Dad diagnosed w/Agressive AML Leukemia - what to expect?

I’m trying to find out what to expect in the next few months. My Dad, who already has Emphysema and is on Oxygen most all the time, was diagnosed 3/5/09 with Acute Leukemia (AML) which was categorized as “aggressive”. I believe he might have stage M5, but am not positive. With his other conditions and age, the fact that Mayo Clinic & Hopkins Doctors agreed that Treatment would only be maybe 35% effective, the best decision my parents could make was no Chemo/Other Therapy. It would not be practical, and most likely more painful than letting the Leukemia take it's natural course. Doctor mentioned 1 - 4 months. Does anyone know what I can realistically expect and if he may live past 4 months? We want to be with him as much as possible and help my Mom out - they live in a neighboring State, which is a 2 hours drive from us. Already looking into Hospice options. Any other suggestions? Insights? Thx.

 

On 3/21/2009 dj325 wrote:

I’m trying to find out what to expect in the next few months. My Dad, who already has Emphysema and is on Oxygen most all the time, was diagnosed 3/5/09 with Acute Leukemia (AML) which was categorized as “aggressive”. I believe he might have stage M5, but am not positive. With his other conditions and age, the fact that Mayo Clinic & Hopkins Doctors agreed that Treatment would only be maybe 35% effective, the best decision my parents could make was no Chemo/Other Therapy. It would not be practical, and most likely more painful than letting the Leukemia take it's natural course. Doctor mentioned 1 - 4 months. Does anyone know what I can realistically expect and if he may live past 4 months? We want to be with him as much as possible and help my Mom out - they live in a neighboring State, which is a 2 hours drive from us. Already looking into Hospice options. Any other suggestions? Insights? Thx.

Hello, I also have been diagnosed with AML, and you are right, it is  very aggressive. Unfortunately I can not tell you what you want. Although I have AML, I do not have any other illnesses and mine was caught very very early. So my treatment was successful and today I am in remission of 23 months. Having gone/and gong through mine, my heart feels pain for others who are going through it. I just want to wish your Dad all the success there is and to hope that he does make a recoverage, if even only a small one. I do however hope that you do fine someone who has your answers. One last thing I would like to mention is, do you have any kind of support group where you live. I know that in Canada, there are some places call Wellspring. It is a place for people to go to try to understand and receive help while they deal with this issue.  It is also for family members who live and are caregivers of the cancer person. All the bes to you and your whole family, I will keep you in my prayers.

If you are focusing on "quality of life" and have decided to forgo chemo - then you should think about some of the things we used for our son Jaymun - the docs gave up on him, and we got him into remission using herbs, spices, and mushrooms.    (based on scientific research and studies).  

See http://www.jaymun.com/blog/aml-remission-cns-radiation-herbs

 

 

Please have a look at the first message on this cancercompass thread http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,32571 .......and then click on the link to the study done on resveratrol and AML. Perhaps you could contact them at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston to see if this might be an option for your father. I pray it works out for you.....Sheila _______________________________________________________________

On 3/21/2009 dj325 wrote:

I’m trying to find out what to expect in the next few months. My Dad, who already has Emphysema and is on Oxygen most all the time, was diagnosed 3/5/09 with Acute Leukemia (AML) which was categorized as “aggressive”. I believe he might have stage M5, but am not positive. With his other conditions and age, the fact that Mayo Clinic & Hopkins Doctors agreed that Treatment would only be maybe 35% effective, the best decision my parents could make was no Chemo/Other Therapy. It would not be practical, and most likely more painful than letting the Leukemia take it's natural course. Doctor mentioned 1 - 4 months. Does anyone know what I can realistically expect and if he may live past 4 months? We want to be with him as much as possible and help my Mom out - they live in a neighboring State, which is a 2 hours drive from us. Already looking into Hospice options. Any other suggestions? Insights? Thx.