Mike Kagerer

Hi Everyone,

Notice that I put a “+â€? sign in front of the number 20 today. Mike’s fever that was 103 yesterday is down to 97 today, his rash is going away and his throat is feeling much better.  He is still receiving his nutrition through IV’s at this time.  When I told our nephew Stephen he said “Alleluiaâ€?! And that is right so I added the plus sign to signify another step forward in this long healing process.

Mom and Sally (Rick’s wife) went to see Mike today. I bet they found him in better shape since he is turning the corner on some of the side effects!! Also, Mike said that he walked 4 laps during their visit and that mom walked 3.5 with him! You go boy!

I was so glad to hear him sounding better. I am going to try and go see him later this week and hopefully he’ll continue improving. See how your thoughts and prayers are working!! Thanks once again for all of your continued support!

Love, Ann

Hi Everyone,

I know, I know – I had May 8th on the site last night.  Thanks Joe for changing it for me.  I really do not want to turn the clock back because then we’d be waiting for all of this to start again and believe me Mike doesn’t want to do this again!!!!

He does have Graft vs Host.  He broke out in a rash.  He is very tired and slept most of the day.  He did walk 3 laps last night and I told him that we are very proud of all the efforts he makes!!

I only talked to him for a few minutes because you could hear how tired he is.  Mom is going to see him tomorrow.  Keep up the prayers!!!  They just lift us all up.

love, Ann

Hi Everyone,

Well, Barb and I and the boys headed to see Uncle Mike today.  We saw him off and on in the afternoon in between, x-rays, showers, etc.  I think he was really glad to see the boys.  He is still in a low spot.  His counts are still on the rise but he is developing a rash and it may be Graft versus Host which can have a bunch of different side effects.  They are doing Cat Scans to keep an eye on the rash and his mouth and throat sores.  He also has a fever and today it was 102. which is something that they have to watch carefully.  They are doing chest x-rays for that.

So, it was a rough day for Mike, the boys handled everthing just fine even though are visits were in short spurts.

Thanks for all of your support – it is just holding us all up during this time.

love, Ann

Hi All,

I talked to Mike this morning and he was off to a bad start again. Threw up blood this morning, can’t eat, and had to get platelets again (2 bags). Just not a great day! L

I was very pleased to hear the he did walk 4 laps last night. “You go boy!� He was really fighting mom and the nurses about walking yesterday so I am glad that he finally got himself together and did it. He needs to move a little and get out of his room. It is hard though being stuck in the same room on the same unit and all.

I talked to Mike again this evening. Still not a great day. I don’t think he walked because he was getting platelets and wasn’t aloud out of bed. Tomorrow, Barb and I and our boys will head to see him and that should pick him up a bit. He hasn’t seen his Alaska relatives since April.

Keep up the prayers.

Love, Ann

Hi Everyone,

I know I posted this morning after I talked to Mike.  Well, I just talked to mom who went to visit him today.  It was a very negative day.  Mike is just having a hard time and doesn’t want to be cooped up in his room in the unit!!!  Anyway, lots of people tried to talk to him but he just wasn’t able to connect today.  I am hopeful that he will take some meds to help even out his emotions for a while.  I (and his Social Worker and others) think that it would help.  He has always been one to not want to take meds!  But hey, sometimes you need to to get through the rough spots!

So, Prayer Warriors, please throw in a few extra prayers for Mike.  He just needs a little boost.  I am going to try and go down again on Friday with Aunt Barbara (John’s wife) Stephen, Andrew (John’s kids) and Aaron (my kid) to see old Uncle Mike who is now very bald!!

Thanks again for the extra prayers – as if you aren’t already getting sore knees!

love, Ann

 

9:49a.m. 

Hi Everyone,

Yes you probably noticed that I didn’t post on Day 15^th. No, nothing bad happened to Mike. I just happened to be really tied up yesterday with family things.

So, I talked to Mike this morning. The first thing he told me is that his hair is almost all gone.  But, his mustach is still there! They sent a Doctor in yesterday to talk to him about the mental/emotional stuff and he left quite quickly when he learned that Mike doesn’t have drug insurance. Then another one came in and talked to him some. So, hopefully someone will be able to talk to him and help him sort through his feelings during this rough period.

He did walk 5 laps yesterday in the unit which was the challenge that Nick and I left for him on Monday when we visited. So that was great.

Mike is still having a really hard time eating and drinking – his throat is still messed up. They did another Cat Scan and are keeping a close eye on him. It seems to be all part of what happens after a BMT. Fun, fun!!

Mom is going today for a visit and then I’ll talk to her tonight and see if he had some improvements.

Love, Ann

10:29p.m.

Hi Everyone,

Well, my son Nick and I went to see Uncle Mike today. He was pretty down but I think that having Nick there really helped boost his spirits. We got to Ann Arbor about 12:30pm and I thought we’d leave by 3pm but we never left until 5:30. It was a long day and we drove through two terrible rain storms on the way home but we got home safe!!

