This is me in 2002.


This is my wonderful cat, Wanda-June
(Click here for more pictures of Wanda)

On August 21 during a routine exam for Crohn's Disease (which I've had since 1990), my doctor ordered some basic blood work. The following day, these blood tests came back abnormal and my doctor set me up to see a hematologist immediately. On September 9, 1997 it was confirmed and I was diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia. I was fortunate to have caught it in the early stages but I still had a battle ahead of me. The options for treatment I had to choose from were biological and chemotherapy injections or a bone marrow transplant (BMT). I originally was taking the injections in an effort to achieve a complete cytogenetic remission and prolonged survival (click here for an update on my progress). However, recent reports have indicated that unrelated donor transplants have similar success rate as compared with transplants from related (sibling) donors. Also, there was a recent report that indicated that Crohn's may be cured following an allogeneic bone marrow transplant. As a result, we had searched for an unrelated donor and I had a bone marrow transplant at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington on June 29, 1999.

The only option for survival for many people with leukemia and other blood and bone marrow diseases is a bone marrow transplant. Unfortunately, most people are not aware of the need for bone marrow donors until exposure to one of these life threatening diseases is experienced either personally or through a loved one or friend.

Each year there are approximately 30,000 people diagnosed with a form of leukemia, lymphoma, aplastic anemia and other fatal blood diseases. The estimated percentage of these people who cannot find an appropriately matched donor is 70%. The need for minority donors is especially great. Each person can help improve these odds and have the opportunity to save a life.

The choice to become a marrow donor should be taken very seriously. Too often a patient is told that a potential match was found only to find out that the donor has had a change of mind. Registering as a volunteer bone marrow donor is a commitment that should not be made lightly.

In summary, the choice to register as a volunteer bone marrow donor is an individual one that should be given extensive thought before being made. It is up to each one of us to make a difference. Please do give careful consideration to registering in the National Marrow Donor Program registry.

For more information you can contact the National Marrow Donor Program directly at 800-MARROW-2 or the New England Marrow Donor Program directly at 800-676-4545 or 860-678-2865. You can also visit the National Marrow Donor Program home page on the internet at www.marrow.org.

I have always loved my eggs over easy with bacon, toast, OJ and coffee. After my bone marrow transplant, I could no longer have eggs cooked that way. My weakened immune system left me vulnerable to illnesses and the risk of Salmonella poisoning was too dangerous. Pasteurized eggs eliminate the risk of Salmonella poisoning from raw or soft cooked eggs because the pasteurizing process kills the Salmonella bacteria. As a result, pasteurized eggs are safe to eat cooked anyway you like. Plus, they taste great. So even if you're in good health, you might want to give them a try.

The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, where I had my transplant, first told me about this product during my recovery in 1999. When I finally returned home from my treatment, their eggs were at the top of my list.

You can visit their site at www.davidsonseggs.com to learn more about their product and availability.

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