My PICC Line

My personal journey, with aplastic anemia, through the healthcare industry

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Entries Tagged ‘Aplastic anemia’

Update:crunch time’ and my bone marrow is M.J.

Over the last two weeks I’ve received five transfusions total, three last week and two this week.
At my most recent visit the doctor explained to me we’re approaching “crunch time,” if my body is responding to the ATG my blood counts should move closer to normal over the next few weeks.
A basketball coach once told [...]

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Blood, platelets, fewer meds, less time in the clinic and bricks

Last Tuesday I received three transfusions—-two units of  platelets and one unit of red blood cells. It’s still too early to tell if the ATG is working.  The first round of treatment was 41 days ago, as mentioned before 120 days is generally when the doctors have an idea of the serum’s effectiveness.

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Five lifestyle changes since Aplastic Anemia

It’s been 47 days since I went to the emergency room, 44 days since I was diagnosed with aplastic anemia. There have been adjustments, giving up old habits and taking up new ones. Here’s five lifestyle adjustments underwent over the past month and few weeks.
1. The low microbial diet. The diet is the opposite of [...]

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Know your health insurance plan

I never thought I would be sick. Like so many other people, I figured for most of  my life I would hardly use my health insuranc; complaining about it occasionally at family gatherings but accepting it as one of those annoying but necessary costs of doing business. On May 1, 2009 the day I qualified [...]

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American healthcare and the Canadian Model that won’t help

As healthcare reform in Washington turns more and more political, American media often gravitates to the extreme, more sensational proposals from either party. Hard right wingers cling to the idea of America being hijacked by “socialized medicine,” die hard Democrats insist universal coverage is the flawless alternative to what we have. Like most arguments, the [...]

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My nemesis

I’ve developed an enemy since my diagnosis, he’s sleek, shiny, a real hot shot. He looks like a dream but when it comes to work, he’s a lazy S.O.B. Always missing spots, leaving just a little something behind, never going the extra mile, you know the type. This morning we battled for 30 minutes before [...]

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Aplastic anemia, what it is and what it is not….

On June 30 I underwent a bone marrow biopsy and aspiration. The procedure was done while lying on my hospital bed, it took about 20 minutes and was many things, none of them being pleasant.  By the following day, after analysis of the samples they had my diagnosis.
So, what is aplastic anemia?

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