Around the time I needed a break all hell broke loose. I won't go into morbid details but this past month has once again put us through the wringer. We had another death in the family. Larrys Dad passed away this past Monday at the age of 77, all the while a week before that my father was started on chemotherapy. After almost a year of suffering numerous TIA's they were able to pinpoint his malady: essential thrombocythemia. He was given a special oral drug <sp> Agrylin or something like that. He maxed out on it and it did not stop his platelet count from multiplying to dangerously high levels. Suffice it to say his blood was till like sludge. 1 in 100,000 are afflicted with this and while ET itself is not fatal the consequences of having it are: the thromobosis'(strokes). I am still bewildered as to how they missed this since he had every symptom of ET including the misdiagnosed Raynaud's Phenomonen with the white, cold, discolored toes and fingers, terrible vertigo and vomiting spells etc. So the doc said he had nothing to lose by doing the hydroxyurea chemotherapy. He is destined to have "the big one" that will take his life or he can take the chemo, prolong his life a bit and risk the later consequences of having leukemia from the chemo. He was told it is a chance that is quite high considering the dose of chemo he is on and how abnormally high his platelet count remains. They are trying to stop the marrow from producing all the excess platelets. Needless to say this has all been quite distressing. Chemotherapy is not generally cardiac friendly and certainly not for someone with heart trouble already having to have had an emergency pacemaker put in after he flat lined and hit his head on a shelf in Home Depot as he went "down" one day. My daughter acted out in response to her grief of losing her Grandpa. Larry is doing good. He held up well until he wanted to speak at the funeral and he lost it a bit and that is to be expected. It has all been a bit much. I am doing good. I have now officially exceeded the 44% of my total weight that my gastric bypass surgeon wanted me to lose and I did it at 8 months in and I had a year to do it. I am 179 pounds lighter. Im 4 months early and am now working on my own personal goal of 180, then it's "Off To See The Wizard" (my plastic surgeon, once I stabilize) The weightloss has slowed now that I am closer to goal but it's all good. If I never lost another pound I still accomplished a lot and have my life back!! Laureen 410/221/180
It's great that you decided not to go into detail.
Idiot.
-- Most people are dumb as bricks; some people are dumber than that. -- MFW
"Laureen" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Around the time I needed a break all hell broke loose. I won't go into morbid details but this past month has once again put us through the wringer. We had another death in the family. Larrys Dad passed away this past Monday at the age of 77, all the while a week before that my father was started on chemotherapy. After almost a year of suffering numerous TIA's they were able to pinpoint his malady: essential thrombocythemia. He was given a special oral drug <sp> Agrylin or something like that. He maxed out on it and it did not stop his platelet count from multiplying to dangerously high levels. Suffice it to say his blood was till like sludge. 1 in 100,000 are afflicted with this and while ET itself is not fatal the consequences of having it are: the thromobosis'(strokes). I am still bewildered as to how they missed this since he had every symptom of ET including the misdiagnosed Raynaud's Phenomonen with the white, cold, discolored toes and fingers, terrible vertigo and vomiting spells etc. So the doc said he had nothing to lose by doing the hydroxyurea chemotherapy. He is destined to have "the big one" that will take his life or he can take the chemo, prolong his life a bit and risk the later consequences of having leukemia from the chemo. He was told it is a chance that is quite high considering the dose of chemo he is on and how abnormally high his platelet count remains. They are trying to stop the marrow from producing all the excess platelets. Needless to say this has all been quite distressing. Chemotherapy is not generally cardiac friendly and certainly not for someone with heart trouble already having to have had an emergency pacemaker put in after he flat lined and hit his head on a shelf in Home Depot as he went "down" one day. My daughter acted out in response to her grief of losing her Grandpa. Larry is doing good. He held up well until he wanted to speak at the funeral and he lost it a bit and that is to be expected. It has all been a bit much. I am doing good. I have now officially exceeded the 44% of my total weight that my gastric bypass surgeon wanted me to lose and I did it at 8 months in and I had a year to do it. I am 179 pounds lighter. Im 4 months early and am now working on my own personal goal of 180, then it's "Off To See The Wizard" (my plastic surgeon, once I stabilize) The weightloss has slowed now that I am closer to goal but it's all good. If I never lost another pound I still accomplished a lot and have my life back!! Laureen 410/221/180
