Dear Friends,
I visited Jackie, Carol and Tom earlier this afternoon and they are doing well. Jackie was a little tired and weak, but that didn't stop her from joking around and having an ever-present smile on her face.
Jackie was at the hospital for what she said seemed like forever yesterday for the transfusion, and she seemed comfortable wrapped up in a blanket on couch today. But it seemed like a take-a-nap-and-read-a-book weather anyhow...
All three now have a gmail account and will be blogging about Jackie's progress and life in general as soon as tomorrow. I know that Carol had some information about the upcoming Light the Night event in which the family is taking part. In the meantime, you can find more information about the event here.
When I left their home to go into work today, I left some DVDs for Jackie's viewing pleasure. I figured if anything can cheer someone up, it would be the best of skits from Saturday Night Live's Chris Farley and Will Farrell (Jackie, you'll have to let me know if you thought the cowbell scene was as funny as I did...)
So check back tomorrow and formally welcome Jackie, Carol and Tom to the blogosphere!
Talk to you soon,
amanda
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Saturday, September 27, 2008
The best-laid plans of mice and men...
...often go awry. Because this week was supposed to be a hospital-free one.
But then Jackie needed a platelet transfusion. And then there was a blood blister. Then there was another platelet transfusion. Today there was a blood transfusion.
It wasn't so long ago that Jackie's oncologist, Dr. Ritchey of Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh, sat mother and daughter down to give them a treatment forecast.
He was frank – one of the qualities Carol said she likes most about the man who's helped treat Jackie since her first battle with the childhood cancer. He told them then that the next four weeks should be relatively hospital free. There would be no chemo scheduled; just the twice-weekly blood tests to check her red and white counts.
But after that, he warned, there would be a year of more intense chemotherapy. Carol said such treatment is typical in cases where ALL has resurfaced, but that doesn't make it any easier.
--AG
PS -- Carol found out from doctors that infection can be present without fever (thanks for the input, Renee). And if you want to find out more about what happens during a blood transfusion, click here .
But then Jackie needed a platelet transfusion. And then there was a blood blister. Then there was another platelet transfusion. Today there was a blood transfusion.
It wasn't so long ago that Jackie's oncologist, Dr. Ritchey of Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh, sat mother and daughter down to give them a treatment forecast.
He was frank – one of the qualities Carol said she likes most about the man who's helped treat Jackie since her first battle with the childhood cancer. He told them then that the next four weeks should be relatively hospital free. There would be no chemo scheduled; just the twice-weekly blood tests to check her red and white counts.
But after that, he warned, there would be a year of more intense chemotherapy. Carol said such treatment is typical in cases where ALL has resurfaced, but that doesn't make it any easier.
--AG
PS -- Carol found out from doctors that infection can be present without fever (thanks for the input, Renee). And if you want to find out more about what happens during a blood transfusion, click here .
Friday, September 26, 2008
A blood blister and more platelets
Good morning,
I just spoke with Carol, who confirmed what I had feared: It wasn't an easy week for Jackie. After receiving a platelet transfusion on Tuesday at Children's Hospital she was able to go home.
Jackie had developed a blood blister inside her mouth that was the size of a 50-cent piece. Carol described it as a "bruise filled with blood" and said her daughter has had them before. It's a side effect of the chemotherapy, she said.
Although the platelet transfusion helped the blood blister clot, shrinking the mass to the size of a pea, it became painful Wednesday – causing another stay at the hospital.
Carol is taking Jackie back to Children's Hospital for another platelet transfusion this morning. She hopes the pair will be back in their Canonsburg home sometime this evening.
At this point, Jackie has not developed a fever, which is indicative of an infection. What Carol wants to know is whether leukemia patients may have an infection without a fever.
The Observer-Reporter's Web Guru, Moe, and I will be visiting the Gordon family to get Carol and the gang familiar with Blogger. After that, expect updates from the family. In the meantime, they are checking this blog periodically and say they greatly appreciate all the thoughts and prayers.
Thanks for reading – we'll keep you posted.
-amanda
I just spoke with Carol, who confirmed what I had feared: It wasn't an easy week for Jackie. After receiving a platelet transfusion on Tuesday at Children's Hospital she was able to go home.
Jackie had developed a blood blister inside her mouth that was the size of a 50-cent piece. Carol described it as a "bruise filled with blood" and said her daughter has had them before. It's a side effect of the chemotherapy, she said.
Although the platelet transfusion helped the blood blister clot, shrinking the mass to the size of a pea, it became painful Wednesday – causing another stay at the hospital.
Carol is taking Jackie back to Children's Hospital for another platelet transfusion this morning. She hopes the pair will be back in their Canonsburg home sometime this evening.
