tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38612301569610306922012-02-16T18:44:20.100-05:00What happens when you're diagnosed with a disease you've never heard of - Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS).Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.comBlogger1881100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-73815413715351932052010-07-04T09:55:00.000-04:002010-07-04T09:55:17.516-04:00

About 175 of us - friends and family from all chapters in Mitch's life gathered on Sunday, June 27, to share memories and celebrate his life.  It was wonderful with stories from his childhood, years as a drama student, his sports and baseball friends, skiing friends and family.  I know we missed notifying some people and I apologize.  I'm inserting links to photos taken by my sisters Susan and

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-52320732374533545452010-03-30T06:47:00.000-04:002010-03-30T06:47:46.892-04:00

Here is a link to an entry "Rest in Peace Jerzy Snowman" on Martin Griff's Newark Star Ledger/Trenton Times (nj.com)  blog.  Thanks Martin.  I know how much Mitch enjoyed traveling with you. Penny 

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-6214347399890580052010-03-28T05:54:00.001-04:002010-03-28T05:55:52.847-04:00

Peter Hines and NASJA (North American Snowsports Journalists Association) created this lovely "not-a-dry-eye-in-the-house" video to pay tribute to Mitch for his role in NASJA and his love of skiing and snow sports.  It's taken from the NASJA website.  Many thanks all! Penny Mitch Kaplan Memorial Video from Peter Hines on Vimeo.

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-90034657072749603032010-03-18T07:58:00.000-04:002010-03-18T07:58:40.204-04:00

photo by Dino VournasToday the Bergen Record ran Mitch's obituary in place of his ski column which is very gratifying but it is a newspaper obituary and doesn't convey the depth of sadness, respect and support that we have received from all his famly, friends and colleagues.  Mitch gnashed his teeth many times over what was printed and what was not and I'm gnashing because they didn't give Dino

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-41042501230406586222010-03-15T20:42:00.000-04:002010-03-15T20:42:46.431-04:00

Mitch never regained any ground with the ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome) and today his kidneys had started to shut down and his heart rate (slowed by drugs) was irregular. His lungs continued to hemorrage.  Transfusions and a battery of drugs caused no improvement. By late afternoon we decided that it was time to let him go. His condition was so deteriorated that we felt it was cruel

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-12606011061647514502010-03-12T20:02:00.000-05:002010-03-12T20:02:50.365-05:00

Today Mitch's condition is more stable with heart rate down a bit and platelets and white cells up.  He is still totally sedated with a tube into his lungs for air and one to his stomach for food.  Laina and I were so pleased to see him looking better this morning.  But it is very hard to see him in this condition and totally out of it.  So by this evening we are anxious to get him off the tubes

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-45872024552128164322010-03-12T07:21:00.001-05:002010-03-12T07:22:20.175-05:00

Yesterday, as the day went on, Mitch experienced extremely high heart rates, low blood pressure and uncontrolled coughing on top of extreme fatigue. Doctors in the CCU (turns out he’s in CCU, rather than ICU – for us the same thing), took more x-rays and found the shadow on the right lung was progressing fast. With our consent they performed an endotracheal intubation – sedated him and inserted a

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-11128028585602709852010-03-11T12:32:00.000-05:002010-03-11T12:32:32.217-05:00

The results of the chemo hit Mitch hard this week, and he has been too exhausted to do anything. Thus no blogs, e-mails or telephone chats. Now his blood counts are starting to climb. It’s a good thing, too, because it looks like he’ll need all those newly developed white blood cells to fight off infections. For a couple of nights he’s been running occasional fevers, and now his breathing seems

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-65022868580706544012010-03-07T09:13:00.000-05:002010-03-07T09:13:28.236-05:00

Today's counts:Platelets: 19,000 Hemoglobin: 9.1 White Cells: 0.3 I'm beginning to give up on tracking these numbers. Or, at least seeking logic in them. The red cells didn't change. Okay, we didn't transfuse blood yesterday, so that makes some sense. The platelets rose reasonably. Makes sense, since we did transfuse platelets yesterday. The whites? Nothing. Despite Neupogen infusion. I mean,

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-12338173783213848512010-03-06T08:28:00.000-05:002010-03-06T08:28:53.257-05:00

Yesterday's counts were:Platelets: 11,000 Hemoglobin: 7.3 White Cells: 1.6 Today's counts are:Platelets: 6,000 Hemoglobin: 9.1 White Cells: 0.3 Initially, these counts were alarming. What the hell was going on? I thought they were supposed to start coming back up by now. Turns out we'd all miscalculated. Even Dr. O. We were a week ahead of ourselves. The counts should be bottoming out right

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-74945808820126158172010-03-05T08:28:00.000-05:002010-03-05T08:28:35.187-05:00

No post yesterday, largely because I had nothing to say.  For the record, yesterday's counts were Platelets: 18,000 Hemoglobin: 8.2 White Cells: 4.2 Not nearly the improvement I'd hoped for. And the fatigue continued. But, I'd attribute that more to a terrible prior night's sleep that resulted from a bad time waiting for a platelet transfusion. Without going into details, suffice it to say that

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-20278851475826271022010-03-03T16:27:00.000-05:002010-03-03T16:27:12.251-05:00

Today's counts:Platelets: 6,000 Hemoglobin: 9.1 White Cells: 7.8 Six thousand isn't a record low for platelets, but it ain't far off. No platelets means no energy. So, today I've slept. While I've waited four-plus hours for the platelet transfusion bag to show up. Even Ms. I.V. Pole is wondering what's going on. There have been better days. But, also worse.

