Mike Kagerer

Hi Everyone,

I was so excited about Mike getting to Day +50 yesterday and then I didn’t get on the computer and blog because everything got a little later than i thought it would last night.

As you know if you have been following Mike’s story on this site that he was in the hospital for the last couple days.  He was to be released at 5:30 last night and I thought he’d be home around 7:30.  Well, Rick and Sally went to pick him up and it was I think after 9 when they arrived.  (It worked out weather wise since we had a storm roll through an hour earlier and it would have made things difficult for Mike to get into the house.)

So, by the time they got here and Mike got settled and all the meds were counted, taken and put into containers for today it was late and I went to bed never thinking about blogging.

Mike is home, a lot thinner since the fluids are off him, but he is extemely tired.  Hopsitals are not the place to rest believe me!  Especially on the BMT floor where they really need to monitor the patients closely.

Hopefully, today, we can get a shower in and have a relaxing day to rest.  Because tomorrow morning at 6:30am we need to be on our way to Ann Arbor for labs and clinic.

I’ll try and blog later today to let you all know how Mike’s day went today.

Keep the prayers rolling in and thanks for all of your support!
love, Ann

Hi Everyone,

Hope you are all doing well tonight. Mike is still in the hospital but doing much better. He walked 3 laps today which is a great improvement. Hopefully he’ll come home to Flint tomorrow.

I’m going to head to Flint tomorrow and then will go to Ann Arbor later in the day or when they release him from the hospital. Keep praying. I can’t believe that tomorrow we are half way to Day +100!

 love, Ann

Hi Everyone,

I am now home with my husband and boys.  Mike is in UofM Hospital for posible a couple days.  You need to read the previous post from 3:00 am this morning to get all the details.

His de-hydration was already turning around and his kidney functions were beginning to get back to the normal stage already this morning around 10am.  I stayed with Mike until 11am and then headed to Mom’s house in Flint.  I needed to drop off her car and then head back to Fowler.  I spent about an hour and a half with Mom and she is tired and hopefully will take this time to relax and catch up on some sleep. 

I will be at my home until Mike goes back to Mom’s place and then I’ll head over there and spend a few days.  We are scheduled to be in Ann Arbor at the clinic Wednesday morning at 7:00.  We’ll see if that schedule holds true.  I’m sure after this time in the hospital there will be med changes too.

Take care.  I am very tired so I’m signing off.  I haven’t been in college in 30 years and I just can’t pull those ‘all nighter’s’ anymore.

love, Ann

Hi Everyone,

Yes, I do have the time right.  Mike and I are at UofM Hospital tonight after he had two blackouts at home.  They were brief, he didn’t fall, he just blacked out and sat back down in the chair.  Mom called me at 6:20pm Saturday at my house (I had just gotten home at 2pm Sat. afternoon) and said that Mike had blacked out twice and that the on call BMT Doc said that he needed to be seen at UofM.  So I grabbed my stuff and headed back to Flint.  Chris, Sue and Ray were at the house and were going to take him but Mike wanted to wait until I got there.  When I arrived Ray and Sue loaded Mike up into mom’s car and he and I were off arriving at the hospital emergency around 9pm.  Chris stayed with Mom until I called so that she wouldn’t be alone! They took blood and determined that he was dehydrated from his rapid water weight loss the last few days.  His kidneys were calling out for help so Mike was admitted at 12:30am Sunday morning. 

At 2:30am his room was ready (this time with a view of the river ) and so we headed up to his room.  The nurse is asking some questions now so I headed to the lounge to post since I hadn’t posted last night and now it is Sunday.

I am staying the rest of the night with Mike in his room and then later I’ll head back to Flint to see Mom.  I may go home and spend tonight with my family. 

Hopefully, Mike will be home to Flint again on Monday.  I’ll let you all know.  Keep praying.  This is just a very minor setback for the long journey!!  His great news this week of no cancer in his bone marrow or lymph nodes is too wonderful to allow this to shadow it!!!

love and goodnight, Ann

Hi Everyone,

Well, all the good news yesterday and the long day at the clinic took its toll on Mike today – he slept a good part of the day.  Yesterday they did an infusion of Lasix at the clinic to help him get rid of some of the excess fluid – well believe me it worked!  He lost over 10 pounds overnight and peed out more than a gallon of fluid.  He looks 100% better.  The nurse had measured his calves at her last visit two days ago and the one was down 5cm.  His hands are beginning to look normal again.  He still was going most of the day today and so I’m sure he’ll be down some more lbs tomorrow.  We take his blood pressure often because with fluid loss at that rate it can be dangerous.  His BP has been fine so far.

I am heading home tomorrow for a couple nights but will be in close touch with Mike and Mom.  I even made mom take a nap today which was much needed.  This has been very hard on her, but she is taking care of herself too and hanging in there.  Just lots of commotion but she’s handling it!

I’ll write again tomorrow.  Hopefully Mike will be up and about again and feeling perkier.  Keep up the good work on the prayers – they are working and very much felt by us!

love, Ann

Hi Everyone,

MORE GREAT NEWS TODAY!  Mike’s Pet Scan came back clean.  NO CLL, NO Neo Plasm!!  See what all your support and prayers are doing!!  See what great blood Rick has!!

