Day 80
All too often, posts come in on the ALL listserv from the family of a newly diagnosed patient. One come in tonight.
I'm the grandmother of a 3 year old, just diagnosed, desperately ill
little boy. He was diagnosed 36 hours ago, and typed last night. I
know this is an illness much more common with adults than kids. Are
there family members of other children on this list? Of course we're
devastated and because his counts are so wacky right now before any
treatment, just hope they can keep him going for the chemo to do its
work. He's in the children's hospital in Tulsa, and I'm in Alaska.
I don't know that what one says in response matters as much as that someone hears, and I answered as best I could.
If the doctors are able to act in time, you need to listen and learn quickly, care, hope and - as you are able - pray. AML is uncommon in children, but the resilience of youth can offset the statistics. My son is 22, not quite a year from diagnosis, has received a transplant and is doing well.
I have little to share that can help. Learn a lot quickly. There can be great success from superior care. MD Anderson in Houston is one of the best centers anywhere. I moved my family 3000 miles to be near the best of care.
Cancer resides in one body, but infects everyone who is close. Know that all need special care.
ALL has an 85% success rate today in treatment among children. AML is harder, but hope was the one thing that Pandora found when all the rest had escaped her box. Hope, at times, is all I have had. Thus far, it has given me the joy of knowing my son much more deeply than most fathers could ever experience.
Look for life, I suppose.
I will post again later on John's biopsy if I can. Good night/morning until then.
I'm the grandmother of a 3 year old, just diagnosed, desperately ill
little boy. He was diagnosed 36 hours ago, and typed last night. I
know this is an illness much more common with adults than kids. Are
there family members of other children on this list? Of course we're
devastated and because his counts are so wacky right now before any
treatment, just hope they can keep him going for the chemo to do its
work. He's in the children's hospital in Tulsa, and I'm in Alaska.
I don't know that what one says in response matters as much as that someone hears, and I answered as best I could.
If the doctors are able to act in time, you need to listen and learn quickly, care, hope and - as you are able - pray. AML is uncommon in children, but the resilience of youth can offset the statistics. My son is 22, not quite a year from diagnosis, has received a transplant and is doing well.
I have little to share that can help. Learn a lot quickly. There can be great success from superior care. MD Anderson in Houston is one of the best centers anywhere. I moved my family 3000 miles to be near the best of care.
Cancer resides in one body, but infects everyone who is close. Know that all need special care.
ALL has an 85% success rate today in treatment among children. AML is harder, but hope was the one thing that Pandora found when all the rest had escaped her box. Hope, at times, is all I have had. Thus far, it has given me the joy of knowing my son much more deeply than most fathers could ever experience.
Look for life, I suppose.
I will post again later on John's biopsy if I can. Good night/morning until then.