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-51662033424321957902010-03-02T10:24:00.001-05:002010-03-02T10:25:25.278-05:00

As expected, the counts continue to descend.Platelets: 12,000 Hemoglobin: 7.9 White Cells: 11.8 Although Dr. O promises that today is "bottom out" day, it's difficult not to wonder, the doubt exacerbated by the fatigue factor. I was sound asleep by 8:30 last night, awakened by the nurse at 9:45 to be fed meds and be disconnected from Ms. I.V. Pole and, apart from the usual multiple, fluids-fed,

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-65595961985020570552010-03-01T09:41:00.001-05:002010-03-01T09:43:55.653-05:00

The word came down in no uncertain terms: those socks need washing. "No! No!" I argued. "These socks are way too comfortable and, besides, they're still the hit of the hospital." It could've gotten ugly. But—wait. Leena the Elder rode in to the rescue like the U.S. Cavalry with . . . replacement socks. The legend continues. (Photo by Laina Kaplan.) For them what tracks 'em, today's counts:

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-47508675105130093542010-02-28T10:22:00.000-05:002010-02-28T10:22:19.272-05:00

A funny thing is happening on the hair-loss front. Or, perhaps better to say hair loss/gain. The stuff is disappearing from my head. But, it's reappearing on my face. True, the beard is regrowing in spots and patches, and it's hardly visible in places, but sure enough there it is. Meanwhile, while there's a thin covering atop the cranium, the sides are totally bereft of foliage. Why is this?

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-57956178497326757182010-02-27T09:19:00.000-05:002010-02-27T09:19:08.365-05:00

Some begging was required. Some cajoling. A few promises. But, this AML-MDS victim has been cleared to get back on an airplane. Come March 23, he'll be boarding flights to Sun Valley, Idaho, to attend the annual ski journalists' national meeting, where he'll be able to fulfill his duties as the organization's paid secretary-treasurer. This is so good for my head. Today's counts are pretty good,

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-40253884540231394162010-02-26T09:36:00.001-05:002010-02-26T09:37:20.917-05:00

This morning I woke up waxing philosophic in a kind of existential way. I realized I'd been clock watching and counting the days.A few more hours til the next chemo. An hour til the current chemo is done. Today's the last day of chemo. Just another week til I'm out of here (hopefully). Three more weeks til the next chemo. Another six weeks and we might have a bone marrow donor. Four to six months

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-6655294992099390442010-02-25T12:53:00.000-05:002010-02-25T12:53:09.724-05:00

Business first (as my friends at Continental Airlines would say). Today's counts:Platelets: 109,000 Hemoglobin: 9.5 White Cells: 6.1 Those are pretty good counts. With one more day of chemo on the schedule, the question, of course, is how low will they go? Ah, only time will tell. Conferred with Dr. O this morning on how many of these consolidations we'd actually have to do. Basically, it

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-16311397328713913572010-02-24T11:17:00.000-05:002010-02-24T11:17:41.841-05:00

Freedom, as the right wingers tell us, isn't free. And, apparently, it's short-lived. My freedom from Ms. I.V. Pole, Queen of Chemo, lasted only one morning. Early yesterday afternoon Kate-the-Nurse came charging in with a bag of potassium-injected fluid, unceremoniously hung it on Ms. Pole and connected it to my PICC line. "On no," I cried. "How long does this have to last?" "All the time

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-31658302525038969892010-02-23T16:52:00.000-05:002010-02-23T16:52:09.144-05:00

World's most popular hospital socks. Photo by Penny Kaplan. Socks by Leena Kuivanen. Feet by MDS Mitch.

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-73411271398048548742010-02-23T07:04:00.003-05:002010-02-23T07:07:30.463-05:00

Back in the hospital. It's like old home week here. Everybody knows my name. Everybody remembers what the problem is and what I'm here for. Even the guy who wheeled me down to x-ray remembered me—as did the woman who coordinates the order in which patients go into x-ray. She greeted me enthusiastically, saying "We've met!" "Several times," I replied. With a smile. This place is rapidly

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-29232651869770748752010-02-22T06:55:00.000-05:002010-02-22T06:55:18.211-05:00

Well, it's H-Day. Return to hospital day. Or should we call it CC-Day. Consolidation-Chemo Day? No matter, it's back to the grind. It's difficult not to be discouraged by the prospect of multiple consolidation treatments when I'd really rather just get on with the transplant. I'd have to be insane to welcome more hospital stays over fewer. But, at least I know I'll be well attended on the

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-62013845501626646342010-02-20T07:00:00.001-05:002010-02-20T07:01:15.653-05:00

Yesterday was a totally down day. No energy. No focus. Unable to do much other than try to sleep, and sleep wasn't happening either. Which raised certain fears. Was this the beginning of falling blood counts? Did it have anything to do with a leukemia relapse? Or, was it just the result of a poor night's sleep the night before? The answer would appear to be the latter, since I'm up bright and

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-28263536168675683932010-02-19T09:39:00.000-05:002010-02-19T09:39:46.451-05:00

I started spending yesterday by moping around. Luckily there were enough mundane chores that had to be done—finish the taxes, write some checks for the ski writers' group, make of edits on a paper Laina's writing and try to discover why the health insurance folks think we're responsible for a Procrit shot the Dr. O jabbed into me on Dec. 29—to distract me and get me into a working frame of mind.

