Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Posted by Shirley Casey at 1:16 PM 0 comments
Labels: Good News
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Today's Doctor Appointment...
Well, there is not too much to report after today's doctor appointment. Blake's creatinine is still around a 2 and his protein has gone down. The doctor has decided that he wants to monitor Blake for 2 weeks and they will go from there. So, now we just wait.
I will keep you posted. Please pray that his protein levels continue to drop, and pray that his creatinine will even out after his body has calmed down from the Retuxin treatment.
Posted by Shirley Casey at 8:18 PM 2 comments
Friday, October 10, 2008
Update...
I just got off the phone with my mom and they are heading home from the hospital. Blake had his biopsy and everything went well. The results came back showing that there were not any rejection cells. Praise the Lord!
The reason the doctor wanted to do the biopsy was because his labs showed that his creatinine had gone up to a 2.?something. This is not dangerously high but it is higher than it has been so they just needed to be sure he wasn't rejecting. His protein however has come down!!! YEAH! So the doctor seems to think that the Retuxin is working, and that the reason his creatinine levels were higher was due to the trama of the treatment. Blake goes back to the doctor for more labs on Wednesday and they will go from there.
You could be praying that the insurance will okay more Retuxin treatments. The doctor requested 6 treatments and the insurance only okayed 2!!! SO rediculous! Also, continue to pray that his levels will come down.
Thank you team Blake!!! You are all so awesome!
Posted by Shirley Casey at 6:12 PM 1 comments
Please Pray...
I don't have much information at the moment but I wanted to ask all of you to pray. Blake went in today to see the doctor and possibly have one more Retuxin treatment and instead they decided to do a biopsy. So, Blake is actually having a biopsy right now! I am assuming that the reason for this is because his labs were not what they should be. I will hopefully know more soon.
Please pray that the doctors will be able to figure something out through doing the biopsy. Pray for wisdom for the doctors and peace and patience for my brother and my parents. I know that they are very discouraged at the moment.
I will let you know as soon as I hear anything.
Posted by Shirley Casey at 12:12 PM 0 comments
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Here is the latest...
I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to update the blog. I was waiting until I had some good information to post and then I got side tracked.
Blake started his Retuxin treatments. He has done 2 treatments now and will see the doctor again tomorrow. They will decide what the next course of action is depending on his lab results.
So far the treatments have gone relatively smoothly. He had a pretty bad reaction at his first treatment (watery eyes, aches, runny nose) but Tylenol and Benadryl took care of it and his second treatment was much better.
Please pray that his lab results show some change. Pray that these treatments work!!!
Thank you again for all of your support and prayers.
Posted by Shirley Casey at 8:21 PM 0 comments
Labels: Retuxin Treatments
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Update...
The insurance has approved Blake's Retuxin treatments. YEAH!!! I am not sure when they are going to start the treatments. I think the doctor is still waiting for some "official" paperwork to come from the insurance company.
Pray that this treatment will work. It is the last thing the doctors can think to try.
Posted by Shirley Casey at 4:53 PM 1 comments
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
UPDATE... PLEASE PRAY...
It has been a while since I have had any real news to report, I figured no news was good news, however that doesn't seem to be the case. Blake had a doctors appointment on Friday and his doctor told him that the plasma pheresis is not working. The doctor is really discouraged because it is not common for the pheresis to not work. In almost all cases it does. He said that in some cases they have to leave the patient on pheresis for 6 months, but it still works. The difference with Blake is that his levels are not changing at all. His proteins continue to stay high, and they would have liked to see some change by now.
At this time they have decided to finish the rest of his treatment for the week and then stop treatment. He meets with the doctor again on Friday to discuss what to do next. Basically the doctor has told my brother that there is one more treatment they can try to put the FSGS into remission. It is a drug actually used for lymphoma patients and is a form of chemo. The drug is called Rituxan. It is used as a last resort because of its harshness and side effects (his side effects would not be exactly the same as a cancer patient; it would not be as bad, however not fun to say the least), but in other patients it has proven to be successful in conquering FSGS. The other catch is that this treatment is really expensive, so the doctor is going to really have to push the insurance company to cover it. So please pray that the this will go through without too much hassle.
