Hi everyone, back from the hospital just a short while ago where I learned that my Leukemia has relapsed. I’d say sit down but I’m quite sure you are, so instead maybe a deep breath will help… I meet with Dr. Adams and he informed me that there are “50% Leukemia blasts in my blood”. Not quite sure what that means, except that I have been dealt another Challenge.
Prior to this morning’s meeting I must say that I didn’t have a feeling one way or the other, I looked for one but my gut wasn’t giving any clues. That “unknown” feeling has been with me since Tuesday, when I learned of the major possibilities the Docs were thinking about. So as you may have guessed, I began to wrap my mind around the three possibilities. Thus I was pretty prepared for today’s news, and I am rock solid upstairs. I have continued to form my strategy, as I have said this is another “bump in the road”, and I am ready for the Challenge.
I am planning to enter hospital on Sunday evening, assuming I can stay infection free until that time, and I’ll be getting another Hickman on Monday morning, after which I’ll start first round chemo. Dr. Adams talked with Dr. Lipton in Toronto before meeting with me, and he is willing to Transplant me again, assuming I can achieve “remission” status again. That is not a sure bet, but I did manage to do it after first round chemo last time, which is in my favour.
The process as I know it, is that I’ll be having one round of chemo, which will hopefully induce remission, and then I’ll have another round of chemo, healthy blood or not, then at that point, assuming I’m in remission, I’ll head to Toronto for a Transplant. That is the time-map I have in my head, and now that I have that, I’ll combine it with a healthy dose of my “day to day” mentality and move forward.
My mind-set may come as a surprise for some of you, while others may have guessed my every move. I have begun to prepare for the implementation of my new strategy, and you can be sure I’ll be communicating all the details to you. Because this is the beginning of a new Challenge I feel the want to
express to you all the same thoughts I did at the beginning of my first Cancer Challenge… “if you know anyone who is interested to join the group and follow my experience, in ‘real time’, please forward my address to them or forward their’s to me, and I’ll add them to the group.” This experience, just like my original one, will be open to any and all.
As you know, I’ll be in touch with all of you again soon and you can always reach me here as I don’t plan to be far from my computer.
Live Life. Love Life.
Geoff
