First Cancer Center Visit

Well it has been two weeks now since Jody’s diagnosis and although not a lot has changed it feels like the world has changed; everything looks different. We walked into the “Cancer Treatment Center” for the first time. It was harder for both Jody and I than we thought it would be. Just putting the title on it once again brought the reality fresh into the center of our reality. We felt out of place, uncomfortable, like everyone was looking at us. We were well under the age of others around us, and although cancer is not fair when it enters anyone’s life it seems disproportionately unfair when one is so young. Afterwards we went out to eat at “Red Lobster” and then and new pair of pants for Jody at Wal-Mart. (All the While I was on the phone with Insurance – bleh)

Here is the basic update info for all of you who have been holding your breath.

We now have an insurance case manager who is assigned to us. This means that as we have questions she is supposed to help us and will be the one to make decisions about extra treatment and care. She has been on the Gleevec now for 5 days. She has virtually no side effects that we have noticed. I am the one sick from already meeting our yearly family pharmacy deductible. ($5,000) (Laugh for me – I can’t yet)

Her white cell count has come down a lot – only 185k now – this is good, but she still has a long way to go to get to the recommended 5-10k. Dr. Sangha said she is 98% abnormal – I guess we all had some suspicions about that. (laugh with me this time) This means that a majority of her blood is composed of the Philadelphia chromosome that is the key to identifying CML.

We asked a lot of questions

How common is this? - Not very

Do you have any other patients? - Roughly 5-6 in the area

Working at the school? - Just wash hands regularly.

How to read blood count numbers? - Blah, blah, blah – funny thing is I think I got most of it

What to expect and plan for in the months ahead?

First two months just getting her levels back to normal. Sometime after that we will get a consultation in Iowa City for info about Bone Marrow Transplant. As long as the Gleevec is keeping her cells in check this is probably not the course of action to pursue. Possibly this will lead to seeking matches through siblings for future.

How often will we need to see you? - Every week in the clinic for blood tests – keep track of levels. Then once per month to consult with him about any changes we notice or the blood levels indicate.

Can we get copies of all Jody’s tests? - Yep – and they are on file.

Many others…

We do feel comfortable with Dr. Sangha and what we are learning about Jody’s condition. We are “Living Victoriously” believing that we have already overcome this. By looking at Jody you would not be able to tell that there is anything wrong with her. She is coping with all this very well, but still fights her emotions on occasion when the overwhelming reality and her imagination gets the better of her. We have been walking together on a regular basis in the mornings and our nightly prayers have become an essential part of the day. I get to cuddle more than ever, and she just treats me like her big teddy bear. You know sometimes it takes devastating news to remind you how much you love someone. I pray you all will take a moment to tell the people in your life that you love them, and remember Jody and I love you too.