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-65600074316319155372010-02-18T07:05:00.000-05:002010-02-18T07:05:04.331-05:00

Oh crap. It's back to the hospital we go. And me, I was just getting my feet back under me and getting used to being home. Seems that Dr. O, after conferring with Dr. T, decided that a consolidation chemotherapy treatment session is in order. That was not surprising. She wants to start on Monday. That was more than surprising. It's downright disheartening. Not because I don't understand why

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-91990728311125685742010-02-17T06:43:00.000-05:002010-02-17T06:43:22.104-05:00

Yesterday I put in 20 minutes walking time on the treadmill and managed to do three sets of 20 ab crunches. Another victory over the mundane. The doctors and certain folks around here keep telling me I must put on weight, re-gain some of what was lost in the hospital. Fifteen pounds were lost, by the way. And, I must re-gain the weight so I am better prepared for consolidation chemo and

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-60812458238441546282010-02-15T18:58:00.000-05:002010-02-15T18:58:09.869-05:00

The meeting with Dr. T went well. There's some good news and not-so-good news. Not-so-good: my brother is not a bone marrow match. This, of course, means that a search of the international bone marrow donors registry must be made to find a match. The good news there is that a preliminary computer scan of the registry came up with 50 possible matches. These aren't confirmed matches, but strong

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-46230529318121310452010-02-15T06:50:00.000-05:002010-02-15T06:50:16.723-05:00

Today's the day. At noon, we meet with Dr. Transplant in hopes of coming away with some idea of how we're going to proceed. I confess this is generating some tension for me. I've conjectured a lot about what I think will happen—getting on with the procedure in short order if my brother is a bone marrow match; or waiting weeks or months til a match is found—but that's just me conjecturing. What I

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-43800136649793508772010-02-14T06:42:00.000-05:002010-02-14T06:42:52.122-05:00

Yesterday Penny and I took these MDS/AML-wracked bones for a walk in the park. We strolled (strolling being about the fastest pace I can muster right now) up to the school and back, a distance of perhaps a third of a mile. The snow is piled pretty high, but the walks are mostly clear and, except for one section, there was no danger from slippery stuff underfoot. It was delightful and uplifting

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-23495029780858698772010-02-12T07:35:00.002-05:002010-02-12T07:35:31.770-05:00

Yesterday's counts:Platelets 73,000 Hemoglobin 10.5 White Cells 5.3 and in perfect balance I was admonished by Dr. O to consume more calories. "You need to gain back the weight you've lost," she said, "so you have strength for the next round." She suggested macaroni and cheese and ice cream. As she's Indian, we wondered later if folks from India eat a lot of mac-and-cheese. Never saw that on an

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-39843438641450827462010-02-11T08:42:00.001-05:002010-02-11T15:26:14.319-05:00

I'm freezing. It's usually pretty damned cold in this house, but this morning I can't get warm at all. A puzzlement. Then, it dawns on me. The chemotherapy for the AML has left me bereft of much hair. And then Penny trimmed the cranium covering yesterday in an effort to make me look a bit less like a madman. And most of my beard had dropped off; the remaining stubble has stopped growing. I'm

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-12848760501596737442010-02-10T06:36:00.001-05:002010-02-10T06:37:29.781-05:00

As the old song "Hello Stranger" would have it It seems like a mighty long time (shoo-bop shoo bop, my baby, ooh).  After a month and three days (but who was counting) of being injected, poked, prodded, monitored, scanned and infused, it feels so good to be back in my own house, to sleep in my own bed, the be eating real food, and—thank goodness—to have access to Turner Classic Movies again. Yes

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-59536003892914115822010-02-09T18:01:00.000-05:002010-02-09T18:01:29.483-05:00

Daily Mitch Report – Tuesday, February 09, 2010 All is still going well. We’ve got an appointment with the Dr. Sharma to monitor blood on Thursday and one on Monday with the bone marrow transplant doctor. We’ll let you know how it all goes. Mitch is feeling better and has a little more energy. He says he has been noshing all afternoon and even had a couple of Mother’s tangerines and “they were

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-72598187554434437922010-02-08T19:56:00.000-05:002010-02-08T19:56:03.991-05:00

Daily Mitch Report - Monday, Feb. 8, 2010 All is well. Don't worry! I was hoping Mitch would pick this up, but he says "Ask me in the morning." He did some stuff in the morning, but took it easy in the afternoon, and is now pretty exhausted. I worked a whole day for the first time in a month, and then made dinner for the three of us, so this e-mail is later than usual, The big debate is whether

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-64879287712659629442010-02-07T18:03:00.002-05:002010-02-07T18:55:49.224-05:00

Daily Mitch Report – Sunday, February 07, 2010 Mitch is delighted to be home and has celebrated by taking a bath and watching non-stop movies on TV to be followed by the SuperBowl (Stupor Bowl to some) after a gourmet dinner of macaroni and cheese. I’m hopeful that the Daily Mitch Report will no longer need to be daily. It’s been a lazy day (except for those doing laundry, grocery shopping,

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-68279020676334819332010-02-06T17:24:00.001-05:002010-02-06T17:25:16.988-05:00

Daily Mitch Report – Saturday, February 06, 2010 This hospital discharge gets an A. When Leena (aka Leena the Elder) and I got to the hospital around 11 a.m. for a visit, Dr. Sharma was writing the discharge orders, and Mitch was out and home by 2 p.m. So this hospital discharge will be submitted to the Guinness Book of Records. After a bowl of cream of wheat he climbed the stairs, crawled into

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-92039311014281549052010-02-05T17:13:00.001-05:002010-02-05T17:14:13.880-05:00

Daily Mitch Report – Friday, February 05, 2010 Dr. Sharma says it looks like Mitch can be discharged tomorrow. She wants to clear it with the myriad of other doctors involved, but it looks good. Of course it’s not soon enough for Mitch who can’t bear another minute. I’m doing my best but he’s still got a bit of a long face. The blood counts are holding, with the whites at 4.9, platelets at 16,000

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-70051680327691798952010-02-04T17:49:00.000-05:002010-02-04T17:49:51.096-05:00

The Daily Mitch Report - Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010 Today Mitch’s mood caught up with his physical improvements and the different is night and day. Yesterday he was just a lump, but today he’s almost animated. And, I think, feeling hopeful about the improvement all around. He’s talking with the nurses about his new book (copies arrived in the mail today), filling out his trip cancellation insurance