That is all the information I have at the moment. Please be praying for the doctors wisdom and direction during this process. Pray for peace and patience for my brother and my family.
I will update you as soon as I know anything on Friday.
Oh, I wanted to add that my parents have also spoken with Blake's old doctors at USC Medical just to see what they thought and if they had any new ideas on treatments. They were basically saying that they would be doing the same treatments, so at least we have confidence that we have exhausted every outlet. Blake is dealing with some of the best doctors in the nation and his primary doctor is considered to be one of the top nephrologists in the world. At least we know he is in good hands.
Posted by Shirley Casey at 9:49 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Blake's New Baby.... "BEAST"
Posted by Shirley Casey at 4:05 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Update....
Here is the latest on Blake.... The doctors have decided not to do a biopsy at this time and have decided to do plasma pheresis 3 times a week for 4 weeks to see how things go. They will most likely take a week off to see if or how his levels change and then go from there.
This is a very frustrating process. It is frustrating not only for Blake and the family, but also for the doctors because they are not completely sure what is going on! Go figure, Blake is at the top rated hospital in the country and has some of the best doctors in the country, if not in the world, and they are stumped!!! Please pray that there will be some clarity in what is going on or that one of the treatments will start to work.
Thanks so much for your continued prayers and support. I will keep you updated as we go.
Posted by Shirley Casey at 9:00 PM 0 comments
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Latest...
Blake was released from the hospital this evening. He did some negotiating because he didn't want to take some medicine for his potassium levels because it made him really sick yesterday, so the doctor said he could go home if he took his medicine. Go figure, Blake could work and angle. :O)
So, Blake will have another round of pheresis tomorrow and then again on Monday and Tuesday. The doctors will go from there to determine what to do next.
Pray that this time around the FSGS will be put into remission and he can just move on or that the doctors will better know how to treat what is going on.
Thank you for your continued support and prayers.
Posted by Shirley Casey at 8:23 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Update...
Today Blake had his first round, of round 2, of plasma pheresis and they decided NOT to do another biopsy. They will be running labs two times a day and are planning on doing at least 5 more rounds of pheresis. The doctors are in disagreement as to if Blake can go home or not, so he might be in the hospital for the entire pheresis process. This has yet to be determined. The doctors are also not completely sure what is going on, so please pray that they will be able to figure it out and that one of these treatments will start working (longer term).
Please continue to pray for Blake as he is still very discouraged. He is just so sick of the hospital. He knows that it is better that the doctors are aware of the situation and trying to do all they can to fix things, however, right now he wishes that it would all just go away. I don't blame him!
I will keep you posted as I hear new information. There should be lab results in the morning.
Posted by Shirley Casey at 8:34 PM 1 comments
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Please Pray...
Today Blake had a routine doctor's appointment and lab work. When he got his lab results back his creatinine was up to a 1.9 and his proteins still have not come down. So they had to put in another line and are planning on starting plasma pheresis again. He has been admitted into UCLA and they are planning on doing the first treatment in the morning. They are also planning on doing another biopsy tomorrow.
Please pray for answers so the doctors will know how best to treat the problems Blake is having. There are a lot of big question marks right now. The doctors aren't really sure what is going on. Please also pray for Blake mentally and emotionally right now. He is just so discouraged. He wants so badly to have normal life like every other 20 year old. He wants to work and save money for a car etc. etc. All the things young people want to do. So he is feeling incredibly discouraged and I am sure worried and scared.
I will let you know the update after I talk with my mom tomorrow. She is staying up at the hospital with Blake and then my dad is planning on coming up later tomorrow.
Thank you for your prayers!
Posted by Shirley Casey at 10:33 PM 2 comments
Labels: Please be praying...
