Dear Diana,
Thanks for asking.
My friend and I went to the hematologist/oncologist last night in preparation
for my third consolidation (I'm having four), which begins next Monday,
December 8. God willing, my bacterialogical visitors have departed and I will
be in hospital for just the standard five days. I'll get chemo for the five
days, then come home for more neupogen. Marty thinks I may be overdosing on
the neuopogen -- 10 days -- and thinks maybe it should be stopped sooner. But
they keep a constant watch on me with blood tests - every couple of days
while I'm on the neupogen. During each of the two neupogen series I have
received blood transfusions as a result of these tests. So much "foreign"
stuff pouring into my now quite bald body!
When I left the hospital 10 days ago, my white count was 9,800. Yesterday it
was a bit short of 6,000, which of course is just fine. My red count is a bit
low, which accounts for my ongoing tiredness. Nevertheless it was up from
last week, which means my system is building strength. The platelets are also
holding their own.
I am maintaining the supplements -- soy milk, green tea, vitamins, Chinese
herbs. In all, I'm really not feeling bad apart from the tiredness and the
aches that I have come to identify with chemo and neupogen.
My last "maintenance" takes place in January. Then I will have a bone-marrow
biopsy and hope to high heaven that the good doctor is satisfied and I can
then relax into a routine of monthly visits to him for blood tests. If all is
well, the plan is to wait until June and then take the necessary ingredients
from my blood for a possible marrow-replacement should that prove necesssary
in the future.
I had hoped that following the satisfactory completion of the chemo I could
have this broviac removed from my chest, but the doctor says it should stay
there until next June in case it is necessary to use it. Also, it could then
be used for the bone-marrow procedure. This broviac thing is a marvel. You
don't have to take injections directly through the skin or have blood tests
taken the same way. But it comes at a price. You have to flush out the two
tubes daily with heparin, using syringes, and on Monday, Wednesday and Friday
you have to change the dressing as well as flush. I had hoped this would all
be behind me in January but now I have to face it: it will have to wait until
June and every day I shall have this routine of emptying a small bottle of
heparin into my blood stream. Not to grumble ...
This puts me off any idea of traveling to Europe (we were about to depart on
a much anticipated short trip to London and Paris when we learned I had
leukemia). Even if I am declared in remission, I would have to travel
carrying syringes and needles, and I don't fancy facing the customs folk here
and in Europe, even carrying a doctor's note. So now we are hoping to make
our trip in the middle of 1988, without the broviac and with, please, some
hair.
Thank you for your encouragement and the loving attitude you demonstrate in
your postings. How interesting is this relationship among the folk who take
part in this correspondence. Intimate anonymity! Love among strangers! But
then I believe that in the end (as in the beginning) we are all the same
person, that the center of each of us is the center of all of us. The kingdom
of heaven ...
A good place to end.
Again, God bless us all.
-- Ron
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