So Joe had a bit of a melt down yesterday...Give him a break. The guy is more stressed out about everything that is going on than I am. He is just being a little over protective and that is not a bad thing. Apparently some people were upset with the nature of his latest message. All I can say is that anyone would be lucky to have a friend like Joe. There are not many people in this world that value friendship as much as he does and everyone should take a lesson from his example.

Some people were so offended that they actually left the group and I say good riddance. This group is not for losers or posers and if you left then you were surely one or the other, or both. My message to those who left the group is this: After I kick cancers ass and get out of here there is a good chance that I will be kicking your ass next. I couldn't be more serious.

Thank You Joe, you are not only a great friend but a brother.

- Kark

First I would like thank everyone for your overwhelming support and encouragement. It is truly appreciated and it does make a difference. I wanted to give you all the update on how things are going. I finished my first week of chemo on Friday. I was lucky enough to get selected for the experimental study drug that I referenced in my last update. I am one of two people at Northwestern that qualified and got randomized for the study and will be one of 420 people worldwide over the next two years. It is a very strong chemotherapy and I am fortunate to be receiving it. One of my best friends, Dr. William Truitt, is a cancer researcher at IUPUI in Indianapolis. While he is tirelessly trying to cure for AML for me in the next few months, he also did some research on the study drug which I am taking. He said that early results are indicating that the drug is twice as likely to result in remission compared to conventional treatment.

I take conventional chemotherapy for 24 hours a day for seven days and then they give me the study drug four hours a day for five of the seven days. All went smooth last week until the third day I had some complications. I came down with Rigors which is a violent attack of trembling with chills and fevers. My temperature shot over 103 for a couple of days and my blood pressure was extremely low. The doctors wanted to discontinue treatment and put me in ICU but I fought with them on this because I came here to beat cancer and not stop treatment so soon. After two days I turned things around and my vitals stabilized and have been good ever since.

At the same time, all of my blood counts had bottomed out and they have been giving me a lot of blood and platelet transfusions. My immune system is completely gone. This is a good thing. This actually means that the chemo is doing it's job and killing all of the cancerous cells in my body along with the good ones. Chemo does not discriminate. If my counts were rising it would mean that the chemo was ineffective. As a result the doctors are keeping my visitors to a bare minimum due to the high risk of infection. I apologize to all of you who have wanted to stop by and have been turned away.

Now I have the rest of the week to heal before they will do another bone marrow biopsy on Thursday and start the next round of chemo. At that point, they will check to see how much cancer is left in my bone marrow and then decide whether to give me another round of chemo. They said that they expect I will receive at least two more rounds and then a stem cell transplant afterwards. Both of my sisters were tested last week to see if they are a match and my brother is flying in from New Jersey tomorrow to get tested. We will not have the results for a few weeks as to whether or not they are compatible.

So now my job for the rest of the week is to heal and repair myself in preparation for the next round. Any of you who have partied with me before know that I recover and heal quickly. I look forward to a great week and fully expect to beat this cancer down. I will never forget what my friend Dr. Truitt told me 10 years ago when I got diagnosed with Lymphoma. He said: " John you just needed the Doctors to tell you where the cancer was hiding in your body so you can kick it's ass!" I really believe that and I know where it is hiding again, so don't worry about me and just expect me to win.

Thank You All,

- Kark

"All things are ready if our minds be so." - Henry V

Every week, we will be posting Johns fight in his own words .  For all those who are new to the John Kark cancer Fight Club...this will be a great way for them to get to know John and understand his determination to keep on fighting.
This is the  first of many of Johns updates.

~John Kark cancer Fight Club

 


Hey Everyone,

I just want to give everyone an update about what is going on with me right now. Last week I was diagnosed with AML - acute myeloid leukemia as a secondary cancer. In 2000, I was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma which I have been in remission from ever since treatment. As a result of the treatment that I had for the Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, I have now developed AML. Amazingly, 90% of the patients who received the type of chemo that I did in 2000 develop AML within 10 years. It is just part of the deal.

I was supposed to start chemo last week but there have been a few hurdles. The first hurdle was obtaining my previous medical records from Michael Reese Hospital which closed a few years ago. My doctors cannot determine my complete chemo regime because Michael Reese Hospital did not retain all of my medical records when they closed. This is a great lesson for everyone. Get copies of you medical records and retain them yourself. I never thought this would be such an issue, but they couldn’t decide what drugs to give me because if they gave me the same one that I had in 2000 then it could cause heart failure.

I volunteered for an experimental drug that is being used in a study of secondary AML formed as a result of previous treatment for lymphoma. A lot of good things come from these clinical studies and if all goes well it could be the standard of treatment in the future. I have been testing all week to qualify for the study, which I did. That doesn’t mean that I am guaranteed to get the drug because the subjects are randomized, meaning there is a 50% chance that I will get the new drug or the basic treatment that is used today. The drug is not FDA approved meaning there is risk, but there is also increased hope.

I start chemo tomorrow and it is going to be 24 hours a day for a week, then I will have a week off and they will do a bone marrow tap to see how much cancer is left. This will repeat every two weeks until all is clear and then I will receive a stem cell transplant from one of my brothers or sisters given they are a match. If not, they will look to a national database to try to find a donor. I will be in the hospital the entire time and the doctors feel that I will be here a minimum of two months.

Please do not worry about me or feel sorry for me in any way. I have been fortunate to have beaten lymphoma and I shall overcome this too. I am young and in good shape and have a strong attitude which is key. I have been here before and know what I need to do. I am surrounded by good friends, family and the best doctors in the world. I couldn’t have better chances given the circumstances. The only thing that I ask is for everyone to expect me to beat this and then it will be so. I am ready, and those of you who know me well, also know that I will never stop fighting!

-~John Kark


So chemo finally starts today! I was telling a great friend last night how excited I was to start chemo today.. I said it is like when you box and you get into the ring and you get hit by that first punch......Then it is real and you know it is on.....Then your fighting....I can't wait to fight.....So excited!!!!!

~John Kark

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