Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) Support Group
Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), also known as acute myeloid leukemia, is a cancer of the myeloid line of blood cells. Patients with AML usually present with symptoms such as fatigue, bleeding, infection, prompting medical attention. An abnormal blood test reading will then result in further testing in a hospital with a hematologist to determine AML.
The time for Sal's SCT has come. He will undergo an aggressive myeloablative conditioning regimen. Sal and I are going to the Stanford Cancer Center this morning, down to radiology where they will verify that the lung guards for his total body irradiation (TBI) are correctly placed, etc. Then upstairs to the infusion treatment area to get continuous IV fluids hooked up. Then we'll go home. Tuesday through Friday will include daily TBI (3X per day). Like our hero Cliff (xuelan), Sal's testes will be irradiated (yikes!) to kill any leukemia stem cells that may be hiding in that sanctuary. Saturday he will be admitted to the hospital and receive a very strong chemo, etoposide (VP-16). He will receive his sister's cells on Tuesday, April 29, another birthday.
Is Sal nervous? Not so much. After seeing our wonderful and brilliant transplant doc Dr. Wen-Kai Weng on Friday afternoon, Sal was feeling excited for it to start! Heck, I was almost wishing I could do it. (Weird, I know. But that's how much faith and positivity emanated from Dr. Weng!) We know that this is a chance for a cure, and we trust our doctor. What a blessing.
Thanks go to all of you for the support you have shared with us and others here. There were many nights when Sal felt consumed with anxiety about his relapse. I would read him some of your posts, and he would begin to feel calm enough to drift off to sleep. Thank you.
I will try to keep this updated. If you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to ask!
Monique
Is Sal nervous? Not so much. After seeing our wonderful and brilliant transplant doc Dr. Wen-Kai Weng on Friday afternoon, Sal was feeling excited for it to start! Heck, I was almost wishing I could do it. (Weird, I know. But that's how much faith and positivity emanated from Dr. Weng!) We know that this is a chance for a cure, and we trust our doctor. What a blessing.
Thanks go to all of you for the support you have shared with us and others here. There were many nights when Sal felt consumed with anxiety about his relapse. I would read him some of your posts, and he would begin to feel calm enough to drift off to sleep. Thank you.
I will try to keep this updated. If you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to ask!
Monique
Actually you are the best! Sal is very lucky to have you. You cushion so much of the unpleasantness of all of this. Again, as someone who did not enjoy eating for quite a while, I can tell you that Sal will be able to set his sights on a delicious barbecued steak, pasta, hoisin salmon, etc. I never thought I would get my sense of taste back, but I did. I guess everyone is different, but I don't know a soul who has not regained the joy of eating. Once again, I am on a diet. That should tell you something.
On the serious side, if the throat pain gets bad, as mine did TRANSIENTLY ONLY, have the nurses set Sal up for self administration of morphine. It takes the edge off, and, study after study have shown that you actually use less when giving it to yourself, and you are able to eat more, because the pain is not as great. That is not to say that Sal will need to do this, but if he does and even if he needs TPN for a short while, as I did, everything will get better. And Monique, you know by now that I don't lie about any of this. What got me better was looking at the big picture, and Sal's big picture is ROSY.
Cliff
PS. Dave J.... You are 4 months out now. Let me make a prediction...by the end of June, you will be eating with gusto. You may find that hard to believe, but believe it nevertheless. It will happen.
Dave J