The Start of Our Life-Changing Journey

21 April 2008, a day I will never forget.

My husband AC was diagnosed with CML (Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia) on Monday, 21 April 2008 by our dear friend, Trevor From, M.D. AC hadn't felt well for several weeks thinking it must be a bad case of the flu. After traveling to Houston for Mimi and Scott's new baby's baptism and his only getting worse by the minute, I insisted he see our friend and AC called the office and was seen very quickly.

Trevor saw him, drew blood, then shortly diagnosed him. What a shock! We sat there in disbelief. He said that was all he could tell us, it was not his specialty, and asked AC which oncologist he wanted to take care of him. I think that is when it hit me over the head, hard. Oncologist? What? A cancer doctor? Are you kidding me? This isn't happening... just kept running through my head.

Trevor immediately admitted him to AC's own hospital, Rapides Regional, where he underwent tests for several days. AC started swelling up, his legs, his stomach, his arms, everything just got huge. They said his spleen was 3 times its normal size, his blood pressure was getting higher and he would not each much of anything. It turns out, he doesn't remember much of anything, either. He acted coherant, but 10 minutes later he wouldn't remember a conversation he had just had.

It was only when on about the 3rd day (I don't remember details like dates very well during this time) my rector, Fr. Fred insisted I talk with the oncologist about moving him to MD Anderson in Houston, that I even had the sense to do it. I finally talked to AC's COO Cheryl Wilson and an RN that I adore, Beverly Lowentritt, who counseled me and said they would set up a conversation for me with the oncologist. Apparently they talked to him at length, he walked in and said "I think we need to transfer him to MD Anderson".

That next Friday they transported AC by ambulance, he was too sick and swollen with edema to fly on his back in a fixed-wing aircraft (plane or helicopter) so a dear friend, Bulldog (John) went with him because I had to stay and wait for my daughter Shannon and my sister Carolyn to arrive at the airport that afternoon and evening.