October 2, 2003 PM
Friends,
Two updates in one day! That's a new record. We are now back from City of Hope. The schedule is becoming more clear. The insurance company approved HLA verification yesterday, so the kit was sent to my brother today. He should get it tomorrow, and will have his blood drawn so that it can be sent back tomorrow or the next day. He will also need to get some blood work done. The doctor would like to start the transplant process the week of October 20. The admission date will depend on my condition. They will do another Bone Marrow Biopsy next Thursday to see what my status is. I guess if I am still in remission, they will use Chemotherapy and I will be admitted on the 21st. If I have relapsed, I will get radiation and chemo and will be admitted on the 20th. All of this assumes that everything goes as planned. My brother would have to come around the 20th for a physical, and would then start the donation process later in the week. If things don't go well, and there is any delay, the doctors may opt for another round of Chemo at Scripps, and then do the transplant afterwards. After my appointment today, we explored City of Hope. We walked through the Japanese Garden and fed the Koi and the turtles there. Then we looked at the sculpture gardens and the rose garden, as well as the visitor center and the synagog. We also got to look at one of the apartments in the village. It looks like it will be very comfortable. My next appointment is at Scripps on Tuesday. Probably no updates until then, unless I get really motivated.
On the medical front, the hemoglobin continues to climb. RBCs are starting to come up also. Todays lab results are below. I am still feeling good. Today was a very busy day, and I am tired, but not exhausted.
Lab Results |
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Blood Cell Type |
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| WBC | 4.5 | 4.9 | 5.7 | 6.6 |
| RBC | 4.30 | 2.55 | 2.70 | 2.88 |
| HGB | 13.9 | 8.9 | 8.6 | 10.2 |
| PLT | 130 | 239 | 230 | 252 |
Ted
tw@wilcoxent.com