by XFM » Tue Sep 12, 2006 5:04 am
MK
From today's Herald...
Hip, hip, hooray, it's my anniversary
Blood marrow test No. 4 hopefully will bring good news
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Font: * * * * Joe Sports, Calgary Herald
Published: Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Editor's note: Calgary sportscaster Joe Sports, a.k.a. Collin Smith, is continuing his battle with a form of leukemia. Here are his thoughts as he fights the disease.
I finally made it to the computer after getting the ice auger out of my hip. Yes, bone marrow test No. 4 is now in the books and it can stay in the books for a good while.
Maybe I'm just getting soft in my old age. Nah . . . this was a doozy to say the least.
The aspirate part was a breeze; it was the double dose of biopsy that made it brutal. I heard Dr. Chaudrey say those fateful words, "We didn't get a sample, we have to do this again."
For those unaware of what a bone marrow test/biopsy consists of, let me enlighten you. It involves skin freezing, then a needle into the hip bone (bones can't be frozen) and then extraction of bone marrow blood. That's followed by a needle-size drill (I call it an auger) that is pressed hard into the bone to get a small hunk of marrow. It is manually drilled, both in and out of the bone. Unfortunately, this go-round I had to have it twice.
OK, enough complaining -- its not my style. Of course, I'm sure some of you will beg to differ. Anyway what does this all mean?
Well, this latest bone-marrow test will tell us many things. First off, on Thursday I will find out if my bone marrow is in remission -- meaning no leukemia cells looking for free lodging in my marrow. Obviously, no cells is great news; some cells is so so news, and worst case scenario: a whole bunch of leukemia cells are having a great big party at my expense.
The other results consist of Philadelphia Chromosome levels and the percentage of my old blood cells vs. my new cells, courtesy my brother Nathan -- the donor. That information won't be known for a few weeks as it involves some pretty intense genetic testing; microscopes, bunsen burners, people in white coats with high IQs deciphering through all the data. OK, all that's just a guess on my part but you get the picture.
As for my liver, it continues to slowly trend in the right direction -- down. Unfortunately, so do some of my other blood counts. Ah, you can't win them all.
Now for the sentimental part. A year ago, I found out that I had leukemia. It still seems surreal at times -- until I catch a glimpse of me in a mirror and I'm quickly reminded I belong to the cancer club, not the poster boy for the Yul Brynner fan club.
But it does seem like yesterday that I was sitting in the Hot Stove Lounge down at the Saddledome talking about New England Patriots coach Bill Bellichek and then receiving the news during a commercial break to call home and hearing my wife say to me, "the blood test results are back and they think you have leukemia." Words I will never ever forget.
It's been a interesting journey to this point. I've seen lots of tears from family and friends. I might even have shed a couple myself, but, 12 months after the fact, I haven't wavered from my initial commitment to fight this to the end and to win the fight. I couldn't have done it without the support of all of you and I thank you for that.
Until next time -- happy anniversary to me.
Collin
? The Calgary Herald 2006
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein