IHLETNT

The title of this blog post is an acronym - I HOPE THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL IS NOT THE TRAIN.......

Well today after 12 days of waiting we have results from the most recent bone marrow biopsy......positive, blasts down from 18% to 5%.....this is a good thing! An adjustment in meds is required as they are killing too many good cells....OK adjustments can be a good thing, now comes the big decision.....do we go for a Bone Marrow Transplant!

When one looks at the factors involved, this one wonders why he is even looking at it. Consider.... you move to Seattle for at least a couple months, OK pretty good seafood, lots of waterfront and I'm sorta used to it raining every day by living in Oregon. I don't think seafood is something I can eat and the waterfront is off limits because I will have -0 immunity, but I think I am starting to like the rain, one out of three isn't bad! Now, if I have this straight, first a PERFECT match must be found for your bone marrow. Hummm, if none of my 3 siblings work then they go to a 300,000 person database and look for a match. I wonder if they know that I have a tough time picking the pea under 3 walnut shells, let alone trying to win the lottery, but wait, I think I got one number once.  We can cross that bridge when we come to it.  If we get this far, then they put you in a sterile environment and kill what few remaining functioning blood cells you have. You now are technically dead I would think, that might be interesting! Then just before you start getting cold, they pump "The Perfect Match" bone marrow cells into your arm and somehow these little critters know to head for the inside of your bones......amazing, given the fact they have never been in your body before. You know, I have some strange things that go on in my body..... I smell pizza and I automatically sit down, I eat bad hot dogs or sausage and my toes swell up, I can't straighten one little finger, there's not a lot of hair left on my head and too much on my back and on and on......how in the world are those little cells, after hanging out in a body that works, going to find their way round in mine? I guess, that is one of the mysteries of the universe...sure hope Dr. Ola has that figured out. Enough of that rabbit trail!

Once you have a strangers life blood trying to figure out where to go inside you, you just wait.... and wait....and wait..... and wait..... after all, those little critters have to figure out where to go and wait..... and wait. I wonder if we could find some real little GPS devices and put some waypoints in them, then teach those little critters how to use them. hummmm,oh never mind.

If those little critters survive and eventually find a new home, now they have to like it! Hope they like pizza and spaghetti and meatballs, Rubin sandwiches and hot dogs and hamburgers, because that is what they are going to have in this body. If they are some kind a vegetarian cells then we are all in trouble, there is this rejection thing that happens, science says it is some kind of auto immune reaction, but I know it's because they don't like Italian food. Gonna see if Dr. Ola checks for that in the screening process.

I just wonder if this old man wants to go through all that stuff....they say I am "robust" that is why I can qualify for a BMT (bone marrow transplant) I wonder if I am "robust" or that price tag that I would run up would have anything to do with it. Speaking of BMT makes one thing of a BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomatoe) this one would much rather think of a BLT.....now that is something I can handle!