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-1328797213720650042010-02-03T17:23:00.000-05:002010-02-03T17:23:16.271-05:00

Daily Mitch Report – Weds, Feb. 3, 2010 Another day of exhaustion for Mitch although the counts improved with a white blood count of 4.7! Hemoglobin was 10.1 and platelets 13. His protein levels are rising too and that should help the edema. But he is one sad sack with his digestive system still not working right and feeling sooooooo tired. As I work Weds night I visited him in the morning

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-30019981836770796422010-02-02T18:07:00.001-05:002010-02-02T18:08:23.371-05:00

Daily Mitch Report – Tuesday, February 02, 2010 We know it’s a good sign when the patient feels well enough to be irritable, but for Mitch it’s been a day of petty aggravations. A little of this, a little of that – and dealing with the hospital food is a major problem for him. He’s on a soft diet so they send him a roast beef sandwich! And he can’t tolerate the timing of dinner at 4:45 p.m.

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-5780051947283514722010-02-01T17:45:00.000-05:002010-02-01T17:45:41.478-05:00

Daily Mitch Report – Monday, February 01, 2010 Baby steps of progress. Two “soft” meals have arrived and our boy says he’s eaten most of them. That means cream of rice cereal, a little soup and a roll. And he took a little walk – 40 feet? - And sat up in one of his chairs for “at least an hour.” Our evening nurse is scouring the floor for a foot stool so he can sit even longer with his still

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-24348852126884600742010-01-31T17:11:00.000-05:002010-01-31T17:11:50.911-05:00

Daily Mitch Report – Sunday, January 31, 2010 The good news continues. The white blood count is 3.1, and while that rates an” L for low” on the printout, for Mitch it is very positive. Platelets are at 21,000, and hemoglobin 9.4. Even Dr. Sharma was very pleasantly surprised and has taken him off the Neupogen to see how he does on his own. She’ll do a bone marrow biopsy middle of next week to

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-15075376587504164602010-01-30T16:46:00.001-05:002010-01-30T16:54:35.861-05:00

Daily Mitch Report – Saturday, January 30, 2010 Good news today…the white count is up to 1! And Mitch reports he is generally feeling a bit better. His digestive system is more comfortable and he thinks the basketball in his stomach may be slightly smaller. The diarrhea is quieting, and a brilliant nurse attached a bubbler to add some moisture to his oxygen so even his nose feels better. Dr.

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-38628173690298049432010-01-29T16:44:00.002-05:002010-01-29T16:48:26.926-05:00

Mitch had really hoped to post much sooner than this, and has resisted having me post anything because he wanted to keep this blog in his own voice. But, it is obvious from the amount of time without a post that he’s not up to it yet. The first task is to bring you up to date. The effects of the chemo are indeed devastating on many systems of the body. Most troublesome for him has been colitis

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-52110877552910404552010-01-19T08:36:00.000-05:002010-01-19T08:36:15.335-05:00

We were this close. A few minutes away. Ready to declare victory over Chemotherapy Stage I. Not so fast, Mister. Less than an hour before the last chemo bag was to be detached on Sunday evening, just that much shortly before I would be free of my Five-Wheeled Friend, the diarrhea struck. Not much, I thought at the beginning. But, I was duped. What followed was a nightmare of a night in which

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-23128412554017445992010-01-17T09:39:00.000-05:002010-01-17T09:39:46.439-05:00

Yesterday was a tough one. It started at 4 a.m. with a nose bleed. Well, actually, more like a bleeding nose drip. The drip continually woke me over the course of the rest of the morning, and revived itself whenever I moved to an upright position. The hours in which I was able to sleep were filled with vivid and strangely Buñeul-esque dreams. Very intense, with marked story lines that made no

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-48459513062458575542010-01-15T10:50:00.000-05:002010-01-15T10:50:54.337-05:00

I've lost track of what day this is. Other than it being Friday. And I only know that because the white board, on which the nurses write their names as they come on duty, says so. So, this may be Day 5. Yesterday the counts were odd: Platelets 8,000 Hemoglobin: 7.something Today, the counts are up: Platelets 10,000 Hemoglobin: 8.4 Some (all?) of those gains are no doubt due to my receiving a

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-34033819598804952832010-01-14T09:16:00.000-05:002010-01-14T09:16:34.940-05:00

For yesterday, there are but two things to report: Platelets went back down from 10,000 to 4,000. More platelets were transfused. Energy level went to zilch, and most of the day was spent sleeping. In truth, the day passes much more quickly when most of it is spent sleeping. There's no clock watching, wondering how to divert myself with the little energy I have, or flipping around trying to find

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-4120858767306655662010-01-13T09:10:00.000-05:002010-01-13T09:10:22.499-05:00

I know, I know—what happened to Day 2? Don't ask me, I'm only the patient. The best thing I can say about this adventure's next day is this: I've been moved into the what must be the oncology floor's Presidential Suite. Compared to the closet I was living in, this is palatial. But, it has a downside: can't walk to the bathroom without unplugging my five-wheeled friend, the IV stand. Small

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-27125641253981185152010-01-11T14:10:00.001-05:002010-01-11T14:13:13.570-05:00

The Great Chemo Infusion has begun. As I sit here in my comfy hospital bed, blood is going in through one tube, chemo chemicals are going in through another tube. I wish the damned NFL would start their games at 10 a.m. We sat around til 3 p.m. yesterday waiting for this chemo ritual to start, with no idea of when it would happen, and no football on TV til 1:30. If this keeps up, I may have to

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-86428117617183825232010-01-09T09:27:00.000-05:002010-01-09T09:27:44.567-05:00

