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75 year old father just diagnosed with AML
Blood Cancers & Disorders | Last Active: Jun 8 9:53am | Replies (22)Comment receiving replies
Good morning Lori,
Thank you so much for responding to me so quickly. I cannot believe all the support you provide others within this support group, I feel like I am speaking with an angel. We have my father's appointment to discuss his treatment this Friday (starts treatment the next Monday), so all the information you provided on chemotherapy options are great to know going into that meeting. When we got the news, I hugged my father and he told me "We're going to fight this", so I feel like he's got a positive mindset going in. I pray for you and everyone else connected by this horrible disease and hope that one day no one else has to experience what you, my father, and others have.
Ryan
Replies to "Good morning Lori, Thank you so much for responding to me so quickly. I cannot believe..."
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Hi Ryan, Your dad has the best attitude towards the battle before him. “We’re going to fight this!” I know there are some people who don’t like to use a battle metaphor for fighting cancer but I really felt that I was fighting a vile invader. I had an army of medical professionals with a huge arsenal of weapons to help me defeat this enemy and a back-up support system with family and friends. The three rounds of chemo worked to get me into a brief remission and the bone marrow transplant sealed the deal…with the hero there being my stem cell donor. It was a battle of mind, body and spirit. Your dad has the spirit of endurance to help him get through some rough skirmishes ahead.
Hah, I’m no angel but I sometimes feel my survival has a higher purpose. ☺️ I didn’t have a mentor or anyone I knew who had AML or a bone marrow transplant. Even though I had extraordinary support from my medical team it’s not like they’d gone through the experience personally. It can really make all the difference when you meet someone who has walked the walk and is willing to take others by the hand along the journey. That’s why I’m here, to make sure you and your dad know there is hope. We all pray for a cure for cancer but in the meantime, we work with what we have available. There are some good options now, where there used to be none.
Here’s a little story about when I finally did meet someone else who had gone through the same AML/transplant journey. After that, I became a mentor myself. We don’t realize at the time but our journeys can become someone else’s survival guide: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/about-connect/newsfeed-post/mayo-clinic-connect-brings-together-2-women-with-leukemia-46-years-apart/
You’ll learn quite a bit at the meeting with your dad and his doctor on Friday. It’s helpful to bring a little notebook with questions your dad or you would like to ask and also to jot down key notes. This is all new and there’ll be a lot of information flying at you at this appointment. I think your dad is up for the challenge and if anything needs clarification, you can ask here anytime.
Do you know if Greg will be admitted to the clinic for this round of chemo?