Today is the 12th, so this is the plan for tomorrow, Friday, Feb 13, 2009. No, I'm not superstitious.
I'll do a blood test at 10:30, then I'll get platelets at 11:00. While I'm getting platelets, they'll test and T&C my blood to see if I need a whole blood transfusion.
Yeah. Let's think about that. Platelets to keep me from bleeding everywhere all the time. Whole blood so I don't turn into a Zombie. It hasn't been very long since the last transfusion(s). This really feels like putting fuel in my truck. Read the guage, pull in, swipe the card, insert the nozzle, wait for the pumps to stop, get the receipt, drive away until the gauge reads low again. Rinse, repeat.
The platelets are on the plan. The whole blood is a 'maybe'.
Regardless, recognize that if this is part of their plan, if they see repetitive negative responses in my blood counts, if they're entertaining contingency plans of this sort, THINGS AREN'T GOING WELL.
Did I mention that I got a 'hit and run' with my regular oncologist, Dr. B., in the hallway? (A 'hit and run' is when you stumble across your doc in a common area and he makes an effort to talk to you.) I said, "Hello" and he said, "Hey! Got a minute?"
He recited my symptoms from memory. He recited my responses from memory. Then he told me about his discussions with Dr. D(ifficult). He also spoke about his recent discussions with the new doc on rounds (Dr M.). He made himself clear to the new doc, and to me, that we've got to look at another side of this blood problem, and we've got to do it NOW.
So, on Tuesday, Feb 17, I get another bone marrow biopsy. Yup, more Black & Decker in my hips. New holes, new scars, new fun.
I'm not looking forward to the procedure, but I'll welcome the results. We need to find out what's going on. From what I gather, there's a chance that the graft didn't proliferate (for lack of a better term). In other words, 100% of what's there is donor cells, but there might not be very much there.
To simplify, 4 cells could equal 100% of what's available, but if I need 4000 cells to be there, then I still have a big problem. Yes, that's a tremendous oversimplification and the numbers I've used are complete speculations, but there are a lot of things Dr. B. wants to find out from this process.
I wanna know too. Spring is coming. I wanna make some blood.
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2 comments:
I intend that the specialists find the answers and some effective solutions and they find them NOW!!! And, I intend that the solutions are easier than expected - this for the highest and best good of all concerned - so be it and SO IT IS!!!
Can they give you more stem cells from your donor? Is there ever a time when they "turn this rig around" and try to re-transplant and put yours back in? Tim got shortchanged on his auto when they screwed up the freezing process and transplanted half dead stem cells(man I need a lawyer). It took a long time for his counts to come back. Needed red and white cell booster shots but eventually,
his body started to make stem cells.Tell your darn marrow to let out the clutch and start kickin' it into high gear already.
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