"Laureen" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Around the time I needed a break all hell broke loose. I won't go into morbid details but this past month has once again put us through the wringer. We had another death in the family. Larrys Dad passed away this past Monday at the age of 77, all the while a week before that my father was started on chemotherapy. After almost a year of suffering numerous TIA's they were able to pinpoint his malady: essential thrombocythemia. He was given a special oral drug <sp> Agrylin or something like that. He maxed out on it and it did not stop his platelet count from multiplying to dangerously high levels. Suffice it to say his blood was till like sludge. 1 in 100,000 are afflicted with this and while ET itself is not fatal the consequences of having it are: the thromobosis'(strokes). I am still bewildered as to how they missed this since he had every symptom of ET including the misdiagnosed Raynaud's Phenomonen with the white, cold, discolored toes and fingers, terrible vertigo and vomiting spells etc. So the doc said he had nothing to lose by doing the hydroxyurea chemotherapy. He is destined to have "the big one" that will take his life or he can take the chemo, prolong his life a bit and risk the later consequences of having leukemia from the chemo. He was told it is a chance that is quite high considering the dose of chemo he is on and how abnormally high his platelet count remains. They are trying to stop the marrow from producing all the excess platelets. Needless to say this has all been quite distressing. Chemotherapy is not generally cardiac friendly and certainly not for someone with heart trouble already having to have had an emergency pacemaker put in after he flat lined and hit his head on a shelf in Home Depot as he went "down" one day. My daughter acted out in response to her grief of losing her Grandpa. Larry is doing good. He held up well until he wanted to speak at the funeral and he lost it a bit and that is to be expected. It has all been a bit much. I am doing good. I have now officially exceeded the 44% of my total weight that my gastric bypass surgeon wanted me to lose and I did it at 8 months in and I had a year to do it. I am 179 pounds lighter. Im 4 months early and am now working on my own personal goal of 180, then it's "Off To See The Wizard" (my plastic surgeon, once I stabilize) The weightloss has slowed now that I am closer to goal but it's all good. If I never lost another pound I still accomplished a lot and have my life back!! Laureen 410/221/180
Sorry to hear about all the bad stuff but glad to hear the good news!
Laureen <[email hidden]> wrote: :> I am doing good. I have now officially exceeded the 44% of my total :> weight that my gastric bypass surgeon wanted me to lose and I did it :> at 8 months in and I had a year to do it. I am 179 pounds lighter. :> Im 4 :> months early and am now working on my own personal goal of 180, then :> it's "Off To See The Wizard" (my plastic surgeon, once I stabilize) :> The :> weightloss has slowed now that I am closer to goal but it's all good. :> If I never lost another pound I still accomplished a lot and have my :> life back!! :> Laureen :> 410/221/180 :> :> http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/freakinlunachick/album?.dir=/90dd&.src=ph&.tok=phhJ9gCBLmL1VUob
In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...
Quoted message said:
Around the time I needed a break all hell broke loose.
I'm very sorry to hear about your family's loss and your father's health problems, Laureen :-(
Quoted message said:
I am doing good. I have now officially exceeded the 44% of my total weight that my gastric bypass surgeon wanted me to lose and I did it at 8 months in and I had a year to do it. I am 179 pounds lighter. Im 4 months early and am now working on my own personal goal of 180, then it's "Off To See The Wizard" (my plastic surgeon, once I stabilize) The weightloss has slowed now that I am closer to goal but it's all good. If I never lost another pound I still accomplished a lot and have my life back!!
I'm sorry to read about your family Laureen. On a cheerier note, I just looked at your most recent photo. Wow!!! You are looking really great, you must be feeling great.
Tara
"Laureen" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Around the time I needed a break all hell broke loose. ..... If I never lost another pound I still accomplished a lot and have my life back!! Laureen 410/221/180
