me behind -g- She is my soul sister.

Please friends, pray for these two guys and Dear God have your Angels whispering in Peter's ear he will stay with us!

[4.1O dana super trac pak]

BTTT

[Jackie-O]

Thanks for the ping, trussell. Just logged on this weekend and checking for my prayer lists.
JP, hello. Please know that I will be adding my prayers to those of your Freeper family!

[JustPiper]

I am so sad tonight because the report on both these guys is not good -sigh-

Tom was throwing up all 4 days in SD. He could not eat, he was chauffered in a wheel chair and when he landed here tonight, my husband said Tom looks ravaged. His wife Vicky, btw my in-laws- are devout Christians, Mom prays everytime at church that a Freeper is in need, anyway Vicky said when her Tom's Dad was ravaged with Cancer, is how Tom is looking ;( Tom is only 48 years old. They drove him straight to the hospital. My husband said Anthony looks wonderful in uniform.

Onto our Peter.
From My Ei:
He'll probably be in the hospital a week . There'll be a tube to prevent his lung from collapsing. Had some inadequate nursing episodes today..I will be complaining to hospital administration. Biopsy is Monday late morning...results in 24 hours...I'll e-mail when I know something...
wiped out..

I told her if she needs me, somehow I will be there.

[JustPiper]

Jackie, I've missed you. I just posted an update.

[JustPiper]

Updates!

[JustPiper]

Updates!

[Jackie-O]

Morning JP. Just read your update, still praying for your guys!

[LadyDoc]

biopsy will find if it's Wegeneers.
http://www.angelfire.com/ga/wegeners/faq.html


http://www.niaid.nih.gov/factsheets/wegeners.htm

Treatment is high doses of prednisone, and other anti immune drugs, similar to how we treat severe Lupus or Rheumatoid arthritis.

Both cases I treated developed Renal failure, and one developed pulmonary problems...but I didn't diagnose either one: they developed kidney problems and then the Renal doc diagnosed it...

Because it can go into remission, the docs will pull out all the stops to keep the person alive, including a respirator and dialysis...



my prayers are with you

[Jackie-O]

Question:
My neighbor just finally is at the end of her illness..hoof and mouth disease. They went thru weeks of frustration trying to diagnose her. In the beginning docs told her she may have lupus.
She was extremely ill for a few months, severe joint pain, fatigue. Prednisone caused her to get a severe acne rash and tremendous weight gain.
Hoof and mouth is viral, yes? Do you know the medical term?

[JustPiper]

Latest Lady Doc

Peter

He'll probably be in the hospital a week . There'll be a tube to prevent his lung from collapsing. Had some inadequate nursing episodes today..I will be complaining to hospital administration. Biopsy is Monday late morning...results in 24 hours...I'll e-mail when I know something...
wiped out..

[appalachian_dweller]

Prayers on the way. Stay strong JP.

[LadyDoc]

Foot and mouth disease in humans from the animal foot and mouth disease is rare:
http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe/04/24/uk.slaughterman.02/

http://www.cdc.gov/foot_mouth.htm

there is a viral syndrome in humans called "hand foot and mouth" syndrome, where they get blisters on the hand foot and mouth. Its usually in kids and not serious. I've never heard of it lasting "months", andI never heard of a fatal case, but there were a few cases in Asia that resulted in a few children dying..., http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/hfmd.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/foot_mouth.htm

then there is an autoimmune syndrome that causes mouth blisters, Bechet's syndrome...which is sometimes called foot and mouth disease...
http://www.behcets.org.uk/

It's rare, and would cause joint pain, ulcers etc..I wonder if this is what she has, since it causes joint pain and has lasted a several months and they treated it with prednisone.

Prednisone causes weight gain, high blood sugar and sometimes emotional instability, but when there is an inflammation or ulcers, sometimes it is the only thing that works...

