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Status update of Dr. Mattei from the AAVSO:
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Date: Sat, 27 Sep 2003 11:23:33 -0400
From: aavso@aavso.org
Subject: Sep 27 Status Report for Dr. Janet Mattei
Dear Members, Observers, and Friends,
The message below was posted to the AAVSO Discussion Group by an
AAVSO member and friend of Dr. Mattei's family. We send it to
you in an effort you keep you informed of her status.
Best Wishes,
AAVSO HQ
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Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2003 22:52:57 -0400
From: "Mario E. Motta"
Hello all,
I am reporting a couple of days later than I initially planned,
(and many of you have let me know this), but I was waiting for further
information. I have in fact just returned from the Brigham and met with
Janet and mike, and I am cautiously optimistic tonight. Janet is still
in critical condition, but many indicators are now positive.
Earlier this week, Janet had a turn for the worse, on the 23rd
in fact having to go back on pressors for a period of time when she
could not maintain her blood pressure, and further spiked a fever. She
then stabilized the next day, and I am pleased to report that she is off
all pressors (a good sign) and with a stable BP of 116/70 while I was
there. Furthermore, she is no longer on a labetalol drip that was given
to control her heart rate, now with a heart rate of 90, normal sinus
rhythm, also an improvement. I am especially gratified to say that her
WBC (white blood count) has risen from 200 earlier this week to 600
yesterday, up today to 1,300! This is very welcome, as it indicates her
bone marrow is now recovering from the effects of the chemotherapy, and
as it rises it will allow her to fight off infections. Even better, the
differential of the WBC shows NO blast cells or any abnormal cells, thus
the chemo seems to have worked in wiping out the colony of tumor cells.
(To put this in perspective, in early September when she first got ill,
her WBC was 72,000 and ALL blasts). Now a normal WBC is 5-10,000, and
she is mostly lymphs with few polys, but this is the beginning of the
recovery we had been hoping for. She will still be in danger of
infections till this is normal (? 1-2 more weeks?).
She is also mildly anemic (expected), and still low on
platelets (But these are better as well, up to 43,000).
On the negative side, still intubated, needing 40% Oxygen, and still
febrile, on antibiotics and antifungals for protection. They are keeping
her on the dry side to prevent more lung fluid (of likely ARDS). If she
cannot be weaned from the respirator soon, a tracheotomy may needed for
a period of time. (One cannot stay on an endo tube too long as the tube
pressure eventually causes traches damage.) She is heavily sedated, but
awoke once tonight.
We still have to be cautious, but I am more optimistic at this
time, and we need another week or so of recovery and hopefully the worse
will be past. I met with Mike Mattei as well tonight, and I can say he
is much better as well. He can see a difference, and his mood is much
better. We are naturally concentrating on Janet, but remember the
personal pain Mike is going through as well. Last week he looked
terrible, essentially getting no sleep. Tonight I can say he looked
almost happy with the progress.
To put this in terms of the AAVSO people out there, Janets
condition is that of a slow Mira, went down for a while, now is showing
signs of slowly brightening. (With some fluctuations on the way of
course). Mike on the other hand has been rapidly variable and
flickering depending on the news of the day, but he jumped 2 mags today!
I will send out news for any major turn, but I will continue
to plan on about weekly updates.
Mario Motta, MD
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