Had news on Thursday that last Bone Marrow Biopsy showed that the drug (Vidaza) I am taking is no longer working and I have progressed to AML (Acute Myeloid Leukemia). Blast count is now 24 and AML threshold is 20. This throws me out of consideration for a Bone Marrow Transplant for the near future. They want me in the hospital first thing Monday morning for a 7 day session of induction chemo followed by a 3 week stay in hospital sanitary environment as all my immune system will be destroyed. They want to monitor for any infection, fungus or need for blood transfusion. Ultimate goal is get blast count back below 20 and get the BMT done ASAP.
I asked what kind of alternative I was looking at and doctor said that without treatment I would be dead in 4 weeks, with treatment we are looking at a 60-70% success remission rate.
Kind of a catch 22, they were waiting for a spot (infection/fungus) on my lung to disappear, it had been progressively getting smaller each 4 week cycle that they tested it with a CT Scan, however my white blood count is so low I can't fight off the infection very fast. A BMT can't be done with that infection present.
Still without teeth and looks like I won't get them till am out of the hospital, hopefully by Thanksgiving. Real busy getting rid of 36 pups and caring for one with a broken leg. Kids and Sharon really stepping up to help learn Alderwood 101 in a weekend. I have my laptop set up so I can connect to my home computer using my Blackberry (971 344-3282) as a tether. So should be able to send and receive emails. I really don't know yet to what degree I will be isolated.
Kids will out to learn more today as we deliver more pups and Sharon is making a meal of venison spaghetti, that should go a long way to making me strong. I have a link on the front page of the Alderwood Labradors website (http://www.oregonlabrador.com) and another on Facebook that will take you to our blog which I will try to keep updated while in the hospital the link to the blog is http://www.twisterme.blogspot.com
I find it amazing in a situation which only has a few options, how clearly one can think. I also find amazing the concern people have for one another when things get serious. Somehow that speaks of a “brotherhood” of people that take away all the fluff and busy lives, there seems to be a common bond of concern if not outright love.
So where does this lead us? Certainly the focus is now on knocking the AML back to a level where a BMT is considered safe and would be effective.
10/19/2010 - Am in the Portland VA Hospital. And will be for about 30 days….. at least that is the plan today. The idea is to use a very tough chemo plan to cure this nasty old AML ( for a while) and take me back to the good old days of MDS….. what did I just say…… amazing how one’s perspective changes…… speaking of perspective you may want to look at a website I am building http://www.dareconsiderthis.org, it’s not finished yet, but you may find what is there interesting, comments are certainly welcomed! I will have considerable time to work on it in the next month or so.
Met with 5 different doctors today, all wanted to hear my story, I am calling them the “A” Team, as in aint no more Azacitidine (the wonder drug that stopped working) and as in AML the current major enemy of this country boy. The consensus was unanimous. There just ain’t no good alternatives. So. I will do a 7 day induction chemo program, taking one drug 24 hours a day for that period and another for a three hour period each day, plus a big old syringe of some kinda red stuff that they take 15 minutes each day to push into my arm. They are using my old friend the PICC Line in my right arm (been there for a year now), and a new friend, a super IV port in my right arm. Between those I am getting three types of chemo, a super antibiotic and at least 16 various pills daily, not to mention2 stools softeners and a laxative to make “Johnny on the spot”, or would that be a frequent spot on the Johnny…..whatever! The jury is out as to if I will loose my hair…… won’t that be a spectacle, wake up with all my hair, head and body, laying around me like a bird’s nest……probably would not happen like that, but kinda funny to think about it. So far no adverse reactions to the chemo…….keep praying!
True to my wacky little analogy section -- “What would Bre’r Rabbit Do”? -- Remember Brer Rabbit is me, Brer Fox and Brer Bear are the bad guys……just tryin to do me in…..
OK….Brer Rabbit he not feeling really, you know, not tippy top good…..but he feeling OK, just one hippity after one hop, of course not like when he was a young rabbit, he could hippity hop out of just about anythin, just as sure as could be! But the years have taken their toll on ole Brer Rabbit, he won’t admit it but there is a hitch in his hippity hop, but you know this…..he’s a thinkin just as sharp as ever, only now when his mind says…Rabbit, you can do that, his body say, Rabbit, are you crazy…..but most of the time, Rabbit don’t pay no tention.
So……one day Rabbit is takin a slow hippity down his favorite country lane, not payin much tention anythin, and right otta the blue…..Bam…Swish….YeeHaaaaaa! Rabbit gets hog tied and swinged up into the air in the trap that Fox and Bear had set. The idea was to catch Rabbit when he was thinkin about other stuff an not payin tention to where he was going. Rabbit, he finds his self in pickle,
Fox, he thinks he finally got Rabbit. Remember, the story goes that Rabbit’s mind was still as keen as ever, it’s just his body that wasn’t keepin pace, so Rabbit he gets to thinking, yup maybe it will work! Might just as well give it a try, the alternative don’t look too good! Rabbit says Fox…”you got me far and sqware, after all these years, just won’t be the same……who you gonna chase after I’s gone….. who you gonna think about, who you and Bear gonna fight over, yup we had a good ride, but you won!” Rabbit looked over at Bear and seed big bear tears rolling down his checks. He see Fox look at Bear and then real quick back at him……. “No he say……Bear noooooo…..don’t you listen Bear!” By this time Bear was making giant bear steps toward Fox, he grabbed Fox by the neck and blimity blam he whopped him right on top of the head, old Fox he lay low…. He seeing stars. His head goiin roun and roun…..he drop Rabbit…… Bear unties rabbit and shoos him off…… bear watches him run off, but hollers “we gonna get you Rabbit….we gonna get you” Rabbit he chuckle and belly laff, head straight to his Laaughin Place and there he laff and laff and the storel of the morey……no matter what happens, there’s always a way to get back to your Laughin Place……where’s your Laughin Place?
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