We did get Mike to go out and walk the unit. He walked two times around with both of us and then he and Nick walked two more times. When we returned to his room there was a canvas bag on his bed that had wonderful art supplies in it. Mike and I talked about why he quit being an artist years ago and why it would be great if he could once again use his wonderful talents!! Just for a creative outlet. Please pray that he will use the supplies – he seemed interested.

His hair is coming out now and so I combed it for a long time today to help get all the loose hair out. I wish I would have brought my clippers but I didn’t so if he still has some hair next visit I’ll take them along.

Mike, Nick and I had a good day today. We read his cards and laughed and talked. I was so glad that he seemed to feel better as the day went on. The nurses thanked Nick and me for coming and for what we did for Mike. We just did that family thing!!! That’s what’s most important.

Well, I am very tired and am going to bed. Nick has to be up again tomorrow morning to go milk cows at 5:30am. He’s going to be tired.

Take care and keep up the prayers. Thank you all soooooo much!

Love, Ann

8:15p.m.

Hi Everyone,

We are back from our weekend away and I talked to Mike for a good half hour. His day started out rough this morning. He is dealing with some depression but is talking to his nurse and Doctor about it. He even went to a painting session across the hall from his room. He said that another nurse came and told him that they were painting ‘worry boxes’ and that she thought he might like to join them. He wasn’t real sure that he wanted too but then she said that his nurse had told her he was having a rough day. So, he went and painted a box. He said it was pretty cool. Of course his box has the color green on it! That is Mike’s favorite color you know!

Anyway, he sounded better tonight although his Doctor is coming in in the morning to talk with him some more. I told him that even though we are all supporting him throughout this whole ordeal he is still the one who has to go through it and that is the tough part. We can’t do it for him. I think that he has done amazingly well considering how bad it has been. Mom did say that now his hair is starting to come out, which they told us would happen. That in itself can be a depressing experience.

Well, I am hoping to go to Ann Arbor tomorrow after I teach my morning class. Bruce may go with me if he isn’t trucking. Or, if his trucking job is ready early I may ride with him and then we’ll just take the truck to the hospital. Mom found out that there is a place to park a big truck (2 ton, 16 ft. box) near the hospital. So, we’ll see in the morning.

I’ll let you know how it goes tomorrow night. Thanks again for all of your love and support. You are all wonderful. You are holding Mike and all of us up and it is greatly appreciated!  Oh and yes, my brother Joe and I do have different posting styles!! 

Love, Ann

Additional Note:  I forgot to tell you all that Friday night when I talked to Mike I read to him all of the notes and comments from the website that people have sent him and our family.  I think he was overwhelmed but in a very positive way!!!  He really appreciated all of them.  I’ll continue to read them to him as they come in and I am also saving them to print out for him at a future date.

Posted by Joe:
I just spoke to Mike & Mom. Mike sounded very good to me. You may notice Ann & I have a slightly different style of posting, here’s the lowdown (in no particular order):

1. Mom & our friend Sue Peake are visiting today.
2. They took him off the Morphine drip, now he’s using the pill form as they ween him off the drug. He wouldn’t save me any…
3. They are trying to get the Mucositis (sores in his mouth and throat) cleared up. According to Wikipedia, Mucositis occurs in 40% of chemo patients.  Mucositis Info on Wikipedia 
4. His new rounds doctor came in today, Dr Oleg.
5. The results from Friday’s CAT scan of his mouth and throat were good.
6. He’s had LOTS of tests today, he’s participating in two cancer studies.
7. His nurses are still real fine… …oh I mean treating him very well.
8. Still not able to eat much. (see Item #2) He had a Vanilla flavored Boost® Energy Drink and orange style gelatin substance for lunch today.

As I said, Mike sounded good. He is very appreciative of all the notes, cards, prayers, etc from everyone.  Thank You all for following and supporting Mike.

Hi Everyone,

With a new month beginning Mike’s blood counts are beginning to go up which means that engraftment has begun.  Hopefully this means that he will start to feel better soon.

I just talked to him for quite a while and he had just come back from a Cat Scan.  He has an IV in and they need to leave it in his arm until tomorrow.  It is bugging him but with everything else going on he’s being a trooper about it.  He still has a lot of sores in his throat and mouth and they really hurt.  He can’t swallow very well yet and still isn’t eating or drinking.  The nurses are keeping him hydrated and nurished so no need to worry.

It was just so good to actually talk for a while.  I told him that I am going to visit him on Monday.  There is a BMT Support Group in the afternoon and I am hopeful that Mike will go with me to that meeting.  We’ll see.  Mom is going to go see him on Sunday.  After that, it is hard to tell when I’ll go again because they may actually spring him from the hospital and send him to mom’s house in Flint sometime next week.

Our sister-in-law Barb,who is John’s wife, and their boys Stephen and Andrew are coming to Michigan around June 6th for about 10 days.  They are from Alaska and it is John’s shop where Mike works.  Anyway, I’m sure we’ll be going to see ‘Uncle Mike’ while they are here.

I, and my family, will be gone tomorrow to an Ordination of a friend of ours to the Priesthood.  I will post again on Sunday when I get home.  Hopefully, Joe, our California brother and the creator of this blog, will post on Saturday to keep you all up-to-date.

Keep up being Prayer Warriors!!! It is working.
love, Ann