Waxing-Lyrical, aka Richard has written one of the most heart-felt and sincere lenses I have read in a really long time. Living With Leukemia chronicles the story of Richard's first wife's battle with leukemia. He takes us on his journey from the onset of her symptoms. His words also translate his fears and concerns. The journey is filled with ups and downs and Richard eloquently describes each bump in the road. He shares his fears and feelings of helplessness so well, you just want to reach out and hug him. This story has a special meaning for me as I, too, lost a spouse to leukemia. Even though my husband and Richard's wife had different types of leukemia, the similarities in their stories is amazing.
What is leukemia? Simply, it is cancer of the blood and bone marrow. Blood tests are performed to assist in the diagnosis. Generally, an extremely high white blood cell count is indicative of the disease. A normal white blood cell count is 5000-10,000. In leukemia, the white blood cell count can easily reach 100,000 or even higher. Blood cells are formed in the bone marrow, primarily in flat and long bones. The iliac (hip) bones are prolific cell makers. In leukemias, the blood cells are released into the blood stream before they are mature. These cells are referred to as blast cells. So not only are there too many white blood cells, many of them are blast cells and are ineffective. This super production of cells by the bone marrow causes severe pain. It is a similar effect to over-working muscles during exercise. Leukemia is most widely known as a childhood disease. However, about 2000 adults are afflicted with the disease annually and the numbers are growing. Leukemia is first divided into acute and chronic types and then further subsets occur. Read more about leukemia at Wikipedia.
The only cure for leukemia is a bone marrow transplant. Richard shares the heartbreaking story of the failure of his wife's bone marrow transplant. Bone marrow transplant is one of those treatments that is difficult to choose whether you want one or not. The beginning of the treatment involves destroying the person's own bone marrow. They need to be in protective isolation so they don't become exposed to any germs. Because their bone marrow has been destroyed, they have no way to fight off infection. The donor's bone marrow is infused like a blood transfusion, through an IV. There are medications given to prevent the recipient from rejecting the new bone marrow. Bone marrow donors are needed all over the world. You can check in your area hospital for information about bone marrow donation or visit the Bone Marrow Registry.
There is a happy ending to Richard's story. He met his present wife, Bonnie, aka JustBon Creations while doing work for bone marrow awareness. To quote Richard, "Every cloud has a silver lining".
Visit: Living With Leukemia.
This lens touched me deeply. Both Rich and Bon are good friends. I know they appreciate your support and wonderful blessings. Thank you for highlighting this painful and yet beautifully told story.
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A truly touching story and well-worth its Lens of the Day status this week. Heard you say on Giant Squid OpenMike that you nominated it, Beth. :)
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