Chemo began this week. So far it’s been fine – three needles filled with azacitidine to the belly Monday. Three more on Tuesday just below the first three. Each needle takes less than 30 seconds. Once I arrived at PMH and check in, they pull the azacitidine out of the freezer and prepare it. It takes about an hour to prepare, so we wait in the waiting room for about 90 minutes before getting called. Then I go in and get the three needles. Each time I’m there, the nurse is very friendly and answers questions patiently. She grabs a nurse practitioner or a pharmacist to answer my other questions. Between Friday’s blood check appointment and the Monday and Tuesday appointments, I bet I spent a good 90 minutes just having questions patiently answered.

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On Tuesday June 6 my wife and I were sat down by the doctor and it was explained to us that my blast count was at 15% and that I was designated “high risk”. I would most certainly need a stem cell transplant and that chemo would need to start almost immediately. They scheduled it for June 12.

Continue reading “I was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome Part 2” →

It has been several days since I got the phone call. I knew it wouldn’t be good, but hoped it would be better. Dr. Crump, my doctor at PMH, specializes in lymphoma, but two-and-a-half years ago had ruled out lymphoma. He called me personally on Friday evening before the long weekend. I was with my kids. My eight-year-old daughter, Avery, answered the phone.

Continue reading “I was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome” →