[RTTY] W0ETC Update (DELETE IF NOT INTERESTED)

[Larry L Lindblom]

I had a Hematology appointment last Monday to again evaluate the status
of my Chronic Lymphatic Leukemia.  My red blood cell values all increased
over where they were a week ago and the trend has been positive for three
weeks which is good.  Also, the white cell values decreased slightly from
where the were which is positive.  

The hematologist and I had a long discussion about further treatment
options.  We've made progress in the past five months but things by in
large have in a vicious cycle the 2- 3 months.  The vicious cycle being
the white cells moving in the desired direction but the red cells going
the wrong way.  This is followed by increasing my steroid dose that had
been decreased. However, that increases the red cells (good) but also
increases the white cells (bad).

We discussed four options to break  the above cycle.  The options  range
from oral meds, to another type of chemo, to 12 weeks of 3 times per week
injections, to a spleen removal. The spleen removal will not impact the
Leukemia but it might allow the chemo therapy to work and avoid the red
blood cell problems.  

All of the treatments have potential down sides.  Were are going to do
nothing for a couple of weeks except for a CT scan to check out my Lymph
nodes and do some more blood work.  I'll see the hematologist again if
the next 2 weeks and we'll try to make a decision based on the available
information.  As she said it is a major decision and we need time to get
all the facts we can and think it over.   And, if things improve in the
next couple of weeks, who knows what options will be on the table then. 
The only thing that is clear as I've known from the beginning is there is
no magic bullet and I'm in this for the long haul!  

Maybe my situation proves that healing is more of an art form than  a
science;-)

73 W0ETC

Larry L