Dear Family and Friends,
After reviewing what I sent you last time, I realize I did a horrible job. A recap is in order, especially since many of you have asked if it is appropriate to forward my correspondence to others—which it is. My “Friends and Family” recipient list is multiplying rapidly due to your efforts. Thanks for letting me know of others who have an interest in our journey. Also, thank you for the many kind thoughts you have sent to us. I read each message to Nancy, though only when she is asleep.
Why when she is asleep, you might wonder?
Two reasons.
First, Nancy’s body is working so hard to fight the leukemia that she naps just about all the time. She falls asleep in the middle of our conversations, and she has not stayed awake for an entire TV show even if it is only a half hour in length.
Second, and more importantly, Nancy has never liked being the focus of attention. She doesn’t quite approve yet of me writing you because she has difficulty with fuss from others. When she finally comes around, I will reread each and every one of your kind thoughts during an alert period. Like me, she will be overwhelmed. And she greatly appreciates your notes and prayers.
So, the recap:
As many of you are aware, about two months ago Nancy ended her furlough from American Airlines and returned to work as a flight attendant for ASA (Atlantic Southeast Airlines), a Delta Airlines affiliate. ASA has a Salt Lake City flight attendant base. For the first time in thirty-three years, Nancy didn’t have to commute for her job to another city like she did with TWA before it was absorbed by American.
On day one of the three-day trip she was working before her hospitalization, she developed a nosebleed that started and then stopped spontaneously. However, on day two she experienced another bloody nose that didn’t stop as easily. By day three of the trip, she had developed a rash, bruising, and a high fever. She went directly to the hospital from the airport when she arrived home two nights ago. She was feeling so sick that when she arrived at the emergency room, she left her car at the entrance because she didn’t possess the strength to park and walk back from the lot.
The ER doctor took one look at Nancy, drew some blood, and immediately called a hematologist in to consult. Nancy’s blood count was completely out of whack. Her white blood cell count, at 89,000, was more than ten times the normal count because immature cancer cells or “blasts” had been released “early” into her peripheral blood stream from her bone marrow. The white blood-making cells in the bone marrow where the cancer resides have squeezed out the parent cells that normally make platelets. Since platelets are integral in preventing bleeding, her lack of the platelets explains her nosebleeds and bruises. The same cancerous white cells in the bone marrow also impinge on her ability to produce red cells, leading to her anemia. Additionally, Nancy “presented,” or arrived, with a high fever, raising the specter of a systemic infection.
Much to my astonishment and the surprise of the doctors, Nancy had absolutely no symptoms until the three days when she was on her overnight trip. Though I was shocked at how sick she appeared when I first saw her, I was completely taken aback when her hematologist, Dr. Morton, told me not only that he suspected that blood cancer leukemia was Nancy’s diagnosis but also that her disease was at an advanced stage.
“How could she get so sick so quickly?”
“It happens,” he replied simply.
Dr. Morton has indicated that we were extremely lucky to get her to the hospital before she developed a significant bleeding problem or contracted a serious infection in her brain or another vital organ. With her blood count so far off and her immunity so compromised, either of these events could have caused Nancy’s immediate demise. But so far, so good. After exhaustive testing, Nancy has no signs of major bleeding and no evidence of serious infection.
In contrast to the good news about life-threatening infections and bleeding, Dr. Morton has expressed pessimism going forward. He has told me her very high blood count numbers and the rapidity of the illness reveal an aggressive disease. He says that fighting blood cancer is much more of a challenge for someone at fifty-seven, like Nancy, than it would be for someone who was twenty-seven. When he presented his summary to me, I nearly collapsed to the floor. He isn’t certain he can get ahead of her disease. He isn’t sure Nancy will survive a full week.
I don’t know if it is possible for me to describe how his prognosis makes me feel. However, your many kind replies have buoyed my spirits more than I can yet express.
Summary: When Nancy arrived at the hospital three days ago, the doctor thought her death was imminent.
So much love,
Winnie