Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Seattle Cancer Care

Lisa has been the backbone of this whole trip.  I just pretend everything's fine, and act accordingly.  She's the one that's thinking about it, stressing about it, talking to insurance companies, researching everything, and finding Dr. Pam Becker.  Thank you hon.  Dr. Becker works at Seattle Cancer Care and specializes in myeloproliferative disorders, which Myleofibrosis is under that umbrella. 
So to break it down on the heirarchy of Dr.s I've been too, my primary care physician had no clue what I had, did no follow up calls to see what I eventually did have.  Thanks dude, you killed it.  Or almost killed me.
Dr. Li, was incredible and was at the Polyclinic, kind of the minor leagues for cancer care, but was real good. 
Then we move to the Fenway Park of hospitals, Seattle Cancer Care, where they don't have to send out for testing everything and anything your Doctor wants tested.  You know why?  They do it all in house.  So here we are, at the source for this bullshit.  5 floors of walking dead people getting treated by some of the worlds best cancer doctors, and now they got a new patient. 
Lisa had me slotted in for a last second cancellation with Dr. Becker the same day I had a product line showing with one of our largest accounts.  After saying I wouldn't go, I made the smart choice to go.  The appointment was 2 hours long.  Watching Dr. Becker and her assistant Sonny were like watching a Hollywood superstar work with their personal assistant.  "Check this, try that, order this, call that guy..."  It was pretty over whelming.  But when we left, we felt like at least we were finally getting some answers to questions we've had for 15 or so months. 
At the end of it all, Dr. Becker wants to get me in a clinical trial for some non FDA approved drug that helps my Myleofibrosis.  The trial starts in late February to March.  So nothing but waiting in the meantime with the knowledge that the only way to cure this disease is to have a bone marrow transplant.  Doc said that this will go down sometime in the next year or so.  And apparently with this, you get chemo'd out first, so they can reset your system.  Then the put the new marrow in, and if it takes, and you make it thru all that shit, your good to go.  Sounds simple.  Cept 25% of the people that do this die, then there's all sorts of other bullshit complications with the transplant that can happen and what not.  So it's not as simple as it seems.  Plus your out of work / public for 9-12 months as your immune system is building itself back up.  Just awesome shit to look forward too.  "Hey bro, I'll see you in a year or so, if I live and then hopefully I can ride bikes, snowboard and just function."