On 2/5/2009 PapAmore wrote:
My extremely young 71 year old Dad died on January 11, 2009, he had AML...
My Dad's oncologist after one try at chemo and one at mylotarg, literally sent him home to die with no options, not even palliative care. However, much to our incredibly thankful hearts, due to a contact, the Univ. of Chicago had studied his medical records and wanted him there, unlike his oncologist, they felt that he still had many options, even a bone marrow transplant...
My Dad DID NOT want to "go yet"...he really wanted to fight this...and said he'd do anything in order to do so...he was an incredibly healthy man, even up to the end...definitely did not look like a "cancer" patient.
My Dad went in for platelets on a Friday, his bloodwork showed his WBC at an alarming 138! (On Wednesday it was 32...Monday at 10.2)
The hospital called his oncologist as to ask which step to take next, she told them to release him, send him home! She bumped up his hydrea pills (which we had discovered ourselves and had to nearly fight her for) to 6 a day ilo 1...that's it...
He had an appointment on the following Wednesday at the Univ. of Chicago, all he had to do was make it until then, they even thought he was a great bone marrow transplant candidate! We even had a jet lined up to take him there...
My Dad died on that Sunday before, he never was able to make it to the Univ. of Chicago...
PLEASE, am I just going nuts or was it outrageous for this oncologist to send him home that Friday? Why didn't she order an emergency transfusion? Do her actions sound right?
Would so appreciate any and all insight here...thank you
it was May 9, 2009, I recd a call from my Mom's (75) (who lives in India) doctor that a blood test has shown a precipitous drop in my Mom's haemoglobin, and that she MUST be admitted to the hospital for an immediate trnasfusion. I agreed to let them shift her to the hospital and I booked me an immediate flight to Mumbai India. Arrived there on May 11 late night and headed straight to the hospital. They had already administered 3 units of blood and she was responding real great. Her WBC count was way too high, however the antibiotics were helping eliminate the infection in her gums. On May 13.. with haemoglobin reading at 11.8 and wbc count almost down to 10.. she was released from the hospital. Our doctor in a private conference told us that Mom has AML and the prognosis was vry very poor at less than 3 months. We NEVER told our mom about AML.
On May 15 at home Mom was feelign a whole lot better.. eating 3 meals a day and felling"like she had never felt in ages". Her interest in life was good and she was happy with all her 3 children around her. We hired a full time cook and started feeding her all her favorite foods and occassioanly tok her out to eat Pizza which she really loved. On June 24 she was admitted again for another 3 untis of blood transfusion. She had a mild reacton with the 3 rd unit but recovered rapidly. We got her home and conintued making her happy in every which way we could. She said this was the BEST period in her life. Again, she knew she had a serious disease but no clue as to the time left.
On July 22 she was once again admitted to the hospital for 3 untis of transfusion and came home on July 25. However, she developed high fever and an non-recting infection. On July 28,2009 she was admitted to the hospital again for IV antibiotics... her fever came down but she remained weak with no appetite to eat. On August 4 th, the doctors told us she can go home on Aug 5 the next day. All night she was very restless. On Aug 5 she woke up at 8 usual time had her favorite breakfas t of grits and milk and took a sponge bath. At 11 am the doctors checked her out and decided to give her a small dose of antibiotics. Suddenly at 1 pm she slipped into a coma . Internal bleeding and respiratory failure. at 5;30 pm she breathed her last. It came like a tsunami for all of us. The doctors said that is how AML patients normally pass away.
On a brighter note .. she did not suffer much pain other than a few hours of discomfort. was alert to the end and never knew she was going to die so soon. We miss her and will always miss her. Our lives will never be the same without her around on this planet. But the fact that she left with no pain at a relatively older age of 75 is the only relief we have that is allowing us to carry on in life.