The University of Kansas Health System is treating a total of 32 COVID patients today, 37 Friday. Other significant numbers:
- 17 with the active virus today, 21 Friday
- 3 in ICU, 3 Friday
- 1 on a ventilator, 1 Friday
Key points from today’s guests:
Eric Moore, lymphoma survivor & bone marrow transplant recipient
- Last year, a cancer diagnosis surprised Eric Moore and his family.
- A CT scan revealed Eric had lymphoma. He immediately started chemotherapy and Eric thought he had it beat. But within a matter of weeks, the cancer was back.
- He was sent to the University of Kansas Cancer Center into the care of Dr. Nausheen Ahmed.
- His best chance for survival was a bone marrow transplant, but he simply could not find a donor match, until his long-lost siblings -- not knowing Eric’s health situation -- randomly reached out on Facebook to re-connect.
- Within two weeks of reconnecting, Eric’s little brother was on his way to Kansas City to donate his stem cells to his big brother.
- Eric was also the first adult to receive a bone marrow transplant and proton therapy at The University of Kansas Cancer Center.
Heather Moore, Eric’s wife
- Many don’t realize until you're going through that with someone just how hard chemo and radiation and treatments like this are on your body.
- It was great to reunite with family – you can never have too much love in your life and you can never have too much family.
Dr. Nasheen Ahmed, hematologist & medical oncologist; assistant director, cellular therapeutics, The University of Kansas Cancer Center
- Eric had a relatively rare cancer in adults and while most of these cancers respond to chemotherapy, but it can come back again.
- Because this involved Eric’s bod and his nerves, this case was more complicated and included radiation therapy as well.
- There was only a limited window for a stem cell transplant, so Eric’s family reaching out when they did was perfect timing.
Shelleen King, RN, bone marrow transplant coordinator, The University of Kansas Health System
- As a transplant coordinator, Shelleen serves as a navigator for patients and an advocate to guide them through the process.
- Her role includes looking at all donor options, which includes searching the registry on BeTheMatch.org, which she encourages people to register for.
- We have a collaborative team and we meet every week to review new patients and touch points with current patients.
Dr. Chris Lominska, radiation oncologist, The University of Kansas Cancer Center
- We were concerned about the disease that had re-occurred along the fluid around the brain and spinal cord, so radiation through proton therapy can be an effective way to sterilize that area to prevent relapses.
- Proton therapy is a way to target that space while protecting adjacent healthy tissues.
- With the complexity of cancer care in today's age, there is a need for collaborative medical care, the need for technology, and the need for family and community.
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control, The University of Kansas Health System
- The CDC is reporting that sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are becoming more common in the U.S. in recent years.
- Congenital syphilis can affect babies and cause stillborn babies, so it is serious.
- We need to continue to fund public health facilities and increase access to them for our communities, especially in underserved areas.
Tuesday, April 18 is the next Morning Medical Update. Imagine losing your tongue --to save your life! Doctors had to stop cancer in one woman's mouth. We’ll tell you about the complex surgery that rebuilt her tongue, plus the vaccine that stops the number one cause of oral cancer.
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