How much bad news is enough? When this ordeal started, the initial bad news was ITP. Two weeks later, it changed into MDS. Whoever heard of these things? Now the bad news is this: the MDS has turned into AML leukemia. Acute Myeloid Leukemia. (See here for info: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_2_1x_What_Is_Acute_Myeloid_Leukemia_AML.asp?sitearea=) Well, at least leukemia is a

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-13196961688056188362010-01-08T09:02:00.000-05:002010-01-08T09:02:04.595-05:00

Penny's latest summary: It’s been kind of an even day around here - no chills, or fever ups and downs, and fewer medications.  The infectious disease doctors and tests found nothing.  So it looks like the cause of all of this is the MDS progressing into AML leukemia.  We’re still waiting for the full cytology report from the hematologist so the subtype can be determined – and that indicates

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-5293759115333238072010-01-06T16:08:00.000-05:002010-01-06T16:08:10.778-05:00

As I've said many times, part of the danger of doing a blog like this is that if the posts become less frequent, people begin to worry. I'm still in-hospital, as the Brits say, running platelet counts that are lower than I thought possible (3,000). So, my energy level is equally low, and merely typing this short message strains my stamina. Anyway, Penny has been circulating updates by e-mail.

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-16543149480525712222010-01-04T11:25:00.000-05:002010-01-04T11:25:16.593-05:00

Houston, we have a problem. The Great New Year's Eve Platelet Transfusion didn't take. Yesterday—Sunday—we finally gave up on pretending I could muscle through another day. Not a hard decision since I'd reached a point where I couldn't even walk a flight of stairs. So, here we are. Back in the hospital. And no wonder I couldn't walk the stairs: Platelets: 4,000 Hemoglobin: 7 The lowest numbers

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-62079150744624114352010-01-01T08:07:00.001-05:002010-01-01T11:18:58.097-05:00

A quiz: How does the happy MDS patient celebrate the New Year? Go out to dinner. Go out dancing. Go out to dinner and dancing. Go to Times Square. Spend 9 hours in the Emergency Room. Answer? Whadda you think? This adventure began Wednesday afternoon when a pain shows up in my left hip. It doesn't go away, but radiates down the leg to the calf. It feels something like sciatica, but it's not. It

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-72399127618624318172009-12-29T06:22:00.001-05:002009-12-30T07:08:17.901-05:00

What goes up must come down? Is that what we're dealing with here? Yesterday's blood counts: Hemoglobin: 9.2 Platelets: 17,000 The platelets are now nearly as low as they were when I left the hospital in May. Dr. O, however, doesn't appear overly concerned. These counts are following the normal Vidaza-related pattern—descending during and for the week after Shots, ascending after that. Only

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-52739778573521589962009-12-28T08:51:00.000-05:002009-12-28T08:51:40.595-05:00

I’ve been basically out of commission for two full weeks now. Unable to get through an entire day without sleeping multiple times and undergoing body aches, pains and general feelings of nastiness. It’s only today that my bowels seem to have returned to normal. For which Penny credits, at least partially, the white-bean-and-ham soup she brewed up yesterday. Delicious. And, yes, things have

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-82307462123529695912009-12-26T07:05:00.000-05:002009-12-26T07:05:36.425-05:00

It was a long Christmas Day. Plenty of presents. Too much food. Basketball on TV. Way too much food. And, I managed to stay upright for most of it.After a 90-minute mid-morning nap.But, by 8 p.m. I was a basket case. Seems to me that once-upon-a-time 2 a.m. was the "basket-case" hour. Ah, but that a different lifetime, one that came long before kids, not to mention MDS.Still, I'm not pleased.

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-1975268793352119882009-12-24T14:32:00.004-05:002009-12-24T14:34:16.584-05:00

Some good news today: I’ve been able to stay upright most of the morning. This is more than has been possible for the last 10 days. I’ve determined that I’ve got a slight cold, which is exacerbating the situation. Makes me a bit nervous, but it doesn’t seem to be getting any worse. So, I decided to take the advice of good old Dr. Rosen, pediatrician to many generations, including our kids, who

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-39776506236020443662009-12-23T15:24:00.000-05:002009-12-23T15:24:44.227-05:00

Another day. Another day of napping. Slept from 9:30 til 11:15 this morning. From noon-thirty til 2:15 this afternoon. And, am now about ready to go back to bed. Was running a low-grade fever yesterday, which started me to worrying. Who the hell knows what a fever might mean with MDS? Whatever it might really mean (likely, nothing), it raises the specter of vulnerability that’s been looming

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-19895608919005495402009-12-22T06:42:00.000-05:002009-12-22T06:42:35.745-05:00

Yesterday’s count: Platelets: 26,000 This number hasn’t been that low since I left the hospital last April. Dr. O says it explains why I’ve been so tired during this past Shots Week. She also reminds me that the count goes down during Shots, then rebounds later. But, I’m not pretending. This bothers me. A couple of week ago the count was 179,000. Now this? Okay, okay—I’m probably spending too

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-81692125476393576012009-12-20T08:48:00.001-05:002009-12-20T08:49:19.314-05:00

This is not fun. Outside lies six or eight inches of pristine new snow. Inside lies me head spinning stomach churning bowels plugged nausea creeping body aching and—most importantly—psyche gone weary. As the kids say, this sucks.

