MARCH 28, 2018
Hi! Dr. Koffman’s daughter Heather writing here – my dad is napping. We’re on Day 7 post CAR-T infusion, now in the hospital at University of Washington. Dad was admitted early Wednesday morning with a fever. Since then he’s had a fever and chills and some serious shivering, all coming and going. We are reminding ourselves that all of this is a good thing. Dad’s inflammatory markers are up, which seems to indicate the CAR-T cells are doing their job.
Dad is anemic, which he thinks is related to the almost-liter of blood that’s been drawn over the past month. His neutrophils are low but they remain in a safe range and seem to have stabilized. His platelets, also, appear to have stabilized.
Onto the less medical updates: we’ve been in touch with the University of Washington Chabad, and they’re going to bring by a haggadah and Seder plate (vegan shank bone?) so we can celebrate Passover in the room tomorrow. The hospital room has a great view over Portage Lake and Montlake Cut, so we’ve been looking out at boats and trees and hoping to spot a heron.
— Heather
8 Responses
Thinking of you daily, and wishing you all the best. Feel better soon!
Heather, thank you so much for contributing to this blog and for being there for your dad during this critical time in his journey. I’m so glad that you can all be together to celebrate Passover. I’ll be checking in for future updates and wishing for a short hospital stay.
Beth Mullin in Tennessee, USA
Chag Sameach Brian, Patty, Heather and Family:
Thinking of you and hoping the CAR T journey goes much smoother.
Best wishes
and stay strong!
Peter
Please wish Brian a fair wind and a following sea.
From NZ.
Chag Sameach.
We are thinking of you and are saying a mi sheberach for you this Shabbat.
Jo-el Fernandez and Sandy Greenhouse
Heather,
Thank you for keeping us updated…your father is constantly in our thoughts and we hope this phase is over soon, with a full recovery to look forward to.
All the best!
Diane
Hi Heather – Just want to wish you a very peaceful and uneventful Passover – you’re a lucky young woman to have the father that you have – he’s a gift to all of us. Wishing you well as I know only too well how difficult it is to watch over someone you love during illness. My prayers are with you and your family and especially your dad.
Stay strong, keep smiling