At this point, Jackie has not developed a fever, which is indicative of an infection. What Carol wants to know is whether leukemia patients may have an infection without a fever.
The Observer-Reporter's Web Guru, Moe, and I will be visiting the Gordon family to get Carol and the gang familiar with Blogger. After that, expect updates from the family. In the meantime, they are checking this blog periodically and say they greatly appreciate all the thoughts and prayers.
Thanks for reading – we'll keep you posted.
-amanda
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Bradford House holiday fundraiser for ACS
Hello, friends. I just wanted to give everyone the skinny on an upcoming fundraiser to benefit the American Cancer Society. Local artist James M. Sulkowski painted an original work titled, "Holiday Time at the Bradford House - 1790." The work has been printed on holiday cards, which cost $22.50 per box. A print costs $75.The items will be available Oct. 1 through Jan. 31.
For more information, contact Margaret Smith at 888-227-5445
For more information, contact Margaret Smith at 888-227-5445
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Just a short stay
Hi, everyone! I wanted to let everyone know that a scheduled blood test Monday afternoon revealed that Jackie has a low platelet count. When I spoke with Carol last night, she said that she and Jackie would be headed to Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh this morning to get a platelet infusion. She wasn't yet sure if a blood
transfusion would also be needed.
I expect a call from the Gordon family sometime today, and will update you all once I know more. In the meantime, I have included some information from the American Cancer Society about the procedures and why they are needed.
Keep checking back! Talk to you soon!
-amanda
Why Cancer Patients Might Need Blood Transfusions
Blood product transfusions are used to replace important components of the blood when there are not enough in the body, either because they are not being made or because they have been lost. There are many possible reasons people might need blood product transfusions, such as major bleeding (due to trauma or surgery) or diseases and treatments that slow production of blood cells.
People with cancer might need blood transfusions because of the cancer itself. For example:
* Some cancers (especially digestive system cancers) can cause internal bleeding, which can lead to anemia (too few red blood cells).
* Cancers that start in the bone marrow (such as leukemias) or that spread there from other places may crowd out the normal blood-making cells, leading to low blood counts.
* People who have had cancer for some time may develop what is known as "anemia of chronic disease."
* Cancer can also lower blood counts in other ways by affecting organs such as the kidneys and spleen, which are involved in keeping enough cells in the blood.
Cancer treatments may also lead to the need for blood transfusions:
* Surgery to treat cancer is often a major operation, and blood loss may require red blood cell or platelet transfusions.
* Most chemotherapy drugs affect cells in the bone marrow. This commonly leads to low levels of white blood cells and platelets, which can sometimes put a person at risk for life-threatening infections or bleeding.
Red blood cell transfusions
People who have low red blood cell (RBC) counts are said to have anemia. People who have anemia for any of the reasons above may need RBC transfusions because they don't have enough RBCs to carry oxygen to all of the cells in the body. Signs and symptoms of severe anemia can include paleness of the mouth, skin, and nail beds, dizziness, and shortness of breath.
Doctors check for and measure the severity of anemia by doing the following blood tests:
* Hemoglobin (Hb) is the substance that carries oxygen inside RBCs. A normal hemoglobin count is about 14 to 18 grams per deciliter (g/dL) in men and about 12 to 16 g/dL in women. (Some labs may use slightly different values for normal.)
* Hematocrit (Hct) is the percentage of blood made up of cells (as opposed to plasma). This is normally about 40% to 54% in men and about 37% to 47% in women. Again, this may vary slightly between labs.
* Other tests may look at the number, size, or shape of the RBCs to give doctors a better idea as to the possible causes of anemia.
Not all patients with anemia need blood transfusions. Whether you may need a transfusion depends on many factors, such as how long it took for the anemia to develop and how well your body is able to cope with it. Anemia due to a sudden loss of blood will probably need to be corrected right away. Anemia that develops slowly is less likely to cause problems, as the body has time to adjust to it to some extent. If your hemoglobin level is lower than normal but you are not dizzy, pale, or short of breath, you may not need a transfusion.
Patients who have certain heart or lung diseases may need transfusions even if their hemoglobin level is not very low because they are more sensitive to the effects of anemia. Other conditions that increase the need for oxygen may also require transfusions.
Platelet Transfusions:
Even when a cancer patient needs treatment for anemia, some may not need a transfusion. Erythropoietin is the chemical normally made by the kidneys that causes the bone marrow to make its own red blood cells. Man-made versions of this chemical, such as epoetin (Procrit, Epogen) and darbepoetin (Aranesp) can be given as injections. One of these drugs can sometimes be used instead of a red blood cell transfusion to patients whose chemotherapy is not expected to cure them. These medicines do not pose some of the risks of a transfusion (see below), but they do have their own risks. They are also expensive. These drugs don't work very quickly, so they can only be used if the need to raise the red blood cell levels is not urgent. It can take several weeks before these drugs increase the red blood count.
