Dakota, My prayers are also with you. I happen to work with the American Cancer Society in Austin and most leukemias are treatable. Here's the contact info (local) please call for any needs or questions. Most important, know that you are not alone. http://www.cancer.org/eprise/main/docroot/HOME/pff/pff_0?level=0 American Cancer Society 2433 Ridgepoint Dr B Austin, TX 78754 512-919-1800
I too have a friend who had luekemia at a young age. He wasn't supposed to live past the age of 10. He is now in his late 30's, has a wife and 3 beautiful kids. Be strong, they both need you.
Unfortunately, I have had a fair amount of experience with cancer (including luekemia) striking family and friends in the last 10 years. They have made great strides with certain kinds of luekemia, although I would be suspicious of any "this is going to be easy" kind of diagnosis. I hesitate to say too much, as all cases vary, but the fact is, chemo is poisoning your Mom, and you need to consider the potential for long term ramifications. The best thing you can do is educate yourself. There are many good books at the local bookstore, and more information than you can believe on the net. Start reading and good luck. Please keep us posted. Pipe P.S. I also strongly recommend keeping your own copy of your Mom's (and step Dad's) medical records. It is a pain, but you can't believe the number of times records get lost, or you need them to give to yet another kind of specialist.
I'm sorry to hear about that, DaDakota, but I'm glad the prognosis is good. I hope that all goes well for both your mother and step-father.
DaDa, I'm sorry to hear about your family members. I had a similiar situation last summer. My dad was not feeling well, went to the doctor and was diagnosed with clogged arteries. He opted to try the angioplasty. It didn't work, so he had to have quadruple by-pass surgery. They also discovered a huge aneurism. The doctors had to decide which surgery to do first. They did the heart, then we had to wait for him to recover 6 weeks before they could fix the aneurism. If it had burst, it would have been instantly fatal. The hardest part of all this was the waiting between surgeries. You're in a similiar situation, having to wait on the chemo treatment, before you can know you mom is okay. I felt very powerless. I wanted to do something, but I couldn't. I tried to handle the situation in a manner where my dad would not be worrying about me and my anxieties. When I was around him, I tried to be upbeat and optomistic. I tried to keep the mood light. My dad handled the whole thing surprisingly well. He has hardly been to the doctor in his entire life and can hardly tolerate even getting a shot. Anyway, I think its best to act like the outcome will be the best, while knowing the worst could happen. It sounds like the prognosis is good. I hope everything turns out well.
Dakota, With love from The Woodlands -- my prayers just went out to your Mom and stepdad. Hang in there bro'. Bryan C. Desjardins
