Welcome to "The Scoop On Dan" blog. I hope this blog will give all of you who love and care for Dan a way to keep up with his progress as he moves down the path to a healthy and rich life. I thought that this would also give some relief to Susan and Dan who either have to answer the phone or listen to the messages. Not that they aren't welcome, but you can imagine what it takes to repeat the latest news many times a day. I hope that Dan's community of friends and loved ones will have a chance to exchange information, questions or comments. I will try to update information every couple of days and also to provide you with links to web sites that you might find interesting.
Today, September 14, 2005, is the start of Dan's journey towards total recovery. Dan is a SURVIVOR and he and his family are learning to live with cancer. I am attaching his schedule for the coming weeks. If you can't find what you want or need in the way of information just let me know.
Dan’s Transplant Schedule:
8/31 Tests conducted to restage degree of myeloma present (heart, lung, blood, bone marrow tests)
9/7 Meet With psychologist, then with Dr. to review test results and to see if any changes in schedule
9/13 Caregiver class
9/14 installation of additional port for extraction of blood and infusion of chemo drugs
9/14 Infusion of cytoxin---Dan spends night in hospital
9/15 Dan gets shot of neupogen (to help build white cells) and is discharged
9/16—28 Dan to hospital daily to get neupogen shot
9/24--28 Begin apheresis (collection of stem cells from Dan which are then frozen)—4 to 5 hours daily at hospital
10/10 Dan hospitalized and given high dose chemotherapy—melphalan
10/11 second dose of melphalan given
10/10--- Dan hospitalized for 3 to 4 weeks (can receive visitors ---hospitalization will not be in isolation
This blog was initially created in 2005 to track my progress through a stem cell transplant for my recently diagnosed multiple myeloma. Like so many things in life it has grown into so much more and is now a worldwide support network for me and my family as we travel the path of living with myeloma. Read or comment if you wish and welcome to our journey.
15 comments:
Friday August 16, 2005
Home, a little fatiguied, and looking forward to a quick passage of the next 8 to 12 weeks.
This is a test. We are all new to this idea of a blog so it will take awhile for everyone to figure out how to post comments.
OKAY, ALL OF YOU WHO WOULD LIKE TO BLOG WITH DAN WILL NEED TO REGISTER. YOU DON'T HAVE TO START A SEPARATE BLOG BUT YOU NEED THE ONLINE IDENTITY. OUR YOUNGER SONS AND DAUGHTERS PROBABLY KNOW ALL OF THIS, I WOULD GUESS EVEN THE GRANDCHILDREN KNOW, BUT FOR MOST OF US THIS WILL BE A NEW EXPERIENCE. GOOD LUCK. EXPERIMENT AND IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE DROP ME A NOTE AT TBETTRIDGE@COMCAST .NET
Dan, Glad to see that you figured it out. I'm not sure if we are dense when it comes to these "new fangled " ways of communicating or if it isn't what my brother call AAADDor Age Activaed Attention Deficite Disorder. Hope you are getting some rest and having a relaxing weekend.
Hey for all of you who want to know about the shot of neupogen, that Dan will receive each day until the 28th, here is an easy to understand explanation of the drug:
Drug-Search
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NEUPOGEN®
(Filgrastim)
DESCRIPTION
Filgrastim is a human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), produced by recombinant DNA technology. NEUPOGEN® is the Amgen Inc. trademark for Filgrastim, which has been selected as the name for recombinant methionyl human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (r-metHuG-CSF).
NEUPOGEN® is a 175 amino acid protein manufactured by recombinant DNA technology.1 NEUPOGEN® is produced by Escherichia coli (E coli) bacteria into which has been inserted the human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor gene. NEUPOGEN® has a molecular weight of 18,800 daltons. The protein has an amino acid sequence that is identical to the natural sequence predicted from human DNA sequence analysis, except for the addition of an N-terminal methionine necessary for expression in E coli. Because NEUPOGEN® is produced in E coli, the product is nonglycosylated and thus differs from G-CSF isolated from a human cell
Dan and other survivors are often in need of platelets, plasma or red blood cells. As I understand the process that Dan will be going through he will need some of the blood products BUT having a bunch of us trying to donate for him does not seem to work in this situation. I would like to encourage all of you to call BONFILS and become a regular donor. The idea behind this suggestion being, that we can keep the supplies of these products plentiful for Dan and others who need these life saving blood components, and at the same time doing something that is so important for our community. BONFILS needs more than 4000 donors a month to meet the needs in Colorado. There is a tremendous feeling that comes from donating blood products, a feeling of serenity when you see that bag being sent off to help someone like Dan, a small child, an accident victim; I could go on and on but I am sure you get the idea. CALL TODAY: 303 366-2000 or 1800 365-0006 While you are at it register for the Marrow Donor Program there is no added cost but there is the great anticipation that you might be called upon to help another person in need.
Yeow, you are the man. This is fantastic news!! I hope you got to enjoy a little bit of Sunday Morning. I hate the summer schedule when the program comes on so early. Have a great Sunday!
Dan and Susan, what a neat idea this blog site! I for one am very glad to be able know how you are doing without having to have Susan repeat things over and over again!
22 million stem cells!!! How absolutely wonderful!! We lite our candles on Sunday and we all had postive thoughts that all will go well!
Rebecca said a special prayer for "Dan the Man"!!
Dan and Susan, we are there for you! Love to you and Catherine and Julia! The Seals
Dan and Susan,
You are an inspiration to loving and life and of course bouncing. love, Gail
COMMENTS CAN BE ADDED TO THE END OF EACH NEW POSTING. YOU ARE WELCOME TO READ AND ENJOY ALL COMMENTS. IF YOU WANT TO RESPOND TO THE LATEST POSTING LOOK FOR THE COMMENTS SECTION AT THE END OF THE LATEST POSTING.
Good Evening to the Pattersons. Just wanted to let you know we lighted our candles tonight and said a prayer for all of you. This is great way to communicate with you to let you know that you are thought of constantly. It is especially heart warming to see all the wonderful people who care so much for you all. I loved Ingrid's comment about Siena. Good night Dan and Susan we are praying for better news. Love Greg, Dorothy and Rebecca
Dan and Susan,
I tried to send a note yesterday but screwed something up and it never went. Chapel Hill seems to be making up for the months we had without rain this summer. It has been raining for almost a week. Jaike and I have been thinking good thoughts and prayers for you. Dan, Jaike says that your "stubbornness" is going to pull you through this!! How is that for the pot calling the kettle black! We send love and light. Shawn
Hi "Dan the Man", I miss you and hope you are doing better. School is going great,I'm in 7th grade, that is "middle school", I just wanted to let you know my dogs are doing OK and tomorrow is Moonlight's birthday,he will be six. I will write again. Mom and Dad say hello. Love Rebecca "Becca" Seal.
P.S. I'm glad you liked "Cheaper by the dozen". They are coming out with a second version.
That’s a great site you folks have been carrying out there.sydney deals
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