Cancer patients may require transfusions of platelets if their bone marrow is not making enough. This happens when platelet-producing bone marrow cells are damaged by chemotherapy or radiation therapy or when they are crowded out of the bone marrow by cancer cells.
A normal platelet count is about 150,000 to 400,000 platelets per cubic millimeter (mm3). When platelet counts drop below a certain level (often 20,000/mm3), a patient is at risk for dangerous bleeding. Doctors may think about giving a platelet transfusion when the platelet count drops to this level, or even at higher levels if a patient may be at risk of bleeding because of surgery.
If there are no signs of bleeding, a platelet transfusion may not be needed even if the platelet count is low.
Currently there is one drug, known as interleukin-11 (oprelvekin, Neumega), that doctors can give to help raise platelet counts without transfusion, but it does not work right away and is not widely used at this time.
transfusion would also be needed.
I expect a call from the Gordon family sometime today, and will update you all once I know more. In the meantime, I have included some information from the American Cancer Society about the procedures and why they are needed.
Keep checking back! Talk to you soon!
-amanda
Why Cancer Patients Might Need Blood Transfusions
Blood product transfusions are used to replace important components of the blood when there are not enough in the body, either because they are not being made or because they have been lost. There are many possible reasons people might need blood product transfusions, such as major bleeding (due to trauma or surgery) or diseases and treatments that slow production of blood cells.
People with cancer might need blood transfusions because of the cancer itself. For example:
* Some cancers (especially digestive system cancers) can cause internal bleeding, which can lead to anemia (too few red blood cells).
* Cancers that start in the bone marrow (such as leukemias) or that spread there from other places may crowd out the normal blood-making cells, leading to low blood counts.
* People who have had cancer for some time may develop what is known as "anemia of chronic disease."
* Cancer can also lower blood counts in other ways by affecting organs such as the kidneys and spleen, which are involved in keeping enough cells in the blood.
Cancer treatments may also lead to the need for blood transfusions:
* Surgery to treat cancer is often a major operation, and blood loss may require red blood cell or platelet transfusions.
* Most chemotherapy drugs affect cells in the bone marrow. This commonly leads to low levels of white blood cells and platelets, which can sometimes put a person at risk for life-threatening infections or bleeding.
Red blood cell transfusions
People who have low red blood cell (RBC) counts are said to have anemia. People who have anemia for any of the reasons above may need RBC transfusions because they don't have enough RBCs to carry oxygen to all of the cells in the body. Signs and symptoms of severe anemia can include paleness of the mouth, skin, and nail beds, dizziness, and shortness of breath.
Doctors check for and measure the severity of anemia by doing the following blood tests:
* Hemoglobin (Hb) is the substance that carries oxygen inside RBCs. A normal hemoglobin count is about 14 to 18 grams per deciliter (g/dL) in men and about 12 to 16 g/dL in women. (Some labs may use slightly different values for normal.)
* Hematocrit (Hct) is the percentage of blood made up of cells (as opposed to plasma). This is normally about 40% to 54% in men and about 37% to 47% in women. Again, this may vary slightly between labs.
* Other tests may look at the number, size, or shape of the RBCs to give doctors a better idea as to the possible causes of anemia.
Not all patients with anemia need blood transfusions. Whether you may need a transfusion depends on many factors, such as how long it took for the anemia to develop and how well your body is able to cope with it. Anemia due to a sudden loss of blood will probably need to be corrected right away. Anemia that develops slowly is less likely to cause problems, as the body has time to adjust to it to some extent. If your hemoglobin level is lower than normal but you are not dizzy, pale, or short of breath, you may not need a transfusion.
Patients who have certain heart or lung diseases may need transfusions even if their hemoglobin level is not very low because they are more sensitive to the effects of anemia. Other conditions that increase the need for oxygen may also require transfusions.
Platelet Transfusions:
Even when a cancer patient needs treatment for anemia, some may not need a transfusion. Erythropoietin is the chemical normally made by the kidneys that causes the bone marrow to make its own red blood cells. Man-made versions of this chemical, such as epoetin (Procrit, Epogen) and darbepoetin (Aranesp) can be given as injections. One of these drugs can sometimes be used instead of a red blood cell transfusion to patients whose chemotherapy is not expected to cure them. These medicines do not pose some of the risks of a transfusion (see below), but they do have their own risks. They are also expensive. These drugs don't work very quickly, so they can only be used if the need to raise the red blood cell levels is not urgent. It can take several weeks before these drugs increase the red blood count.
