March 17, 2014

I must say I had a decent sleep, even though strange thoughts and dreams were crowding my brains. Amongst all these confusions, I did wake up at 5 and made that first carafe of coffee. 

From that point on, the brain latches onto a singular task -- get the girls ready for school and no major upsetting event in the process.

It is 8:10am and I am finally sitting down. 

Overnight and late last evening, I was trying to understand in detail what my treatment journey would like -- here is what I have understood so far.

1. I will start Chemo therapy on Thursday and will go on for 5 days. It is a "cocktail" of 3 drugs (I hope one is to help me sleep!).

2. After 5 days, the next 2 or 3 weeks are considered the "recovery" period. 

3. Two weeks from the first day of Chemo, a bone marrow biopsy will be done to gage progress.

4. If there isn't sufficient progress, I will be administered more chemo -- the idea being, getting me into "remission"

5. Assuming I am in remission during the 2nd week to 4th week, I will get to go home.

6. In parallel to all this, there will be (frantic, I believe) search for a bone marrow donor who may match my dna. 

7. Assuming there is a match, the bone marrow transplant team will take over...{at that point, I literally will be in the hands of GOD)

8. Assuming there is no bone marrow match, I will undergo "consolidation" chemotherapy to flush out any and all remaining leukemic cells. 

If step #8 was chosen, my oncologist has said, there is 100% probability, Leukemia will come back. 

With such dire prognosis, I asked my doctor, what could my friends / relatives do to help ? His immediate response was to have as many childhood friends / neighbors / classmates / Indians donate their bone marrow.
One would never know whose donor marrow would match a person needing the transplant and thus saving that person's life. 

Please take a moment to consider -- here is the contact information for my Cancer Center...they do ship out kits or will provide proper instructions. I am especially calling on my friends/relatives originally from India or first generation immigrants. {Out of 1.3 billion people. there has got to be one that matches my DNA !}

for general information, please call Indiana University Health Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center at888.600.4822