My blood work results are coming back in the normal ranges for the most part. My cancer protein level which was at 9, a high level, is now at 1.5. Praise God!
At SCCA, they give you a copy of your labs, which is great. At home Geoffrey and I can sit down and look at them leisurely. Out of the complete blood work panel there are only a couple of areas that are slightly above or slightly below the normal range. Having these lab reports makes it great to create questions to ask the team and/or to do research on the Internet to find definitions and answers.
My kidneys had damage when I started this journey, although I wasn't having any problems. Now they are fine and functioning normally as reflected in the lab reports. The itching is still there but a treatment is forthcoming. I also have a bone marrow aspiration procedure and bone marrow biopsy coming up.
Thank you for your prayers and your concern.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
How am I doing?
I am tired a lot. There is a substantial rash that has been itching constantly. It is hard to sleep as a result. I have come up with some remedies for it. The nurse practitioner, Michelle, has prescribed a treatment in ointment and powder form for me to use. The powder has cut the edge of the itching, making it bearable.
At Cascade Cancer Center I had a blood draw every week. At SCCA, I have a blood draw every time I walk through the door, which is daily. I have very small veins which are hard to access. As a result I come out of the blood draw area looking like I have been on the battle field with the various bandages all over my arms from where I have been poked. OUCH!!!!!!
At Cascade Cancer Center I had a blood draw every week. At SCCA, I have a blood draw every time I walk through the door, which is daily. I have very small veins which are hard to access. As a result I come out of the blood draw area looking like I have been on the battle field with the various bandages all over my arms from where I have been poked. OUCH!!!!!!
Seattle Cancer Care Alliance Team
I am sorry that I have not kept up with the blog like I wanted to, so that you can know what is happening. So the next few post are going to cover from the beginning of March until today, Sunday, March 20.
I was admitted to Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) and placed on the ROSE colored team. This team specializes in the treatment of Multiple Myeloma. The lead nurse, Dot, was warm, welcoming, and humorous. It was obvious that she loves what she is doing and that she does it well.
Michelle was the nurse practitioner who will be with my team for one more month before rotating onto another team. The nurse practitioners are with a team for three months before rotating. With the different procedures, like the bone marrow biopsy, she will oversee the procedure and will be present.
We even have our own scheduler, Jennika Littler. This young lady is so very organized and detail oriented. The weekly schedule we receive is broken down into days and the days are broken down into hours. Each hour indicates what appointment we have, where to go for that appointment, what preparations we need to do for the appointment and who we will meet. If the schedule changes, which it does multiple times either daily or weekly, I will receive a new schedule when I sign in for my daily visits. It is a new meaning on "You've got mail!" The other interesting thing about Jennika is that she was a student of Geoffrey in junior high school back in the late 1980's.
Our team is rounded out with a nutritionist, financial/insurance liason, social worker, and of course the attending physician. In one of the upcoming entries I will talk about the attending physician.
I was admitted to Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) and placed on the ROSE colored team. This team specializes in the treatment of Multiple Myeloma. The lead nurse, Dot, was warm, welcoming, and humorous. It was obvious that she loves what she is doing and that she does it well.
Michelle was the nurse practitioner who will be with my team for one more month before rotating onto another team. The nurse practitioners are with a team for three months before rotating. With the different procedures, like the bone marrow biopsy, she will oversee the procedure and will be present.
We even have our own scheduler, Jennika Littler. This young lady is so very organized and detail oriented. The weekly schedule we receive is broken down into days and the days are broken down into hours. Each hour indicates what appointment we have, where to go for that appointment, what preparations we need to do for the appointment and who we will meet. If the schedule changes, which it does multiple times either daily or weekly, I will receive a new schedule when I sign in for my daily visits. It is a new meaning on "You've got mail!" The other interesting thing about Jennika is that she was a student of Geoffrey in junior high school back in the late 1980's.
Our team is rounded out with a nutritionist, financial/insurance liason, social worker, and of course the attending physician. In one of the upcoming entries I will talk about the attending physician.
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