Our Visit With Dr. Haymen 11/23/05

To make a long story short, we decided to go ahead with the stem cell transplant rather than wait.

If I waited to do the transplant, I could return home and to work after the stem cell harvest is complete in a couple of weeks which is what I would prefer to do. However, the bone marrow biopsy (which is a small sample) indicated 40% cancer cells in my right ileum (hip). That is the bad news. The good news is that on a scale of zero to ten, the rate at which the cancer cells are dividing is a zero. So, the decision is either to go home loaded with cancer cells which hardly divide but sit there and eat on my bones from the inside or take some extra time now to kill as many of the slowly dividing cancer cells as possible with high dose chemotherapy in the hope the few remaining ones will remain insignificant as long as possible.

The decision to go ahead with the transplant is not an easy decision. I deeply regret I will be away from family, friends, and work for such an extended period but this is something that isn't giving me much other choice. I have an opportunity now to reduce the disease to a minimum and possibly stay off chemotherapy for a few years and be healthier. I am told I will be able to return to my work routine within several months but my immune system may not be fully recovered for a year or so.

My wife and I are thankful for and deeply appreciate all the effort on the part of so many friends, family, and even strangers to show concern in the form of kind words, prayers, cards, phone calls, e-mail, and in other ways. Please continue to pray for us.