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-49875600236200984072009-12-18T05:44:00.000-05:002009-12-18T05:44:56.312-05:00

This is proving to be one of the tougher Shots Weeks. Maybe the toughest since the first one, when I had no idea what to expect. The two weeks share some similarities, I guess. Each started with low blood counts. Each followed an extended period of non- or untargeted treatment. Multiple drugs have been at play during each. Still, I’m kind of taken aback by the strength of my reaction this time

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-29323640882530274992009-12-16T06:25:00.001-05:002009-12-16T06:26:47.563-05:00

Well, judging from the last two weeks, it seems like we’ve taken two steps forward and one step back. Let’s start with yesterday’s blood counts: Hemoglobin: 12.4 Platelets: 63,000 Needless to day, that platelet count is not what was expected or wanted, especially after some delightfully high counts in recent weeks. And, there are other developments. Small lumps began to appear all over me

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-19264351299980108312009-12-14T08:50:00.000-05:002009-12-14T08:50:09.099-05:00

A tough weekend, albeit initially enjoyable. I drove to North creek, NY, in the Adirondacks Friday afternoon. The drive was easy but, despite a late morning nap, I arrived tired. After an excellent dinner and an overnight in a fine hotel, spent some of Saturday playing "travel writer," talking to locals about what's happening in North Creek (good stuff—see Good Scene at Gore Mt. & North Creek

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-12821336889289584902009-12-10T05:02:00.000-05:002009-12-10T05:02:44.847-05:00

What a difference a day makes. Two days ago I felt like a wet rag—please, just let me sleep. Yesterday, I more resembled the Energizer Bunny. What the . . .!?! As a reward for my high-energy state, I took myself to Dr. Primary Care's office for an H1N1 flu shot. This was no small deal. Being approved for the vaccine may have been just as tough as getting accepted at Harvard. First: When I

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-17777257051654895482009-12-09T05:01:00.000-05:002009-12-09T05:01:54.173-05:00

Another day. Another MDS anomaly. Excellent blood counts. Extreme fatigue. Yesterday's counts: Platelets: 130,000 Hemoglobin: 12.4 Yesterday's energy level (on a scale of 1-100 with 1 being low): 12. What is up with that? The counts are right on for the third week after shots. But, this boy tossed in the towel at 4 p.m.—after napping for more than an hour at noon-45. Some say it's all the

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-61096700065068314622009-12-07T18:07:00.001-05:002009-12-07T18:09:54.420-05:00

Sunday was the big day. Just enough snow to ski. Not much. But enough for two short runs. The results? Yes, I can still ski. Even better—the boots fit, and I wore them. Seems that, just as I was heading out the door for New Hampshire (well, metaphorically, anyway), Laina asked an all-too-pertinent question. "Will you be able to wear your ski boots with the inflammation on your legs?" Ski

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-56916653449034390172009-12-04T17:25:00.000-05:002009-12-04T17:25:33.938-05:00

So, after nearly seven hours of driving, I arrived yesterday in New Hampshire to start the ski season, although today was entirely spent in a ski journalists' meeting, which may not be a bad thing because there is little snow in sight. It was 57 degrees and raining when we arrived. But, today, one of my colleagues asked me if I was "ready to ski." That, as mentioned in the last post, remains

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-63893973205861521002009-12-03T07:35:00.000-05:002009-12-03T07:35:00.991-05:00

"Is your red cell platelet count good enough to let you ski?" asked my cousin-in-law, Dr. Bob. Bob's an emergency room doc for whom I've a lot of respect as one who's on his game as a diagnostician with excellent broad medical knowledge. ER guys see it all, after all. A question like that, coming from a genuine, licensed, for-real doctor, should've given me pause. It didn't. "I'm okay," I

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-32014564511045955842009-12-02T06:37:00.000-05:002009-12-02T06:37:29.558-05:00

Yesterday fatigue smacked me like I hit a brick wall. Could it have been five napless days followed, after a napful day, by four more napless days? Or is it nothing—just being tired? That's the MDS game, as best as I can tell. Lots of physical symptoms which can't be directly traced to the syndrome or the meds, but may be caused by them. And, they come and go. Like the hand and knee pain

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-30368879168386777092009-12-01T06:04:00.000-05:002009-12-01T06:04:56.269-05:00

It appears that holiday over-eating has no deleterious effect on the MDS blood count. Yesterday's blood numbers: Platelets - 112,000 Hemoglobin: 11.9 These digits are decently high for halfway through the non-shots period. And, they seem to provide living proof that stuffing one's self with—among other things—stuffing (not to mention turkey macaroni and cheese myriad salads tofu veggie loaf

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-83334090170548446552009-11-27T08:00:00.000-05:002009-11-27T08:00:39.095-05:00

Well now, in addition to the Weekly Blood Count, it seems we have a new phenomenon going on: the Daily Pain. A mystery pain showed up in my right hand two nights ago. It wasn't there at dinner. It was there when I climbed into bed. Nothing eventful had happened between time. A kind of pulsing pain, it was. Back of the hand. A bit dull. Not a throb. A slow build up to a pulse. Pulse, pulse.

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-52452460746668462492009-11-23T07:19:00.000-05:002009-11-23T07:19:15.435-05:00

Five days without a nap. Is that kind of like going five days in the desert without water? Don't think so. But, it feels like it. Not that any serious physical exercise has been included in those days. Just 2 days of driving 2 days of playing ski journalist in Boston at the Boston Ski Show 9 holes of golf 1 day of sitting in the semi-cold at Giants Stadium (at least the Giants won) Really.