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Update...
Blake went to the doctor's on Monday and his creatinine was at a 1.4. This is great! However, his protein levels are still high, so they are just watching things for a while to see if they come down on their own. If they don't they will have to do another biopsy. Please pray that his levels will naturally come down.
As of right now Blake doesn't have to see the doctor again until a week from Friday. He will have to do labs a few times though before then.
Also, Daniel is down in CA right now on business and stopped by the house today and was able to see Blake. (Daniel has not seen Blake since before the surgery. He was at the surgery but with everything that was going on he was unable to see him afterwards.) He said that Blake looks GREAT! He said it is the best he has looked in a long time (no offense, Blake :O) ) Blake says he is also feeling the best he has felt in a long time. He is not as shaky either. They have his meds adjusted pretty well at the moment and so he is feeling and doing well. Praise the Lord!
Posted by Shirley Casey at 8:47 PM 1 comments
Friday, August 8, 2008
Today Blake had his last plasmapheresis treatment! Praise the Lord! The doctor says that his creatinine is great, however, his protein is still a little high. They will continue to monitor this and they hope it will slowly just come down on its own.
Brad and Blake
The family celebrating a successful kidney transplant. THANK YOU LORD!
Posted by Shirley Casey at 8:20 PM 2 comments
Labels: No More Pheresis
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
UPDATE...
Blake saw the doctor and had another round of plasmapheresis today. His levels have stabilized at 1.5, which is great! The doctor is going to have him finish off this week of pheresis and hopefully they will be able to remove the line in his neck and be done with that part of his treatment.
Thank you for your continued prayers. Blake is doing really well, but still has a long road ahead of him with doctor appointments, medicine adjustments and just plain physical recovery. Pray for patience as he goes through this process.
Posted by Shirley Casey at 12:07 AM 2 comments
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Here is the latest....
Blake had his treatment on Wednesday. Everything went really well. His creatinine was at a 1.5!!!! They will be back at UCLA tomorrow for another treatment and then they will have treatments next week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and then the doctors will determine how much more treatments if any are needed.
Also, I know I told you that I was going to get pictures of Blake's incision, but when he went to the doctor yesterday they took out his staples!!! That is really great for him, but a bummer that I couldn't show you just how grusome his incision was. You can just trust me that it is quite the scar!
I will let you know what tomorrows doctors appointment and treatment hold. Until then.....
Posted by Shirley Casey at 11:20 PM 0 comments
Monday, July 28, 2008
Guess Who's Home....
Posted by Shirley Casey at 8:54 PM 8 comments
Good News!
Posted by Shirley Casey at 11:29 AM 0 comments
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Today's Update...
Posted by Shirley Casey at 10:58 AM 2 comments
Saturday, July 26, 2008
A Day Without Trauma
Posted by Shirley Casey at 11:52 PM 0 comments
Today's Results...
Posted by Shirley Casey at 2:18 PM 3 comments
I just got home from the hospital and thought I would update you. Blake had his second round of plasmapheresis this morning around 11am and everything went fine. His creatinine was at a 5 yesterday before the 1st round and after the 2nd round it was still at a 5. The way my brother understood the doctors was that the process was not working, but in further talking with the transplant team they seem to think that sometimes it takes several treatments before the levels even out and come back down. However, if his creatinine does not come down by Monday they are going to do another biopsy.
Posted by Shirley Casey at 12:36 AM 1 comments
Friday, July 25, 2008
Finally Some Pictures!
Posted by Shirley Casey at 10:10 AM 0 comments
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Posted by Shirley Casey at 6:38 PM 2 comments
Please Pray...
Posted by Shirley Casey at 1:51 PM 1 comments
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
The 1st Round of Results are in...
We just got the 1st set of results from the biopsy and they have eliminated 2 things. The good thing is that Blake does NOT have FSGS. Praise the Lord! They also have eliminated cellular rejection.
