First Trip to Chicago

Sadly, this is one of the only photos I took today in Chicago, but it does represent the fact that we needed just under three hours to arrive at this parking deck! (I also don't know why my photos are not clear.) We did not have any delays on our drive and were able to easily rely on GPS to get us there. Thank you to my friend, Judith, for the pro tip to enter the parking deck address, not the hospital address, as our destination!

The building in which all of my appointments were held today is just one of many on the Northwestern campus. It was an easy walk across the walkway from the parking deck. Because we arrived early, we were able to get our bearings first.

I had a pulmonary test at around 10 am. There were three separate tests in which the technician asked me to breathe in certain paces and methods into a plastic tube connected to the computer. The tests measured lung volume, lung capacity, and gas exchange. In the first two, I "scored" just under 100%. I scored 69% on the third test - and technician said this could be the result of chemo damaging certain cells or my anemia. Overall, she said I did well.

With more downtime before my next appointment, we ate some lunch. Then, we rode the elevator to the top floor to meet with Dr. Mehta. (By the way, Mehta is a common Indian surname. There are many doctors with the same last name at NW alone! So, if you've ever heard of a Dr. Mehta, it may or not be the one I am seeing!)

A nurse named Megan came in first to go over my health history, family health history, and learn how I have handled the cancer treatment so far. She was very thorough and took careful notes.

After a lengthy wait (which we were told to expect), Megan returned with Dr. Mehta. He reviewed the notes Megan had taken and asked me questions along the way. He had access to all of my records, but as happened yesterday with Dr. Liu, the most recent biopsy report was not yet available.

In a nutshell, my disease is kind of a combo of acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Neither are good, and although the chemo has reduced much of the leukemia cells, it has not put the leukemia in remission nor has it eliminated the problematic MDS cells. For this reason, I am a stem cell transplant candidate, and according to Dr. Mehta, "sooner than later." My bone marrow keeps making "bad" cells, but it doesn't want to make "good" cells either, as evidenced by my persistent anemia.

There are still a lot of pieces that must fall into place before the transplant can happen. Most importantly, a donor must be found. The transplant coordinator believes she has a strong anonymous candidate from the national registry, and as I've mentioned in my previous transplant update, my brother has submitted a blood sample to test for compatibility.

Dr. Mehta also briefly discussed why the bone marrow transplant is necessary and how it works. A couple of interesting facts: by taking on the donor's bone marrow, my blood type will change to the donor's blood type should it be different than my own. Also, I will adopt the donor's immune system, essentially, so this could eliminate my Crohn's disease since my original, faulty immune system caused it.

Dr. Mehta also explained why the terms bone marrow transplant and stem cell transplant are interchangeable in cases like mine. The stem cells we receive as embryos then develop into different, important parts of our bodies - such as our bone marrow. My bone marrow stem cells have essentially gone haywire, and therefore, need to be replaced. That's why I am looking at a "bone marrow stem cell" transplant!

Dr. Mehta also made a point of telling us how quickly my preliminary transplant process has progressed in a relatively short amount of time. Apparently this is typically a very drawn out ordeal, but my oncologist got the ball rolling early, and the transplant coordinator has actively searched for the donor and put other things in place earlier than usual. He really seemed amazed that so much progress had been made - so much so he said it seemed there was divine intervention!

My parents and I both liked Dr. Mehta very much. He has an engaging, warm personality, and he obviously cares about his patients. He explained my situation and every aspect of the transplant in easy-to-understand, conversational language. He answered our questions patiently and compassionately.

He did have to talk to us about risks, the likelihood of transplant success and failure, and what could happen if the process just does not work. This is disheartening, but a reality of my situation.

Following this appointment, I had fourteen vials of blood drawn to test in preparation for the transplant process. I was thankful for my port which makes blood draws so much easier and quicker!

We were back on the road shortly after 3 pm. We were rerouted due to an accident, so getting out of the downtown area took a bit longer. We merged right into slow moving traffic, but never had to completely stop.

Even though he grumbled about the sheer volume of traffic, the state of Illinois roads, and gas prices (and how all of that contrasts between the Chicago area and downstate), my dad did independently follow the written instructions to make a complimentary cup of coffee in Dr. Mehta's office using a K-cup style coffee maker. He also had many miles to test out the bells and whistles of their new vehicle! There weren't as many Clampett moments as there could have been!

Many thanks for the positive thoughts and prayers for my parents and me today! I truly believe the day went so well because of your love and support!

Also, if you have submitted a message to me using this website, you should know that I do receive an email which contains your message. Thank you!