My Saga with Leukemia (Book) http://www.Writing.Com/main/books.php/item_id/1467972-My-Saga-with-Leukemia The beginning of March I was scheduled for lab to get the catheter inserted to collect my stem cells. As I always do with invasive procedures, I made sure I told the doctor I wanted some sedation before the procedure. I have no doubt they would want some if it were it were being done to them. I must admit that I was rather surprised and shocked when ins...[Read Full Post] Sat, 23 May 2009 01:24:07 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/651193 With the chemo finally completed, I once again moved to the cancer lodge and just made daily trips to the hospital lab for blood work, etc. Because the doctor wanted me to have my stem cells collected, they doubled up the growth shots so I would recover from the chemo quicker than usual. The shots really did boost my recovery and a week later I was s...[Read Full Post] Sat, 28 Mar 2009 23:10:22 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/642695 Somehow, knowing this would be my last hospital stay, I was more upbeat about getting the final round of chemo started so I could get back home the next month and begin to live my life again! Good news awaited me that my last bone marrow test showed that my faulty chromosome was normal and I was indeed in a full remission. The final round of chemo wo...[Read Full Post] Sat, 28 Mar 2009 23:01:50 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/642694 February 10, 2009 -- this would be the day I left for my final round of chemo and possible collection of my stem-cells. I was babysitting just a few days prior to leaving and after tucking my granddaughter Emma (age 3) into bed, I sat next to her rubbing her head in the pale light of her room. She well remembered me having been gone for a month at a t...[Read Full Post] Sat, 28 Mar 2009 22:54:21 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/642692 About ten days later, after my blood counts were beginning to rise quite well, Bill was visiting while I was again in labs. The doctor checked my numbers and said any day soon I would be able to go home. After we left the hospital, I just couldn't bear the thought of going out to eat at a restaurant, return to the cancer lodge, watch some televis...[Read Full Post] Sat, 28 Mar 2009 22:42:41 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/642690 I have found myself to be a very "emotional" person. Probably it is because after the chemo was finished and I was moved to the cancer lodge, I became very restless and wanted my blood counts to recover so I could go home! I had daily shots of Nupogen...a medicine to promote grow of my various cells, but became really unhappy when the counts l...[Read Full Post] Sat, 28 Mar 2009 22:34:53 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/642688 Bright and early after the third round of chemo was completed, the doctor released me to the local cancer lodge, Hope, which is just blocks from the hospital. I would spend the next several weeks there until my blood recovered from the most recent chemo infusions. Hope is a great place and I had a very nice room, but within a week I began to get so ho...[Read Full Post] Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:15:05 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/640922 Bright and early the next morning, the chemo was started. I would be receiving two bags a day...one early morning, one early evening for five days. The chemo has never made me sick but I did notice on this occasion that my blood pressure became elevated after each chemo session. As I was lying in the bed, looking up at the bag of chemo, I nearly cho...[Read Full Post] Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:08:54 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/640919 The night before I had to leave for the hospital (Dec. 7), I went to visit my son and his family. I tried to be upbeat but was unsuccessful. Jason was visibly upset but the little ones had fun opening their presents. Gage, being only 18 months old, couldn't understand I would be gone for another month, but Emma, who would be three on Dec. 12, co...[Read Full Post] Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:01:33 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/640916 We had a lot of "early" celebrating to do this December. Two birthdays, Dec. 12 and Dec. 15 and then an early Christmas as well. I was scheduled to return to the hospital for chemo #3 on Dec. 8 so we had no choice but to celebrate everything early or do it all late. I celebrated as best I could with a smile on my face, but there was a defin...[Read Full Post] Sat, 21 Feb 2009 21:58:31 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/637083