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-90078290467825419692009-11-17T06:04:00.001-05:002009-11-17T06:06:29.950-05:00

Another week-plus of needles have passed. I'm still standing. Well, actually, I've been lying down most of the time, but metaphorically the standing bit still holds. The blood counts continue to amaze and confuse. Yesterday: Platelets: 142,000 Hemoglobin: 12.3 Why they continue to be this high, even during shots, means one of two things (or a combination of both): the Vidaza is working I'm

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-47896428875643136162009-11-14T05:58:00.000-05:002009-11-14T05:58:41.026-05:00

Here in the 7th month of the Great Vidaza Experiment, a Shots Week pattern is emerging. It goes something like this: Monday - feel okay Tuesday - not so good; tired, bad stomach Wednesday - downright lousy; gas wars in progress Thursday - much better, thank you; peace abdominal Friday - soooo tired Saturday - just le me rest Sunday - alright, so-so Monday - not so good, again Tuesday - getting

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-17736772314905124822009-11-11T06:36:00.001-05:002009-11-11T06:39:11.148-05:00

Ah, yes. The good news/bad news scenario continues. The Good Monday's blood counts (which I forgot to ask about on Monday): Hemoglobin: 21.1 Platelets: 172,000 This is a bit startling, actually. The platelets have never been that high. Not even before all this nonsense began, when I was ostensibly a healthy boy. And, since we waited this time an extra week between Vidaza treatments, I'm

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-60803175927994459382009-11-10T06:45:00.000-05:002009-11-10T06:45:38.528-05:00

Two side effects of Vidaza (primary treatment for MDS) are vomiting and the lesions formed on my legs. A side effect of Zofran (anti-nausea to counteract the Vidaza vomiting) is constipation. A reported side effect of Depatoke (anti-convulsive being used to heal the leg lesions) is diarrhea. To counteract the Zofran-induced constipation, I'm consuming three Metamucil capsules, three times a

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-61389096530757936672009-11-09T06:54:00.000-05:002009-11-09T06:54:30.180-05:00

When your wife's away, your football team is tanking, the weatherman has provided cloudless skies and 72 degrees in November, and you're facing a new Shots Week (SW) with bonus medication, there's only one thing to do. Get on your bike and ride. Which is what I did yesterday. Traveled down to my pal Martin's place, which is located just a few paces from the Delaware Canal Bike Path. We pedaled

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-44209766799479075872009-11-06T10:07:00.000-05:002009-11-06T10:07:28.686-05:00

My friend/colleague Charlie Leocha just posted a piece on the blog ConsumerTraveler.com noting that In a poll completed last week by the Consumer Travel Alliance (CTA), almost 73 percent of passengers said they would fly even if they had the flu. More than half of those would fly because either change fees were too high or it was "to late" to make changes vacation plans. It goes on to say This

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-2517879344597895672009-11-05T05:26:00.001-05:002009-11-05T05:29:21.825-05:00

Yesterday there was good news and disappointing news relative to the bizarre spots on my legs. Review: In two places, the small red spots have expanded into something that looks like raised bruises. A biopsy was done on the largest one (right shin) by Dr. Skin a few weeks ago. The biopsy results proved puzzling. The presence of leukemic cells was indicated. I presented the report to Dr. O on

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-89100137536897978622009-11-03T05:53:00.000-05:002009-11-03T05:53:52.608-05:00

Dr. O threw me a curve ball yesterday. Maybe it was more like a change-up, where the ball comes in so slowly that you swing so early and so hard that you almost fall over. She postponed the Vidaza shots til next week. You'd think this would make me happy. But, no. It just threw me off balance. I'd been busy Sunday evening indulging myself in some pre-shots misery—you know, "Oh woe is me; in

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-24437516905572641932009-10-31T11:23:00.000-04:002009-10-31T11:23:01.268-04:00

Slight flu-like symptoms set in Thursday just before dinner. At least I thought it was that: headache body aches feeling like a slight temperature feeling some chills. Not too much. Just a bit. Still, thought I, just what I need. The damned flu shot's given me the disease. I retreated to the bedroom, turned on the TV and ate two sections of a Trader Joe's milk chocolate bar. Symptoms gone.

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-21472030411881689342009-10-30T05:30:00.000-04:002009-10-30T05:30:17.819-04:00

Traveled to Dr. Primary's place yesterday at 8:30 a.m. for a flu shot. By 4 p.m., I was convinced I had the flu. The psycho head games continue. To quote the Scarecrow: ah, if I only had a brain. Prior to my visit, I inquired of Dr. P by phone his thoughts on the H1N1 virus inoculation. He was apparently unaware of, or forgotten that, I was on Vidaza. "I don't think your bone marrow condition

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-61052552690320745352009-10-28T06:32:00.000-04:002009-10-28T06:32:13.672-04:00

We're back from London. We appear to have survived the return flight—no fellow passengers suffered soughing or sneezing attacks in our general area of the plane. But, now, having risen from a lousy sleep at 4 a.m., I have a new quasi-medical question. Does MDS effect jet lag? Because, you see, by the aforementioned 4 a.m., my body was screaming at me that it was way past time to get out of bed.

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-80998551677729327842009-10-27T03:13:00.001-04:002009-10-27T03:15:20.395-04:00

On Sunday, we traveled by train from London to Brighton and back. Few people were on board going to Brighton, but the return trip train was crowded. A couple who traveled for about a third of the trip sat near us, the male coughing intermittently. Last night, we went to the theatre. (Saw John Lithgow performing "Stories by Heart", his own one-man show. Excellent.) The young lady sitting next

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-31152344200451517182009-10-25T02:48:00.001-04:002009-10-25T04:34:07.219-04:00

Onward we trudge, traipsing through London as if on the Last March to Victory, testing not only my stamina, but Penny's, as well. Museums, street markets, shopping, string quartet concerts, walks across the Thames, negotiating five flights of hotel stairs—it was in all in a day's pleasure yesterday. I looked at my lower legs last night. The right one appears as if it's suffering from a

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-39586716497730625302009-10-24T01:34:00.001-04:002009-10-24T01:38:21.765-04:00

