The Best is Yet to Come Old Blue Eyes whose album cover boast Frank Sinatra
Trading tea and tender thoughts
Randi McMatthew (the best songwriter in the whole world)
I am about to start my last dose of Rituxan 1000/M2 which is OK, but the pre- medication of Benadryl 50 IV snows me.
So quickly some excellent news
Neutrophils were 452 today, which shows up as .5 or 500 on the upward averaging computer print out. I am so full of joy and hope. Statistically, 500 mark is breached.
Remember the old: There are three kinds of lies going from bad to worst: Lies, damn lies, and statistics.
Not out of the woods, but maybe the trees are thinning (like my hair), and I think I hear some children's voices in the distant.
Dr Forman said I might go home next week, not to the cottages but home! I am overwhelmed. So is my wife who has a million projects uncompleted to clean up the place for an immuno cripple like me.
I don't want to get too excited, but my Zen middle way is failing me today.
The remaining concerns and they are giant ones, are the results of my engraftment studies and my immunophenotyping.
The first test compares DNA to see how many of my newly hatched neutrophils (and every other blood component separately and individually) are of my 57 year old tainted stock or of the clean 22 year old Israeli donor. The second measures how much CLL is still lurking in my blood stream.
This is just the first of many such test to assess my progress towards cure, and will not be perfect for sure. All I can hope is a positive sign that my graft has found its new home a warm and comforting place to raise children, and my leukemia cells have read the signs and has started loading up its nasty clones and heading out of Dodge.
This is huge and scary. I so want it to be more good news. I so believe it will be. That is the whole purpose of this awesome adventure.
Stay with me.
Benadryl 50 is being pushed into my PICC.
Gotta go. Fading F A S T
posted by Brian Koffman at
1:13 PM
5 Comments:
Who is that guy in the photos?
Actually, we think you look really good, considering all your body has been going through. Glad to hear those numbers are coming up, and that you might actually get to go home! Wishing for the best,
Charles and Linda De Long
Brian,
Great news and thanks for keeping us up to date on your progress. I hope you do get to go home next week will sent positive thoughts in that direction. Hang in there as the best is yet to come
M
Day 16 and you are already looking for the door. Sounds great! Just make sure that the door is eyes wide open. You hair looks like mine (I may have a few more hairs than you).
Great news on the statistical Neutrophil threshold.
Your CLL Friend
Robert and Family
Excellent news my friend. Your awesome adventure is heading in the right direction. And the hero of this excellent tale is no less awesome without the hair.
Hope you make it home next week. There's nothing better than home!
Dr. Koffman... that sounds like postive news. We think of you everyday and you and your family continue to be in our prayers.
The Schaefer-Brown Family
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