Many of you who read this blog are aware that Grandpa has been diagnosed with CMML, a form of leukemia. It is a blood cancer where his bone marrow produces too many white blood cells and not enough red blood cells or platelets. There are only an estimated 1,000 cases diagnosed a year; in older adults over the age of 60 and 90% of those diagnosed are men. So, needless to say Grandpa fits into the category.
In early March Grandpa was admitted to UT Medical Center in Knoxville where he stayed for six days. He had pneumonia, anemia and sepsis and was very sick. Upon further blood testing, it was found that his white blood count was through the roof with his red cells very low. He underwent two blood transfusions during his hospital stay along with intravenous antibiotics. He had to undergo a bone marrow test which wasn't too pleasant for him. He actually faired pretty well in the hospital even with all he went through. When he started asking more questions of the doctor about the problem with his blood, the doctor mentioned CML; a form of leukemia. Fortunately, the 'C' stands for chronic, not acute. However, a person who has this could go into full leukemia at any time. When the doctor said Stuart needed to see a hematologist for further testing it sort of sucked the breath out of us. He left the hospital with an appointment with a hematologist at UT Cancer Institute soon after that.
As for me, when this was going on, I turned into a basket case. One of the reasons was how it all started. It was a Sunday and he was not feeling good. Actually, he hadn't been feeling good for a while, but this day was especially bad. I finally 'pulled rank' and told him I was taking him to the after hours clinic. When he didn't fight me, I started to worry. Grandpa is not one to rush to a doctor at the drop of a hat when he isn't feeling well. When we got to the clinic, we were very relieved to see his own doctor, Dr. Clay on duty. But, it went down hill from there. They tried to weigh him and he could not stand on the scale. They tried to get a chest X-ray because of his breathing but collapsed before they could complete the procedure. Luckily, the nurse caught him. I was waiting in the exam room when his doctor came to get me and said Grandpa needed to get to hospital right away. Dr. Clay said he was calling an ambulance. That's when I REALLY started to tear up and shake. Dr. Clay assured me that it was better to call an ambulance than for me to drive him as worried as I was. Besides, I didn't really know where UT Medial Center was. The ambulance came and I followed in the car. I think I called Shelly, our daughter, who we live with but as I remember back, I'm not sure. I do remember following the ambulance and telling myself I needed to pull myself together.
I was never so glad see him again in the emergency room and seeing all the doctors working on him. What they were really concerned about was that his skin was actually a yellowish color. After blood tests and other lab tests, that is when it was determined that he was terribly anemic and had sepsis; along with pneumonia. It did not take them long to determine he needed a transfusion immediately and checked into the hospital. They started giving him his first unit of blood (he needed two) in the emergency room. At least, I think.....a lot of that day is a blur.....they told me that the transfusion could take a couple of hours and suggested I go home and come back later that evening to visit him once he was admitted. I panicked and felt that I just could not leave him. But then I realized that he was in good hands, needed to rest and I was making him more nervous being there at that point. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do, but I left.
To be continued........
In early March Grandpa was admitted to UT Medical Center in Knoxville where he stayed for six days. He had pneumonia, anemia and sepsis and was very sick. Upon further blood testing, it was found that his white blood count was through the roof with his red cells very low. He underwent two blood transfusions during his hospital stay along with intravenous antibiotics. He had to undergo a bone marrow test which wasn't too pleasant for him. He actually faired pretty well in the hospital even with all he went through. When he started asking more questions of the doctor about the problem with his blood, the doctor mentioned CML; a form of leukemia. Fortunately, the 'C' stands for chronic, not acute. However, a person who has this could go into full leukemia at any time. When the doctor said Stuart needed to see a hematologist for further testing it sort of sucked the breath out of us. He left the hospital with an appointment with a hematologist at UT Cancer Institute soon after that.
As for me, when this was going on, I turned into a basket case. One of the reasons was how it all started. It was a Sunday and he was not feeling good. Actually, he hadn't been feeling good for a while, but this day was especially bad. I finally 'pulled rank' and told him I was taking him to the after hours clinic. When he didn't fight me, I started to worry. Grandpa is not one to rush to a doctor at the drop of a hat when he isn't feeling well. When we got to the clinic, we were very relieved to see his own doctor, Dr. Clay on duty. But, it went down hill from there. They tried to weigh him and he could not stand on the scale. They tried to get a chest X-ray because of his breathing but collapsed before they could complete the procedure. Luckily, the nurse caught him. I was waiting in the exam room when his doctor came to get me and said Grandpa needed to get to hospital right away. Dr. Clay said he was calling an ambulance. That's when I REALLY started to tear up and shake. Dr. Clay assured me that it was better to call an ambulance than for me to drive him as worried as I was. Besides, I didn't really know where UT Medial Center was. The ambulance came and I followed in the car. I think I called Shelly, our daughter, who we live with but as I remember back, I'm not sure. I do remember following the ambulance and telling myself I needed to pull myself together.
I was never so glad see him again in the emergency room and seeing all the doctors working on him. What they were really concerned about was that his skin was actually a yellowish color. After blood tests and other lab tests, that is when it was determined that he was terribly anemic and had sepsis; along with pneumonia. It did not take them long to determine he needed a transfusion immediately and checked into the hospital. They started giving him his first unit of blood (he needed two) in the emergency room. At least, I think.....a lot of that day is a blur.....they told me that the transfusion could take a couple of hours and suggested I go home and come back later that evening to visit him once he was admitted. I panicked and felt that I just could not leave him. But then I realized that he was in good hands, needed to rest and I was making him more nervous being there at that point. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do, but I left.
To be continued........
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