Reader's Digest Version for Mach's Battle against Leukemia
07 Mar 01 - Started running a fever on this day for first time
14 Mar 01 - I go and see a doctor for the first time for fever, night sweats and chills
03 Apr 01 - I am hospitalized for the first of three times for pneumonia type symtoms
06 Apr 01 - Surgery to find out why my intestines have shut down (turns out to be Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis, later discovered to be caused by the leukemia).  I take steroids to control it.
08 Apr 01 - I develop blood clots in both of my legs (later discovered to be caused by the leukemia.  It Takes about 6 months to resolve.
09 May 01 - Air-Evacuated to Wilford Hall Medical Center (San Antonio, TX) because I am now running 105 degree fevers
11 May 01 - After being sick for two months, I am diagnosed with AML
15 May 01 - Chemotherapy starts today
08 Jun 01 - I am in complete remission
11 Jun 01 - I have another flare up of Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis.  Steroids do the trick again
16 Jun 01 - We are back home in Niceville, FL
18 Jun through 11 Oct 01 - .I do three rounds of consolidation chemotherapy at Keesler AFB Medical Center (Biloxi, Mississippi)
12 Oct 01 through 15 Mar 02 - I enjoy being in complete remission and go back to work full time.  I get my waiver to start flying again on 15 Mar 02
15 Mar 02 - I find out today that I have replasped
18 Mar 02 - Start my first round of "salvage" chemotherapy in preparation for a bone marrow transplant this summer
19 Apr 02 - I am in complete remission again
24 Mar 02 - This is the first time anything really has gone wrong since I started treatment for leukemia.  I go into septic shock and come very close to checking out
20 May 02 - I start another round of chemo to make sure I stay in remission for the bone marrow transplant this summer
I have saved the biggest happy face for my Lord, Jesus Christ, who has been with my family and me for this entire tribulation.
16 Mar 02 - I have another bout with eosinophilic infiltration.  This time they attack my skin.  Steroids do the trick, yet again
15 Jun 02 - Still in complete remission and finished with all chemo until the transplant this summer.  Still awaiting words for when it will be performed
07 Aug 02 - We arrived in Seattle for a matched unrelated donor bone marrow transplant (MUD BMT).  Donor is all lined up with actual infusion scheduled for 29 Aug 02
23 Aug 02 - Found out today that I am beginning to relapse for the second time.  However, the transplant is still on for 29 Aug 02.
29 Aug 02 - My new stem cells from an unknown 23 year old man have been infused!
12 Sep 02 - I have a new immune system starting to engraph!!!
24 Sep 02 - I am released from the hospital after a 30 day stay and am now an out patient waiting for my new immune system to take full charge
18 Nov 02 - I am on day 80 and the doctors are doing the "work-up" to send me home to Jackson, MS.  I feel great and everything has gone as planned
22 Nov 02 - Routine bone marrow biospy shows leukemia is back.  I have relapsed for the third time.
25 Nov 02 - Blood work shows the leukemia is spreading rapidly.  I will begin "induction" chemotherapy all over again starting tomorrow.