On Grey’s Anatomy last week, Dr. Derek Shepherd (enough playing, McDreamy) is called in from home to soothe a young man unhinged with pain after a highly invasive surgery. The attending physician has already tried morphine with no relief. Where heavy narcotics fail, McDreamy flourishes. After placating the patient he turns to the worried mother, [...]
The diagnosis rate of aplastic anemia is three people out of every million and when a sample of my bone marrow confirmed what blood tests were suggesting, I remember feeling that ratio sit heavy in my stomach. Sickness forces a person to confront an uncomfortable truth; despite the instability of our own lives, the world [...]
One of the keys to a successful solid organ (or tissue)transplant is convincing the recipient’s body to accept the donation. In these scenarios the body is a prowling tiger and the new tissue an alluring prey. Luckily, drugs like Cyclosporin and Tacrolimus can tranquilize the beast and organ rejection can be prevented. In bone marrow and stem [...]
I thought about posting something here for awhile. A friend asked me what’s the delay, a lot of things I guess. Some of it was laziness and lethargy, some of it the insecurity that clings to all writing, but mostly it was doubt; doubting that the last four months could be done justice in the [...]
My move to the West Coast has meant spending most of my time seeing doctors. A good bone marrow transplant demands preparation. But when there is some down time, it’s spent with my caregiver. She’s the only person I know out here. She’s also my mother. She has a thing for asking me questions about [...]
It’s been awhile since I offered an update of what’s going on with my health. Last time, I told you my bone marrow accomplished something. Turns out it wasn’t anything worth bragging about. Two days ago I moved cross country. Moved into an apartment complex that’s population is entirely made up of transplant patients and [...]
Seun Adebiyi is 26 and has an Ivy League education. He has a great job and a a shot at being an Olympian in 2014. Adebiyi has cancer. Lymphoblastic lymphoma and stem-cell leukemia, the cure is a stem cell transplant. For now Adebiyi has not been able to find a bone marrow match and has [...]
In October I posted my letter of appeal after Blue Cross Blue Shield’s told me it would not cover my bone marrow donor search. After hearing no response for several weeks I resent the letter certified and finally heard back. The verdict was…there was no verdict. My appeal was not reviewed because I did not [...]
Researchers have for the first time performed a successful bone marrow transplant to cure sickle cell disease in adults, according to the Los Angeles Times. The team reported it has developed a much-less-toxic transplant procedure and used it to cure nine of the first 10 patients studied. The hereditary disorder primarily effects those of African [...]
Here’s a short feature on Matt Fioretti at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance website. Fioretti, a mountain climber and guide, was diagnosed with aplastic anemia a short time after leading a climb along Nirekha Peak, in the Himalayas. When reflecting on the bone marrow transplant he eventually underwent he says, “My attitude was good. There [...]
A. Anemia News
