Friday, November 11, 2005
Officially Differently-Abled
I went to see Dr. Coello today with my mom, who insisted his hands weren't as cold as I claimed they were, however she didn't have them prodding her lymph nodes. I had told him over the phone that I was interested in seeking care from the University of Michigan Health System, and he agreed it would be a good idea, particularly since research institutions like U of M or Wayne State can offer treatments that regular oncologists don't.
He said a good option for me might be a bone marrow transplant. Chemotherapy works by destroying fast-growing cells, since cancer cells are among those that grow the fastest. However, so do cells in the hair follicles, stomach lining, and bone marrow. If the treatment is too severe, it can kill off a patient's bone marrow, which is generally not a good thing, since it is needed to produce new blood cells. So what they can do is harvest the patient's bone marrow, do a more powerful chemo treatment than they'd be able to do otherwise, and then reinject the harvested marrow after the chemo has been completed.
He said I would be a good candidate for this procedure (since I'm young and generally healthy, except for, you know, having cancer) and he would contact the U of M Cancer Center immediately to send them his records and impress upon them how things need to move quickly. I hope to be able to see someone next week. Wherever I go, Dr. Coello said that chemo treatments would most likely relieve my pain in as little as 2 to 3 weeks. I am very much looking forward to that, although in the meantime I did ask for a form to get a handicapped sticker from the Secretary of State's office, and my library director and associate director arranged a handicapped permit for my car that will allow me to park by the library loading dock. I'm officially differently-abled! I'm handicapable!
I will be slightly embarrassed to tell the oncologist assigned to me by my new primary care office that I will actually be heading elsewhere, but if he's professional, he won't mind my seeking care that I'm comfortable with.
What I wonder is, what do they do with the bone marrow once they've sucked it out and before they squirt it back it? Is it kept in jiggling piles on petri dishes? Do they load it into tubes to be extruded back into place? Do they use little tiny turkey basters to suck it up, freeze it, then let it thaw and squeeze it back in? Do they ever get the samples mixed up and could I end up with the bone marrow of an NBA draft pick? Will it improve my game? Medical science contains so many mysteries.
He said a good option for me might be a bone marrow transplant. Chemotherapy works by destroying fast-growing cells, since cancer cells are among those that grow the fastest. However, so do cells in the hair follicles, stomach lining, and bone marrow. If the treatment is too severe, it can kill off a patient's bone marrow, which is generally not a good thing, since it is needed to produce new blood cells. So what they can do is harvest the patient's bone marrow, do a more powerful chemo treatment than they'd be able to do otherwise, and then reinject the harvested marrow after the chemo has been completed.
He said I would be a good candidate for this procedure (since I'm young and generally healthy, except for, you know, having cancer) and he would contact the U of M Cancer Center immediately to send them his records and impress upon them how things need to move quickly. I hope to be able to see someone next week. Wherever I go, Dr. Coello said that chemo treatments would most likely relieve my pain in as little as 2 to 3 weeks. I am very much looking forward to that, although in the meantime I did ask for a form to get a handicapped sticker from the Secretary of State's office, and my library director and associate director arranged a handicapped permit for my car that will allow me to park by the library loading dock. I'm officially differently-abled! I'm handicapable!
I will be slightly embarrassed to tell the oncologist assigned to me by my new primary care office that I will actually be heading elsewhere, but if he's professional, he won't mind my seeking care that I'm comfortable with.
What I wonder is, what do they do with the bone marrow once they've sucked it out and before they squirt it back it? Is it kept in jiggling piles on petri dishes? Do they load it into tubes to be extruded back into place? Do they use little tiny turkey basters to suck it up, freeze it, then let it thaw and squeeze it back in? Do they ever get the samples mixed up and could I end up with the bone marrow of an NBA draft pick? Will it improve my game? Medical science contains so many mysteries.
Labels: bone marrow transplant, chemo, Dr. Coello, handicapped, hip, University of Michigan Cancer Center
