Stage 4 and Holding

It has now been more than a year that I have had stage 4 Leukemia, all is well.

I haven't posted to this blog in quite a while, and that usually means you are very sick, or very well. I consider myself the latter of the two. Even though I am stage 4 with my leukemia, you would never know it, if you met me. My two main symptoms are a very enlarged spleen and low platelets. (Last cbc - 59, Mar 2016). My spleen is so large it surprised my hep C doctor, she wished her interns were in the office that day, stating, "you can actually feel your spleen, it would be good for them to experience this." 

If you have read my other posts, you know I had Hep C for more than 40 years. As far as I know, it never bothered me. Blood tests revealed my condition was deteriorating, so I agreed to take medicine to deal with it. I started, Sep 15', and finished Dec 15'. Doctor says I am "SVR". Which stands for sustained virologic response, meaning I no longer have Hep C.

My Leukemia doctor is still puzzled with my condition. Every time I see him, he checks my neck expecting to find enlarged lymph nodes. It continues to confound him when he finds they aren't. January after finishing my hep c treatment, he told me than in February he wanted to do a bone marrow test and possible start treating my enlarged spleen. My wife and I started praying, because neither of us want me to go down treatment road. I am not trying to tell you how you should deal with leukemia, I am just telling you how I am dealing with it.

February I went to see him, the nurse took my vitals and blood work. He came in ten minutes later and said I was in good shape and probably would not need treatment for 10 years. When he saw the happy reaction on our faces, he added, "or three months." I think he said that because he realized he couldn't give a ten year guarantee. No bone marrow test, no treatment for my spleen. Just see him again in 2 months.

A year ago March 26th, I turned my face to God in prayer when I was finally told I had leukemia. My first post in this blog, contains the verse of scripture He gave me to hold on to. I repeat it here for you: Ps 41:3 Whenever we’re sick and in bed, GOD becomes our nurse, nurses us back to health. (Message version). I am grateful to have this rope to hang on to. I was diagnosed in March 2015, but blood tests I had done in Oct 14 shows I had leukemia then. I didn't have insurance then, and my doctor didn't tell me what she suspected. She simply said I needed to see a hematologist, saying my wbc count was too high. I called, they wanted $280 for an office visit. I read online that a high wbc can be caused by infection. I had seen the doctor because of a case of pneumonia, (Which I got again in March 2015), and chalked the high wbc to the pneumonia, so I didn't follow through. 

In January 2015 is when my spleen became very enlarged, but overall my condition has remained fairly stable since then. Slight fluctuations of some numbers up and down.

10/14 WBC - 34.9 Platelets - 96

07/15 WBC - 22.4 Platelets  - 69

11/15 WBC -23.4 Platelets - 102

03/16 WBC - 27.2 Platelets - 59

The November platelet number is very surprising because one of the Hep C medicines I was on has a side effect of causing platelets to go lower, but mine went up!

I am very grateful than my rbc has always been good. In fact the overall trend is that it is going up. (Currently 5.48). So if you have studied Leukemia you can see I present somewhat of a dilemma to my doctor. By some factors I should be getting treated, by others I don't need to. My disease appears stable, my prayer is that my numbers will surprise the doctor and show improvement. I passed the 1 year mark at stage 4 and no treatment, I thought I should post something to this blog, in gratitude to God, and in the hope that it might be an encouragement to someone. My children continue to show their love and concern, and every time I time I have an upcoming doctor's visit they are calling before and after to see how things are faring. My wife and I are closer in many ways than we have ever been. Leukemia is a mixed blessing for me. I wish you well on your journey, and hope that you can find a rope from the bible to hang on to like I have. (The psalms are full of many such ropes!)

The picture I used on this post is of a mystery with a fingerprint on it. It speaks to me that the fingerprints of God are on my situation, I pray you can sense them on yours.

Blessings! Maurice, on this journey with you.