Was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia yesterday, a cancer of the white blood cell that had developed from previously undiagnosed Myelodysplastic syndrome. This form of leukemia is particularly aggressive.
She’d been feeling quite ill since December, but her primary doctor kept telling her it was all in her head, and threw every pain med (she also has degenerative arthritis of the spine) and anti-depressant on the market at her. A few weeks ago, she convinced my mother to see a psychiatrist.
At one point, my mother was so doped up, she was slurring her speech and frequently appeared disoriented. I don’t even know how she went to work.
Mom went to the emergency department last week, unable to cope with the constant fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and pain, and the preliminary blood tests showed abnormalities. Upon seeing her primary doctor after the initial worrisome test results, the doctor had this to say (paraphrasing here): “I apologize, Suzanne, for not investigating your symptoms more vigorously.”
Well, goodness, it’s nice to know that Dr. Incompetent Drug Pusher is sorry, isn’t it? Restores my faith in humanity, it does.
Today, my brother, Dan, will accompany Mom to meet with an oncologist to discuss treatment, which will involve some heavy duty chemotherapy. They want her to begin as soon as possible. I’ll be going with her to the hospital on Friday for more tests, and to speak with her doctors.
At least Mom is in good hands now.
UPDATE 5/23:Good news and bad news -- Mom's doctors have determined that her leukemia most likely is not a result of Myelodysplastic syndrome, meaning that her prognosis is looking much better. Awesomely awesome news. She's going into hospital on Thursday to begin inductive chemotherapy, and will stay there for an entire month.
Now for the bad...One of my kids caught lice.
Someone pass me the Jose Cuervo.
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