Tomorrow they should have the 2nd set of results. They are looking to find out if he has developed some antibodies and that is why his creatinine levels are going up (antibody rejection). There are a few other scenarios they are looking into but they are way too complicated to try to explain. :O)
The good news is that whatever it ends up being IT IS TREATABLE! :O) YEAH! It is just a matter of figuring out what is going on and starting to treat it appropriately. So it is just at matter of time.
Also, good news, Blake's new kidney is working great from a blood flow and function aspect. It is filtering well and has excellent blood flow. The surgeon was very pleased with the way things were going from that aspect. So once these kinks are worked out, this should be a spectacular kidney for Blake.
Thank you for your prayers. Keep them coming. They are so appreciated! Continue to pray for wisdom of the doctors and patience as we wait for results. Also, Blake's meds give him the hiccups and he has had hiccups literally for 2 days straight and it HURTS. So pray that they might subside so he can get some comfort and get off his pain meds.
Posted by Shirley Casey at 1:52 PM 3 comments
Update...
Well, Blake is out of his biopsy and is awake. I guess that the biopsy was a little rough because he felt it! He said that even though he was sedated he felt the needle go in for the biopsy and was in a lot of pain. So he is trying to rest and is feeling very frustrated.
We should have the first set of results by five tonight and then the secondary results in the next 2-3 days. So he will be here for at least 2-3 more days and maybe even more depending on what the results are. In the meantime they are giving him a steriod treatment just in case he is rejecting.
That is about all for now. My dad, Emily and I are at the hospital right now spending some much needed time with my mom and Blake. I will give you an update as soon as I hear anything.
Posted by Shirley Casey at 1:52 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Here is the Latest...
Posted by Shirley Casey at 3:02 PM 4 comments
Update...
Posted by Shirley Casey at 1:47 PM 1 comments
Pray...
Posted by Shirley Casey at 7:33 AM 2 comments
Monday, July 21, 2008
Update...
I don't have anything exciting to report. We are hoping to have more information by tomorrow. However, as of now, they have lowered Blake's meds and will test his levels again tomorrow. They also did an ultrasound to eliminate the chance of some sort of blockage or blood clot. We have not heard the results on this either. They threw out the idea that his native kidneys could possibly be causing some trouble too. Basically, the doctors are starting with the simplest things to rule out and are working into the more difficult things. We are continuing to pray that this is just a medicine adjustment thing and will be an easy fix.
So, that is all I have to report for now. I will report as soon as I hear anything. Hopefully I will have more information tomorrow.
Thank you for your continual prayers.
Posted by Shirley Casey at 8:59 PM 2 comments
PLEASE PRAY!!!
Posted by Shirley Casey at 10:13 AM 3 comments
Friday, July 18, 2008
Dad's Home!!!
Posted by Shirley Casey at 7:00 PM 2 comments
Good Morning!
Posted by Shirley Casey at 11:17 AM 2 comments
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Posted by Shirley Casey at 7:05 PM 1 comments
Posted by Shirley Casey at 1:30 PM 0 comments
Posted by Shirley Casey at 10:57 AM 1 comments
Surgery Time...
Posted by Shirley Casey at 12:57 AM 0 comments
Monday, July 7, 2008
Blake started dialysis in February and the process of finding a new donor was started. My brother Brad and my dad were both the first to step up and offer to start the donation process. After some paper work and a simple blood test the results showed that both my dad and my brother were matches and that they both matched in 3 out of 6 categories. The transplant team made the decision to go with my dad since he was older. This would allow for more donor options in the future.
So here we are one week and 3 days away from transplant. My dad passed all his tests with flying colors and we are ready to roll. The surgery date is set for Thursday, July 17th at UCLA Medical. I have set up this website to help keep everyone updated with the progress and what is going on. I will keep you updated as I hear new things.
The actually "brains" of the dialysis machine.
This is the port used for dialysis.
Posted by Shirley Casey at 6:56 PM 4 comments
Labels: A Brief History