Posts by rowdyraven6

Look, Linda Peterson37, I’m definitely no expert here, so don't look to me for medical advice—I have zero clue about the official radiation limits and all that technical stuff. But, I can tell you what happened with my own family. A relative of mine had to go through head radiation, and the whole thing lasted about two weeks. It was basically a daily grind, Monday through Friday, plus a few extra days here and there. As for the actual procedure? Honestly, it was over before we knew it. Like, five minutes tops, since they were just targeting one specific spot. Super quick.

stormycanyon56 said:They pull the bone marrow from your pelvic bones—basically just above your butt🙂
and you end up with a tiny little puncture scar on each side. Honestly, mine are barely even visible now. It’s really not that big of a deal. I actually think every healthy person should be a potential donor since it can literally save someone's life without any lasting impact on you.

Well, that’s exactly what I was thinking... pelvic bones... yeah, my anatomy skills are clearly non-existent 😬. You only had two needle marks? We had three... We did ours over at Mercury. It took a minute to heal, but it’s seriously not a huge thing. I was expecting way bigger scars, but now there's basically nothing left. So yeah... there you go. 👍

Absolutely nothing has changed👍. Seriously though, where on earth did you get those bones from? My brother says he saw them in a dumpster behind a CVS, so I gotta know—did you end up with any little scars or anything?

So, I already put some thoughts down over here. 😉

I can walk you through how it works, just like stormymaker24 mentioned. Basically, they hook you up to the machine via one arm—blood goes out into the device where everything gets processed—and then it flows right back into your other arm. Another way is to go under general anesthesia; from what we’ve seen, they just numb the lower part of the leg and pull out a little bit of bone marrow. You'll probably spend a day or two at the hospital and then you're good to head home. It's really not that big of a deal—my 7-year-old brother was actually a donor. Since he went through the whole thing, if he can handle it, anyone can 🙂. I'm not sure if that's the standard procedure for everyone or if they just did it that way for my brother because he's so small, but apparently, once they draw some blood, they just pump it back in through an IV. I know they wouldn't give him someone else's blood, so they just took a bag of his own a few days prior and cycled it back to him. Might sound intense, but honestly, if a 7-year-old can do it... though, hey, I don't know about that fear of needles 🙂 🙂

Angela Wright, I am 100% with you on how our healthcare system is set up... Especially since there just aren't enough people on staff, particularly when dealing with cancer. I just wanted to chime in regarding the doctors. We were treated over at Mercury in the hematology department, and honestly, the doctors and nurses there were amazing. Obviously, they’re human and have their ups and downs, but they were seriously professional. You can actually trust them; I never felt weird about stopping one of the doctors to ask a question or whatever. I even know for a fact they consulted with specialists from the US for some of the treatment plans—they clearly stay in the loop with top-tier experts. Plus, they always had other pros nearby, like a psychiatrist who would drop by every couple of days to check on people stuck in the sterile wards. Sure, they’re exhausted and pulling overtime, but we never dealt with any massive screw-ups like what happened to Rachel Phillips9. Which, frankly, totally shocked me because we're talking about typing here?! That should be handled with insane precision and oversight, because, you know, someone's life is literally on the line!

Aaron Johnson29 said:They’re seeing 97% involvement, and they said they’re going to put in a catheter and start chemo right away. Looks like treatment could drag on for up to two years depending on how he handles it.

He’s gonna be fine. Such a little fighter. Just stay close to him and give him all the love—I'm sure it's tough on the poor guy, especially having to deal with those sterile hospital rooms. Sending big hugs 😘.

Just wanted to mention (in case you haven't seen it yet) that if you search "leukemia" on Google, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society page pops up. It's nothing crazy, but there's some info on the disease and how things get treated just to give you something to read through if you're looking for details.

Aaron Johnson29 said:Thanks for letting me ask because I honestly have no clue who else to turn to. What’s really freaking us out is the whole "relapse" thing. If you happen to know, does a recurrence affect how successful a bone marrow transplant will be? It’s a huge relief that my sister had her second boy, so they were able to collect cord blood stem cells at birth. But we're just spiraling thinking—does it matter if the disease came back when it comes to the healing process after the transplant?

I don't think the relapse should mess with the transplant itself. How the disease behaves is just different for everyone—some people bounce back after a few rounds of chemo, some need a transplant, and for others, even that isn't a guarantee. Basically, chemo is meant to wipe out the bad cells, but there's always that tiny chance a few survivors are hiding somewhere... Once therapy finishes, they're suppressed, but if any are left, they start replicating again. That's why they don't just do one round of chemo; they go through full cycles to try and kill off as many as possible to reach a cure. When they get them under control, that's remission, but yeah, the risk of it coming back is always hovering there. Again, it's totally individual. That’s exactly why they do the transplant—to introduce healthy bone marrow and hopefully hit that total cure. It's awesome that you already have those stem cells ready, and seriously, it's great that he's holding up so well physically and mentally. I truly believe things will work out; he just needs to stay a fighter and have you by his side! If you don't mind me asking, how many rounds of therapy has he finished? And did he have to go into sterile isolation? I'm not sure what it's like over at Salat, we were at Mercury. Don't know about your experience, but the doctors and nurses at Mercury were honestly top-notch.

Aaron Johnson29 said:It’s my first time posting here. My nephew was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia back on Christmas Eve, 2002. He went through absolute hell with treatments when he was three, but he beat it. This year, he was finally supposed to start school since he's turning seven. But, during his regular checkup this past Monday, the labs showed the leukemia is back—even though it hasn't hit his blood counts yet. He’s in the hospital today, and they'll probably look into a bone marrow transplant after therapy. I just need to know if anyone knows of even one case where a kid fully recovered after a relapse? All we ever hear are terrible prognoses. I just want to be there for my sister, give her some hope and comfort, but I honestly don't know how.

Hey Aaron Johnson29, hang in there. My brother was diagnosed with leukemia three years ago, and our whole family went through the wringer with him—full treatment cycles, bone marrow transplants, the whole nine yards. So, if you need to ask anything, just go for it. I don't want to freak you out, but my brother did pass away from this horrible disease. His was a different type, though; the doctors thought the rapid cell growth during puberty caused everything to spiral out of control. I still remember the doctors telling us things might be easier if he were younger. Basically, they said the chances for recovery and getting back to a normal life are way higher for younger patients (kids), hovering somewhere around 80%, which is actually a pretty high percentage.🙂 😘

[QUOTE=Ryan Fisher64;

I am so incredibly sorry, honey. I know how brutal it is just sitting there, watching someone you love go through that. I’ve been exactly where you are. There’s that tiny, desperate shred of hope you cling to—that little voice whispering maybe things will turn around, maybe they'll get better—but they don't. My brother passed away from leukemia two months ago, and those final days were just gut-wrenching, especially when nobody can give you any real answers, not even the doctors at Mount Sinai Hospital... But you still hold on and try. Unfortunately, life doesn't always end the way we want it to. Sending you so much love again. Hang in there.

Hey everyone. I’ve been lurking on this forum for a while now, but I only just stumbled upon this specific thread. Honestly, seeing how much you all back each other up made me feel a little better. I totally get it—that kind of support is exactly what I needed, and still need, since I've been through the wringer myself dealing with the pain of losing someone I love to cancer. Sending big hugs, stay strong, and keep fighting. Love, rowdyraven6. 😘