Well, the stamina question was answered yesterday. You remember the stamina question, yes? How long would it take MDSMitch to reach utter exhaustion after flying all night? The answer: 2.5 days. The bottom finally dropped out yesterday (Friday), 2.5 days after landing. Still, I think that's pretty good. And, even though I didn't even want to get out of bed yesterday, not only did I do that,

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-66710393120595411892009-10-22T02:07:00.000-04:002009-10-22T02:07:21.045-04:00

I've survived an overnight flight. My first since MDS arrived. To London. Chalk it up to another "victory over the mundane," this time to flying all night. Rational or not, I was concerned. You arrive early in the morning, sleep-deprived, your body pretzeled into a series of aches and cramps, your digestive system totally tossed out of whack. And, remember—you've been angsting all day about

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-72752808009110498702009-10-19T15:33:00.002-04:002009-10-19T15:35:28.954-04:00

Today, lots of good news na things I want to hear, starting with this week's blood counts: Hemoglobin: 12.6 Platelets: 101,000 Dr. O was particularly pleased with the hemoglobin counts. She also said we'd add an extra week between shots and, even better as far a I'm concerned, said it was alright with her to try doing five-shot sequences rather than seven. Excellent. Being shot-up from

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-3880014504128793272009-10-17T06:03:00.000-04:002009-10-17T06:03:52.440-04:00

This young lady named Emily Barfoot called me one day out of the blue. Well, no, actually she e-mailed. Said she was a Penn State student who writes for a Web site called MDSBeacon.com. Asked if she could interview me for a feature article. I'd never heard of MDSBeacon (much like I'd never heard of MDS before I was told I had it), but it's a good site and anything that helps inform folks about

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-69248503816903755872009-10-16T06:27:00.001-04:002009-10-16T06:28:52.813-04:00

Yesterday required two trips to the dentist. Seems a crown that pre-dates MDS had never been permanently posted-and-pasted into my mouth because a root canal had to be done somewhere in the interim. So, Dr. D posted-and-pasted the thing. I went home, took one bite of a ham and cheese sandwich, and the crown chipped. Sharp edges were scraping my tongue. Back to Dr. D I went. Meanwhile, the

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-50915007905392492922009-10-13T06:33:00.000-04:002009-10-13T06:33:28.859-04:00

Yesterday's counts: Platelets: 139,000 Hemoglobin: 12.6 I think I'm finally getting it. The counts go highest when I feel the worst—as the end of the shots cycle approaches. After that, they descend for a couple of weeks, then ascend for a couple of weeks. Yes, it's true. It has taken me quite a while to figure this pattern out. But, as the mystery and thriller writers often remind us: things

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-90368082342064007262009-10-11T06:41:00.003-04:002009-10-11T06:43:20.902-04:00

So, yesterday, feeling miserable and useless as I usually do on Shots Week Saturdays, I'm flipping channels among college football games, when I happen upon a promo or short featurette. At first, I can't figure out what it is. It's a hospital setting, and there's a doctor who's saying " . . . he's undergoing a bone marrow transplant with his own stem cells that we harvested from his blood

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-20086008585115980342009-10-09T07:12:00.000-04:002009-10-09T07:12:11.424-04:00

Well, it's Friday of Vidaza Shots Week (VSW), and I'm holding up surprisingly well. I only collapse with body aches and fatigue after lunch. Work gets done in the morning. This contrasts starkly with the last VSW in which I felt like crap already on Monday. And, ingesting nine Metamucil capsules per day (up from two/day during non-shots weeks) seems to be keeping my bowels in order,

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-54870260171218849092009-10-07T06:39:00.001-04:002009-10-07T06:42:05.595-04:00

On Monday, I forgot one question I had aimed to ask Dr. O—Can flu shot(s) be done by her, and when? Yesterday, I remembered to ask. Her short answers were: Yes. I don't know. Apparently the vaccines haven't reached her office yet. She recommended I contact Dr. Primary's office to see if they have the vaccines. But, she cautioned not to actually receive the shots whilst amidst this Vidaza

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-52586260719629748442009-10-06T06:21:00.000-04:002009-10-06T06:21:30.413-04:00

Yesterday's blood counts: Platelets: 119,000 Hemoglobin: forgot to ask . . . . . . or I didn't hear Dr. O when she said it. I was too busy trying to remember all the questions I intended to ask. Like? Did the thyroid function test results come back? (Answer: no; have to do that over again.) When she said the frequency of Vidaza shots could be decreased, did she mean after nine or 10 months

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-22742360211263018792009-10-05T07:08:00.001-04:002009-10-05T07:09:53.406-04:00

No MDS news today. Bruce news only. Bruce Springsteen, that is. I've long said that we ski/travel writers are often treated not like VIP's, but like IP's, which is good enough for me. Apparently, carrying a press card, or knowing some folks because of the press card, can yield benefits in unrelated realms. So, it came to pass that Penny and I not only got comp tickets to the Springsteen

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-50055191304283930632009-10-03T06:02:00.001-04:002009-10-03T06:04:56.762-04:00

Well, now we can add Dr. Derma to the list of docs participating in this medical adventure. As I expected, she looked at my legs with puzzlement, and she'd never heard of Vidaza, no less whether these bumps on my legs are a Vidaza side-effect. No surprises there. "Which is the newest one?" she asked, poking at the purpled-bluish protuberance on my right shin. "I don't really know. I just

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861230156961030692.post-18756533344949551332009-09-30T10:31:00.001-04:002009-09-30T10:32:41.442-04:00

These reddish bumps on my lower legs keep showing up, fading but never quite disappearing and, this week, they’ve brought in some large-sized relatives—who clearly must be the football-playing members of the clan—to take up positions on my right shin. I presented my shin to Dr. O the other day, and she said it was time to visit the dermatologist. Ah, great. Just what I need. Another doctor.

Mitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08969364800342481022noreply@blogger.com0