http://www.babycenter.com/0_cord-blood-banking-an-overview_1362261.bc
Information about cord blood donation - forward to anyone you know who is pregnant or making efforts to get that way.
This week is a good news/bad news: Pal Ian is having bone marrow draw Friday morning. Seventh circle of hell for his parents and more of that infernal waiting for results. PRAY! I will not complain about pain today in honor of Ian. I wish I could drink Bailey's in honor of Joanne. Later...
Had the idea of researching cord blood donation and it looks like it has made great progress since I looked into it when pregnant with Nick. At that time, there was no way to donate the cord blood and the placenta was "medical waste"; unless of course, you wished to pay a private company $400/yr to store it for your private use. If Ian ends up needing bone marrow transplant it looks like this is the new trend instead of finding cooperative matching live donors. Less invasive, less costly and less chance of rejection. Interesting how something we have always wasted can be recycled.
The status of my doc visits yesterday is "it's all good". Surgeon removed 12" of my large intestine including some areas of diverticulitis and 27 lymph nodes, good margins to check for other spread of cancer. All came back negative. Healing is going well, I will be able to resume most all activities, exercise, even work in mid-July. Except housework - vacuuming, hauling heavy objects - that needs to wait 8-10 weeks. Darn. I had a long list of questions for the surgeon and he went down the list answering each one fully and completely, even with humor on some. He was THRILLED the pathology news was so good and seemed proud of his work on my abdomen. I'm thrilled even with the scars, and may even proudly wear my bikini from Australia this summer... in the privacy of my own back yard ;-P
The oncologist doesn't have all of the pathology tests back yet, so I need to go back in mid-July for those. The ones he has back look good, it was a Stage 1 T2 tumor and he's checking to see if it has an 18Qminus marker as well as if it is diploid or anuloid. HUH? The tumor had grown into but not through the muscle wall and was contained from spreading to lymph nodes. The other tests will show if it is genetic mutation and if it was a rapid or slow growing cancer. The thought of both docs is that it could have been there from 3-10 years before starting to show symptoms. Since some people NEVER show symptoms, I was actually lucky. Recurrence rate based on those results put me in about 10% chance of recurrence within 5 years. I will have to have annual blood tests, CT scan and after 5 years will be considered cured with no recurrence. Should be a piece of cake if I follow through on my plans to make me a more hostile host to cancer cells - the old diet and exercise game.
I finally feel like I can breathe again. Sleep is a bit elusive - note the time of this post - but will get back to normal. I feel I need to find a purpose for why this occurred and what I'm supposed to do about it. For now, that is support Joanne and her family while they help Ian.
Getting the whole family in on that act. My dad was sent to Archie McPhee's last week to collect stuff 8yo boy appropriate - who better for the job. The only place in town to get propeller beanies, chicken catapults and other wacky stuff. Mom and I spent Monday separating items into mailable boxes and apparently, he has already received 3 - way to go, TEAM PHENICIE!
Looking forward to celebrating with my faith community on Sunday! It's been a rapid and bumpy ride, but seems to be smoothing to a dull roar now! AMEN!
Feeling lots of PEACE and many BLESSINGS!
Michelle ;-P
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment