HewRon wrote:
>
> Hello Torie and all you lovely others.
>
> In a state of near total exhaustion, I have just scanned part of the list of
> e-mail that awaited me this afternoon. I want to test my mettle by responding
> to a question right away. You have asked me about consolidation. Perhaps some
> others too have been wondering what I've been talking about.
>
> As I understand it (and I ought to understand it, since I am receiving it, but
> that doesn't mean I do), consolidations are attempts to totally eliminate the
> elements that create distorted white cells. After I had ended my five-week
> hospital stay for what they militaristically call induction, my
> oncologist/hematologist did a bone-marrow biopsy and found my marrow "clear".
> Of course we all rejoiced. It turned out later that what my doctor called
> "clones" had stayed tucked away somewhere and evaded detection.
>
> My doctor told me the medical profession had agreed upon a "protocol" of four
> periods of post-induction consolidation, on a more or less monthly basis, to
> ensure that all bugs were removed from the marrow/blood system, or nipped in
> the bud. Each consolidation normally consists of a five-day hospital stay for
> chemo. Complications can of course arise -- such as I experienced in my second
> consolidation, when I developed bacteria, necessitating a two-week stay. After
> these consolidations your white-cell count takes an alarming dive, but of
> course the same is true for whatever bad guys remain in your system. The hope
> is that
> a 10-day period of self-injection at home with neupogen will boost the good
> guys, and indeed that has been the case so far. On one occasion I jumped from
> less than a 100-count to a count of 6,000-plus -- in a matter of days. After
> my second consolidation my white-cell count jumped up to 9,800. But by the
> time I was ready for my third consolidation, it had dropped to 5,000-plus, and
> now, following consolidation, it is 1,900-plus and no doubt dropping by leaps
> and bounds. I'll get a new reading when I visit my doctor on Thursday, when,
> if my guess is right, I'll be sent to the big house for a transfusion of
> platelets or red cells. Though I might be wrong. Platelets and reds have been
> rather respectable lately. Tonight (God and the delivery system willing) I
> will receive a box containing 10 tiny bottles of neuopogen and 10 syringes and
> post-haste will commence my self-injection. And so on ...
>
> That's the best I can do at the stage, Torie! I hope all is well with you and
> with my other friends on this list. I realize my problems are not unusual in
> this group, many of whom have had much greater demands made of them than I
> have. Nevertheless I have to say I don't think you can feel much more pooped
> than I do right now, and it's a poopedness for which caffeine does precious
> little.
>
> Everyone says I am doing marvelously, but today I just feel like a good sleep.
> I mean a sleep that lasts a couple of days! Let's face it -- you can't really
> sleep in hospital, day or night. But I'll be dropping you all a note about
> that. I think I have quite a lot to say about hospitals, so be warned! You
> have loudspeaker messages all day, with the desk calling for nurse so-and-so
> to do such and such, from a loudspeaker about 6 inches from your head, when
> all you want to do is sleep because of all the interruptions for temperature
> readings etc. the night before. I am bellyaching. Sorry.
>
> More later.
>
> All the best, hello again friends ...
>
> -- Ron
Dear Ron,
WEll thats the first time I have been called lovely, :). I have been
called worse for certain and will accept your gracious words because it
comes from one who is gracious and courageous and I for one am honored
to at least have met you and read your inspirational messages. YOurs is
one that comes from the depth of the heart and reaches out to all that
wish to support and those that also seek integrity in truth and
compassion. YOurs is that for sure, so you can call me lovely.
Ron we are here for you, whatever you need, we are here to support. Take
care, keep us posted and listen to what your body tells you. We all have
a great gift, many take advantage of what it tells us and when our
intuition and body tells us to rest, then its part of the healing
process.
Take care my friend.
God Bless
Marty and Barb
------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is an automatically-generated notice. If you'd like to be removed
from the mailing list, please visit the Medicine-On-Line Discussion Forum
at <http://www.meds.com/con_faq.html>, or send an email message to:
majordomo@lists.meds.com
with the subject line blank and the body of the message containing the line:
unsubscribe mol-cancer your-email-address
where the phrase your-email-address is replaced with your actual email
address.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
