The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society - Fighting Blood Cancers

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80 Replies Last post: Mar 5, 2010 11:12 AM by willowbayfarm   Go to original post 1 2 3 4 5 6 Previous Next
mamawarrior   945 posts since
Apr 3, 2009
Currently Being Moderated
30. Nov 8, 2009 9:53 PM in response to: pamd
Re: Newly diagnosed just a month ago :)

So happy for you michele, that is wonderful news, every reason to celebrate. And you can scream like a schoolgirl now.

pinkydo123   366 posts since
Oct 7, 2009
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32. Nov 10, 2009 6:58 PM in response to: michele08
Re: Newly diagnosed just a month ago :)

Congrats Michelle!! In regards to hair I think some have said the texture change's.Slow and Steady win's the race, so take it easy.

willowbayfarm   406 posts since
Apr 12, 2009
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33. Nov 10, 2009 11:38 PM in response to: michele08
Re: Newly diagnosed just a month ago :)

Hey Michelle,

Great news on the BMB!  Sorry you're back in the slammer, but hopefully each day you're one step closer to being done with this stuff!  Hope you have an uneventful round.

- WBF

Tex   3,888 posts since
Apr 3, 2009
Currently Being Moderated
34. Nov 11, 2009 4:24 PM in response to: michele08
Re: Newly diagnosed just a month ago :)

Wow.  Best luck trying school so quickly after the end of chemo.  Just be sure you get a lot of rest and don't try to be Supergirl.

 

Glad you remain in remission.  That's the goal.   Keep up the good work.

 

Blessings

Tex   3,888 posts since
Apr 3, 2009
Currently Being Moderated
36. Nov 13, 2009 9:37 AM in response to: michele08
Re: Newly diagnosed just a month ago :)

michele08 wrote:

 

ha i'm not trying to be supergirl...i AM supergirl lol jk,


Wow.  And you gave up your secret identity so easily.  Hmm.

 

Hair loss will depend on your cnoditioning process.  If your include the chemo I had, you'll probably lose your hair more thoroughly than you did with induction.  I lost it all, eyebrows, nasal hair (that's a real bummer), underarms...everywhere except I kept a few eyelashes.

 

I still have hair loss on my legs, beard and have some thinned hair on my head.  That could be from GVH or just being a middle-aged man, though this is rather late in life to start male-pattern baldness.

 

I'm sure others will have differing experiences.  That's what happened to me.  You'll probably lose your hair.  But a lot of women look very attractive bald.

 

Blessings

pinkydo123   366 posts since
Oct 7, 2009
Currently Being Moderated
38. Nov 16, 2009 5:08 PM in response to: michele08
Re: Newly diagnosed just a month ago :)

Some people with (favorable) prognosis can do Chemo alone.Intermediate with normal cyto's goes either way.I think it's pretty routine with certain abnormalities in you're chromosomes to suggest transplant.

Natasha   26 posts since
Oct 5, 2009
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39. Nov 16, 2009 9:21 PM in response to: michele08
Re: Newly diagnosed just a month ago :)

I would ask the doc about transplant. My son was an infant at dx, so since he didn't have a match from someone in his immediate family, the doctors thought the risk outweighed the benefits of an unrelated matched donor. He did five rounds of chemo and was done with treatment. He fell in the intermediate risk category and is now nine months in remission. :-) It all depends on you and your doctor, though!

willowbayfarm   406 posts since
Apr 12, 2009
Currently Being Moderated
40. Nov 17, 2009 12:01 AM in response to: michele08
Re: Newly diagnosed just a month ago :)

Hi Michele,

Whether or not your doctor recommends a transplant is going to depend on several factors, so that's a great question to ask him/her.  Have you had a transplant consultation yet?  I had a consultation at the Hutch in Seattle to discuss the possibility of a transplant, but the transplant doctor I spoke with there ultimately recommended I try to go it with chemo alone, with a transplant as a backup option if I relapse.  But that recommendation was based on my cytogenetics and the unavailability of a suitable donor.  Ask your doctor, you have every right to be involved in this and other treatment decisions.  Best wishes.

- WBF

Tex   3,888 posts since
Apr 3, 2009
Currently Being Moderated
41. Nov 17, 2009 12:11 PM in response to: michele08
Re: Newly diagnosed just a month ago :)

In my case, it was a pretty sure thing that I was going to have a relapse and, in fact, I did.  I reported for my SCT in relapse and had to be re-induced before we could proceed.  That bought me an eightt-week stay in the hospital for both procedures.

 

I don't think normal cytogenics automatically sends one down the trasnplant road.  There are a lot of factors that go into the decision of if and when to do so.  Mine was pretty much that I gad MDS which is hard to beat on chemo alone and my counts were so slow to recover after my first induction (severn weeks in the hospital and two more weeks at home before I was out of neutropenia.)

 

I agree that's a good question to ask your doc.  And don't forget the second opinion from a transplantor.  As WBF found, sometimes the people experienced with tranplants will suggest giving chemo alone a try.

 

Blessings

ntcrawler   52 posts since
Dec 2, 2009
Currently Being Moderated
43. Dec 8, 2009 9:54 AM in response to: michele08
Re: Newly diagnosed just a month ago :)

Michele,

 

   Very glad things have been working out for you and your recovery has been progressing steadily and smoothly. So this is your third and final round for consolidation? That's excellent! One step closer! BTW how are things scheduled for you? How long is the actual round take to complete? Are you sent home or do you require a hospital stay for monitoring / recovering after the infusion?

 

   You said the chemo was delayed because of low ANC? Do they expect the numbers to improve overnight? What is the cut-off point?

 

   Prayers for your speedy recovery, well being, and remission / cure.

 

-Nt

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