This past week we have been at Emory about every day trying to collect stem cells.I have been takin growth facto shots 3times a day a home. Aimee had done a great injection job.
The shots stimulate cell production but really make me weak.
Thurs and Fri there was a successful collection. This involves staying hooked to a machine for about 4 hours that separates out the stem cells. Now I have enough for a
transplant and enough left over for a backup. My white count went up to about 40000(normal is about 11000).
Before I started the shots I was given a high dose of cytoxin and this has made me lose some hair but not much
The shots combined with cytoxin take away most of my energy but this is physical and not mental. I feel good,appetite is coming back.(Lived on liquids like ensure about a week) No pain.
Emory is going to evaluate my progress and we should know what happens next fairly soon. The next step is going to be the actual transplant and this will be the hardest part and involve several weeks in the hospital,heavy duty chemo and who knows what else.
I am very sure that that this procedure will work and put me into remission but I understand that this takes months of recovery.
Thanks for your interest and comments.
5 comments:
Franklin you sound great. We look forward to hearing more from you in the coming weeks.
It was wonderful talking to Aimee today.
Teresa
Thanks for doing this blog (you are way ahead of me!)- it's a great way for everybody to stay in touch with y'all. Have tried to call several times but did not leave any messages. Just want y'all to know that we are thinking about y'all and praying for you both. If there is ANYTHING we can do for either of you, please don't hesitate to call. Keep the good news coming
Jimmy and Florence.
Good to hear from you Franklin. I know that you were looking forward to a couple of days at home over the week-end. Hope that you got some rest. Looking forward to seeing you on the 13th.
Dell
I'm glad to hear that your hair isn't completely falling out! But, even if did, at least you would have an excuse. I can only blame my ancestors for my hair loss:)
You and Aimee are a real inspiration. Your fight and drive and ability to maintain a positive approach are life lessons that we can all learn from. Thank you.
You may be on the front lines in the fight, but you’ve got an Army of support ready to help whenever you need it. I’m standing by…
Thinking of you and praying often for a speedy and full remission!
-J
Hi from St. Simons! Great idea to have a blog! I'm just signing on and made one of those ironical mistakes, writing you a huge long comment and losing it all when I had to officially sign in. Live and learn!
Think of you often. At a party Sat. night I talked a long while with a wife whose husband has found 4 years remission from your same disease through a particularly up-to-date medication. Your doctors surely know it, but, alas, I can't remember it now. She shared great optimism!
Thanks for your note. I thought I caught a glimpse of the book in your naming your calling your experience "Franklin's Big Adventure"--certainly BIG, and ADVENTURE triggers that proactive problem-solving-whatever-may-come determination! Good for you.
I've been staying busy with a number of things, the most recent being promoting a film "Voices in Wartime" which I learned about early this year from membership in the National Association of Poetry Therapists. The documentary film was made by an independent company in Seattle, WA, using footage from a wide range of wars over the globe, interviews with various combat-experienced personnel, and poetry through the ages. One idea is that the poet bears witness to things that would not ordinarily be available to anyone else (Wilfred Owen and Sassoon in WWI, for instance). Another idea is that poetry can lead to healing through expression and thrinking through almost unbearable and/or conflicting feelings. The Friends of the Library (on whose board I currently serve as the experimental Poetry Outreach Chair) found the film too shocking and too political to sponsor, but I found co-sponsors in my congregation's Social Justice Team (of the Unitarian Universalists of Coastal Georgia), Saint Mark's Episcopal Church, Lord of Life Lutheran Church, and GlynnPeace (a local anti-war group). On Dec. 6 we had an audience of 30 people for the film and, following it, a reading of ten poems submitted by the public. Afterwards some people said it seemed as if the audience was larger than 30, concluding that it was the involvement of those present that made the difference. Fourteen UUCGs attended; that made the difference, some of us think (smile!)
It seems likely that other things may develop from the film, certainly it's being shown nationwide in groups like ours, but also in small groups for those suffering the effects of war, veterans and civilians.
Anyway, I'm staying out of trouble, mostly.
At an art show this weekend, an old codger from around Lakeland, FL, explained about his photo of a kyaker in white water below some shoals (maybe the Suwanee). After spending five hours walking to the spot known by "those who know such things," he watched and photographed for hours the kyaker's efforts to jump up the shoals, purposefully focusing on body language and avoiding specific facial identification. He wanted to convey the incredible, repeated effort, the indomitable human spirit in action on this kyaker's big adventure.
My hat's off to you!
Love,
Mary F.
Post a Comment