November 6, 2008

Date------Day----WBC----ANC--------Hgb--------PLT---- Transfusions
3 Nov-----62-----6.4-------4100--------11.7--------187--------- N/A
4 Nov-----63-----7.1-------5800--------11.1---------173--------- N/A
5 Nov-----64-----4.6-------4400-------11.6--------168----------N/A
6 Nov-----65-----4.9-------4600-------10.7--------144----------N/A
Is all this information making you guys crazy yet? Today has been a good day, the new regiment of the Dexamethasone injection & Zofran seem to be working well together so I do not throw up & my nausea is not near as bad thank goodness. This is my nurse giving me the Dexamethasone through my IV.I had real bad night sweats & cold chills last night but no fever so all is well.



Paula Parker came to see me today, I have talked about her visits in my blogs I finally remembered to get a picture today


My favorite Nurse Practitioner is back, Carlie Greenfield, she has been an outstanding resource for me & really has been above & beyond to ensure I am involved & at ease with my treatment.


Master Sergeant Drake came to visit me this evening & brought me lots of information, the 2008 Federal Benefits for Veterans & Dependents booklet along with points of contacts in the Cinci Offices, he also brought me an Air Force Times article from November 3, 2008 that talks about a memo that the Air Force Lt. Col James Elliot former Chief of Aeromedical Services for the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, was deployed to Balad at the time & co-signed a memo dated December 20, 2006 that Air Force Lt Col Darrin Curtis, former Bio environmental Flight Commander Balad wrote. It states that from the burn pits that were operating without restrictions in Balad troops may have been exposed to many highly poisonous contaminates such as aircraft fuel known to cause leukemia... It is a very interesting article. He also is taking back my signed orders from September 3rd & 4th that I was unable to turn in so I can get off the unpaid orders list. I was also very surprised when he pulled out $107 that he collected over the last UTA as well. I am truly grateful for all of the support & generosity from everyone at the 445th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron. He was uncertain what the numbers Donors for the Wing wide Bone Marrow Donors registry over the November UTA in addition to the 64 that were registered from the Squadron Bone marrow Drive in October. He is also working with Major Sandusky to try to pull of a Blood Drive with the American Legion I believe in January. I am just amazed. For all you Airmen out there that ever questioned the necessity of the Wingman program let my situation & Master Sergeant Drake, my Wingman be a testament to you. For what he is doing, & he is not doing it alone, to help me is above & beyond what I never would have asked form him but is one more reason why we have the program & it goes to show you should all have a Wingman, because you never know when you are going to need one.
The one & only time my hair will ever be shorter than his!Me & my Wingman


There was also an interesting article in today's NY Times: " The woman at Washington University had acute myelogenous leukemia, a fast-growing cancer that affects about 13,000 people a year in the United States and kills 8,800. Its cause is not well understood. Like most cancers, it is thought to begin in a single cell, with a mutation that is not present at birth but that occurs later for some unknown reason. Generally, one mutation is not enough to cause cancer; the disease does not develop until other mutations occur.“Most of them are just these random events in the universe that add up to something horrible,” said Dr. Timothy J. Ley, a hematologist at Washington University and the director of the study.

The researchers chose to study this disease because it is severe and the treatment has not improved in decades.

“It’s one of the nastiest forms of leukemia,” Dr. Wilson said. “It’s very aggressive. It affects mostly adults, and there’s really no good treatment for it. A very large fraction of the patients eventually will die from their disease.”

Dr. Ley said, “We wanted to start studying a cancer where it would make a difference to people and their families if we could begin to unravel its genetic roots.”


The most striking part to me is how is describes AML as such a devastating disease for which we don't have very good treatments -- yipes! How lucky I am that the treatments seems to be working for me so far!!!! (Click this for the entire article if your interested.)