I saw my oncologist today. My numbers look good. They're back to being almost as good as they've ever been.
So my doc made the recommendation that we proceed with putting in a central line / chest port. Basically this means he wants to start doing a stem cell harvest so we have some good stuff in the freezer for a transplant.
The procedure is relatively simple and common, but there will be a drug program associated with "forcing" the stem cells out of my marrow and into my blood stream. That part will be interesting.....
When I finally make the decision to do the transplant, there will be a HUGE chemo load placed on me. My doctor expects me to be hospitalized for some part of this period. I'm disinclined to do it during Seattle's wonderful summer months.
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This blog is written by and about a guy with an incurable form of cancer. My purpose here isn't to say "woe is me", but to give insight about my thoughts, perspectives, and experiences throughout this adventure. My name is Andre. My partner's name is Ed. I intend to publish on a pretty regular basis here, but Ed might occasionally pop in with his thoughts too.
1 comment:
Great news on the counts! It sounds like a contradiction in terms, but you want to go into transplant as healthy as possible..
My daughter had a "two-headed" central line, it worked great. CL and port each had their pluses and minuses - with CL, you don't have to deal with numbing the skin, and all labs, transfusion and IVs are painless and hussle-free, but you will have to change the dressing regularly and, like with any opening in the skin there is a risk of infection.
I assume they will give you G-CSF shots to prep you for cell harvest? I had my stem cells harvested to transplat to my daughter, the process is a fairly simple although lenthy apherisis, preceded by 3-4 days of G-CSF shots. By the third day my bones ached quite a bit, especially in the lower back, but it was a good sign that the marrow was working overtime, and the ache stopped after the harvest.
Sorry for the ramble. Best wishes and thanks for keeping us updated.
Yuliya
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