Sorry I can't help more

[Jackie-O]

Lady Doc, thanks for the info! I work for the school system and I am always interested in learning more about health care. I am exposed daily to potential bio-hazzards and am concerned about carrying anything home to my children.
I talked to my neighbor when I got home today and she said she had a disease called Cozackie-B. She was told by Docs that this is more common in children but by some fluke she got it. Her youngest had broken out in a rash one night and she asked me to come over to look at him to see if I thought it was chicken pox. It sure looked like it to me...many tiny blisters all over his torso.
But miraculously the cleared up in a day or so without bursting and crusting over.
That was key to her diagnosis. Docs said he must have picked it up, mildly and carried it home to her. She was very debilitated by it with severe joint pain and fatigue. I felt so bad for her, she has two very young children to care for..a wonderful person. She spent some time on the prednisone, but was always in good spirits, very loving an patient with her little ones. What a saint.
She is doing very well now, thank God.
Link to info on Coxackie-B
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/~mmb023/cbv/index_f.htm

[Jackie-O]

miraculously the=miraculously they

[Texas Termite]

We read the updates with such sorrow JP. Our hearts ache for these two men for the pain and suffering they are going through.

Please try and find comfort in the prayers that are being said for them, and for all of their family. We pray for relief from the pain, strength to endure the days ahead, and the miracle of healing for both.

Logan, Beth & Nana

[JustPiper]

Just got off the phone with Ei 1/2 hour ago. They were wheeling Peter out of his room for his lung biopsy this morning and the latest catscan showed his lungs had cleared up! Which makes little sense with Wegeners. So the lung surgeon came in after a consult with 3 Radiologists and Pete's Pulmonary Doctor and decided the following:

After comparing 3 CT Scans, they don't see enough granulation to do a lung biopsy. Because his kidneys aren't functioning, they've opted for a kidney biopsy Tues. Wegener's also attacks the kidneys...but, there may be other answers..only a tissue sample can tell.

And, unfortunately, his PSA test came back with an elevated number. The docs feel that since he had a PSA not too long ago, the possible cancer cells in the Prostate, are most likely minimal and isolated. Next, a Urologist gets involved.

So, it still may be Wegener's, but we won't know any more before Wed. The sooner we know, the sooner a plan of attack!

He got 2 pints of blood Saturday, and daily shots for something to boost his red cell count.

All fingers crossed, please....and any knees bent in prayer are greatly appreciated.
Back to the hospital... accepting www hugs!
Ei

Ei said she was overwhelmed by all of your prayers and feel's they are working. She does not feel in such 'dire straits' about Peter's life now.

(LadyDoc?) But mayhaps it is in reverse for Pete because his kidneys just are not functioning, so this morning he is getting a kidney biopsy instead.

Lady Doc, she also asked me if you may know what could be causing Peter not to produce the hormone needed for red cell production in his bone marrow? His count is 7.5?

Again, I thank all of you here and reiterated to Ei that Miracles do happen here with more frequency than is deemed Law of Average.

[LadyDoc]

Wegeners can cause kidney failure, sometimes reversible with medications...so this biopsy makes sense.

When the kidneys fail, they don't produce erythropoiten, a hormone that makes you produce red blood cells. Usually you produce enough to keep your blood count to about 7, but feel lousy, so they give you the hormone--either Procrit or another similar shot. The shots are about a thousand dollars a piece, and take a month to work, so they transfuse you in the meanwhile. If the kidneys recover, you don't need the shots.

The reason they need to find if it is wegeners is that you need to use different medicines depending on the cause. Wegener's responds to some "anti metabolites" which turn off or destroy the cells causing the immune system to attack normal tissue...(they use these same medicines to treat cancer, but in higher doses) they use these medicines to treat severe rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. But each "collagen" disease requires a different medicine, so they need a biopsy before such drastic treatment.

I'm not too worried about the high PSA prostate test...this is a screen for early cancer of the prostate, and is also high if you have a tube in your bladder or a prostate infection/irriation. If the PSA was normal a few months ago, it's probably ok--I've only had one patient where it went high quickly with an aggressive cancer; most of the time if it goes up quickly it means an infection...the Urologist will do a rectal examination, since the prostate is just inside the rectum, and if he feels a big, sore, boggy prostate, treat the infection...if he feels a nodule, he'll biopsy it later to see if it's cancer, and if there is no nodule, he'll say wait till the guy's better, and THEN we will ultrasound the prostate to see if there is a tiny nodule.

[JustPiper]

Lady Doc, you are absolutely invaluable and such a comfort to us here, thank you!

[JustPiper]

Thank you Dearheart! I copy every prayer, every wish to My Ei