Update from Leeanne & Sharkey

Up until December 2003, Doug has been doing great. I have since received this letter from his wife Leeanne. Please keep them both in your prayers. Doug is strong and a fighter. He is doing the best he can do as best as he knows how.
God Bless him........

Sharkey
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Everyone:

Doug was [finally] hospitalized this afternoon after battling erratic fevers for 3 weeks (103.7 to 93 all in the same day). Long story short, he has some kind of infection (which we knew he must have) but the docs haven't isolated it yet. They have already started the blood cultures and chemistries and done several x-rays. He will be receiving a transfusion in the AM. His red count is in the toilet at 7.5 so he's a bit fatigued and white. They had to call Philadelphia for a unit of blood because they found an odd antibody in his that couldn't be matched locally. We were told it is normal to find this in a transplant patient?!? He ate a decent dinner (if you can call hospital food decent) and was watching TV when I left him around 7PM. I believe we're both a bit relieved that he's finally going to get some medical attention after the past two weeks of: 1) his primary oncologist going vacation for 2 weeks and totally blowing off the fevers Doug has been having, and 2) an appt. with another oncologist on Friday who was reluctant to get involved with Doug and his issues in order NOT to "hurt" Dr. Manzullo's feelings by taking his patient away. Urrgh.......... Hopefully now we'll get him back on track to start the chemo and knock his cancer right back into remission! Seattle is talking about another transplant "down the road," but hopefully the Thalidomide and Dexamethasone with do the trick for a while. He remains optimistic and cheerful even in this situation. He is Community Medical Center, Route 37, Toms River, NJ 08753, Room 4213B. Thanks for your continued prayers and well wishes. We both appreciate them. I'll keep you all posted.

Good night.

Leeanne