Cancer patients may require transfusions of platelets if their bone marrow is not making enough. This happens when platelet-producing bone marrow cells are damaged by chemotherapy or radiation therapy or when they are crowded out of the bone marrow by cancer cells.
A normal platelet count is about 150,000 to 400,000 platelets per cubic millimeter (mm3). When platelet counts drop below a certain level (often 20,000/mm3), a patient is at risk for dangerous bleeding. Doctors may think about giving a platelet transfusion when the platelet count drops to this level, or even at higher levels if a patient may be at risk of bleeding because of surgery.
If there are no signs of bleeding, a platelet transfusion may not be needed even if the platelet count is low.
Currently there is one drug, known as interleukin-11 (oprelvekin, Neumega), that doctors can give to help raise platelet counts without transfusion, but it does not work right away and is not widely used at this time.
Monday, September 22, 2008
An update from the newsroom
Dear Friends,
Please let me thank you, first off, for your warm response to both Jackie's story, and this blog. I'll be posting regularly from the newsroom, and we are working to get the Gordon family acclimated to life online. Within the next few days, I hope to have Jackie and Carol posting and interacting with all of you. The Observer-Reporter's photographer Jim McNutt will also be working with us to provide video diaries, shout-outs and other informative video footage.
As much as this blog is going to chronicle Jackie's second battle with ALL, I hope it will also become a resource for those fighting cancer, as well as their friends and family. Please stay tuned for a list of links and resources, as well as cancer treatment news.
Most of all, I hope this blog will serve as a place where Jackie, her parents, friends, and others can come together and talk about their lives, their battles and successes. As the Gordon family opens their hearts and lives to you, I want to encourage you to do the same.
If you would like to be a guest blogger, or have an idea about how to improve this page, please let me know. My name is Amanda Gillooly and I am a staff writer here. You can reach me in the office at 724.222.2200 x2425 or by dropping me a line at agillooly@observer-reporter.com.
Thanks for reading, and caring. I'll be talking with you again soon!
Warmest Regards,
Amanda Gillooly
Please let me thank you, first off, for your warm response to both Jackie's story, and this blog. I'll be posting regularly from the newsroom, and we are working to get the Gordon family acclimated to life online. Within the next few days, I hope to have Jackie and Carol posting and interacting with all of you. The Observer-Reporter's photographer Jim McNutt will also be working with us to provide video diaries, shout-outs and other informative video footage.
As much as this blog is going to chronicle Jackie's second battle with ALL, I hope it will also become a resource for those fighting cancer, as well as their friends and family. Please stay tuned for a list of links and resources, as well as cancer treatment news.
Most of all, I hope this blog will serve as a place where Jackie, her parents, friends, and others can come together and talk about their lives, their battles and successes. As the Gordon family opens their hearts and lives to you, I want to encourage you to do the same.
If you would like to be a guest blogger, or have an idea about how to improve this page, please let me know. My name is Amanda Gillooly and I am a staff writer here. You can reach me in the office at 724.222.2200 x2425 or by dropping me a line at agillooly@observer-reporter.com.
Thanks for reading, and caring. I'll be talking with you again soon!
Warmest Regards,
Amanda Gillooly
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Date with an Olympian
By Amanda Gillooly
Jackie told her mom that she was never going to wash her cheek again. But then, that’s what happens when an Olympic gold medallists stops by to say hello and give you a little peck.
In some sort of strange but minor hair-cutting incident, Kurt Angle had to take his son to Children’s Hospital, when Jackie was undergoing chemotherapy a few weeks back. Jackie’s dad, Tom ran into the wrestler serendipitously and some polite conversation ensued.
Tom asked why Angle had occasion to be at the hospital, and when it was Tom’s turn to talk, he told the man how he and his daughter used to love his wrestle, and that the 16-year-old girl would be thrilled if he would be able to stop in to say hello.
Angle quickly obliged, peaking into her hospital room and quickly breaking the ice.
Carol, Jackie’s mom, said he was a charming man, immediately pointing to his own bald head and remarking that he and the girl had the same haircut. And instead of letting Carol snap a few pictures and bow out gracefully, he opted to stay for about a half-hour.
Jackie, Carol said, was over the moon. Angle, she said, had tears in his eyes as he finally made his exit.
“He was polite – such a gentleman,” Carol said.
Jackie then whipped out her cell phone to reveal the picture her mom took. Both she and Angle wore jubilant smiles. Jackie said how awesome it was to meet him. Carol remarked how the picture just didn't do him justice.
For Jackie, it was, by far, the sunniest part of a lengthy and painful hospital visit.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
From the admin
Welcome to Jacqueline's Journey. We hope to educate and inspire readers as we follow Jacqueline's battle with cancer. Please stop back for updates.
Thank you!
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