The Doc and PA were very pleased with Mike’s progress so far.  He needs to be up and moving a little more but after running to the hospital and spending 5.5 hours going to the lab, clinic, more labs and infusion, and then coming home and having to do his home infusion and all, he is TIRED!  He had to have an infusion of Lasix because the two meds he is taking at home weren’t helping him shed the water retention as quick as the Doc would like.  So between 2:15pm and 8:15pm tonight he almost peed out a whole gallon!!  Bet you all wanted to know that detail!

I told him for the next few days we can just hang out at home and do the home PT, some laps and maybe even something fun!  There are always puzzles to build, games to play, etc.

He doesn’t go back to UofM until next Wednesday morning.  Mike will have a nice few days to just do his home thing.  However, when Wednesday comes we need to be there at 7am so it will mean hitting the road at 5:30am.  But, we can do this.

Talk to you all tomorrow.
love, Ann

Hi Everyone and Happy Fourth of July!!

I headed out of Flint this morning and went to the DeWitt Pharmacy which Bruce’s cousin Pat owns and operates with his brother George.  Pat helped us out greatly with Mike’s meds.  Again, I will say how wonderful  it is to have so many pharmacists in our families who are willing to do whatever they can to help out!  God bless you all!  (Also, if you are ever in DeWitt Michigan, stop at the DeWitt Pharmacy in the downtown area – it has a great selection of candy bars, just ask my son Nick, greeting cards and all the other things you find at an old fashioned family business!!!  Let Pat and his family know how much you appreciate their help with Mike’s meds!!)

Mike got hopping today and was up and about more than he has been.  He even got on the computer and began answering the many emails that he has received over the past couple months.  He lost about 5 lbs since yesterday with the new meds for his water retention.  We are monitoring his blood pressure closely while he is on these meds.  We see his doc tomorrow so hopefully he will be pleased.  I’m sure there will be a slight change in his meds since they really don’t want him dropping more than a couple pounds a day. 

I’ll let you know tomorrow night how his clinic goes on Thursday.  Maybe the Pet-scan results will be in and there will be more good news!!  Thanks for all the prayers.  Hope you had a fun holiday!

love, Ann

Hi Everyone,

I am posting early today because we were on the road at 5:30am so it feels like bedtime to us!!  Great news today.  The +30 Day Bone Marrow Biopsy came back with good results – no CLL was found and no neoplasm (whatever that is)!!  It was good news and that’s all we care about at this time.  Don’t necessarily need to know all the technical stuff.  They will still have to look at the results of the Pet-scan from today to know if we are totally in the clear.  The doctors did say that Day +100 results are the official ones so we will still be doing our count up to Day 100! 

Mike did well today getting up at 4:30am and heading out.  We got home around 2:00.  He is doing well and trying to do his exercises but his legs and feet are still very water-logged!  We now need to wrap his legs with ace bandages and he is on another med to help reduce the fluids.  On Thursday we will head back to Ann Arbor for labs, clinic and an infusion there that should also help to bring the fluids down.

I’ll keep you posted!  But thanks for all the support and prayers.  We definitely see many great answers through the good results on his tests.

love, Ann

Hi everyone,

Well, Mike had a good day today.  He walked 4 times back and forth through the house, he did his PT with Julie who comes to the house, and he took a shower.  He is tired out tonight but that means getting to bed a little earlier – 9:30pm.  We have to leave the house by 5:30am to go to his appointments tomorrow in Ann Arbor.  Way to early for me to be up, but oh well, them’s the breaks!!

Mike’s legs and feet are still so full of fluid it is painful for me to watch him stand.  But, he is giving it his best shot by getting up throughout the day and trying to do some of his exercises.  I have to hand it to him because he is trying.

I’ll let you all know how tomorrow’s appointments and tests go.  Hopefully they can give us some hints about how to get the fluid moving a tad faster.

Talk to you tomorrow.  Thanks for the continuous prayers and support – it is what drives us these days.

love, Ann

Hi Everyone,

Well, I think today was better for Mike and Mom.  No runs to the hospital and such.  Mom said that Mike got up this morning and did all his morning routine before breakfast without a hitch.  Sue came into town and helped Mom with the Infusion. 

Mike is having a very bad time with having way too much fluid buildup in his legs feet and hands.  He is on Lasix but they have doubled his daily dose and he is still not getting rid of the fluid.  He is actually leaking fluid through his skin and through his wound from his bone marrow transplant.  I think on Tuesday we’ll be addressing this issue with Dr. Yanik and his crew. 

I am heading to Flint in the morning with my oldest son, Nick.  he will help Grandma Tanny out while I attend to Mike and take him to Ann Arbor on Tuesday.  I did suggest to Mom that she should get out tomorrow afternoon and evening with friends to get a little break!  She has been home with Mike nonstop.

I’ll blog tomorrow night after I have hung around with Mike for the day and see first hand how he is doing. 

Keep praying!!

love, Ann