Zazzy: My story

[Guest guest]

Some of you already know this, but thought I would post it to let

others know my story.

I was slated for open heart surgery in July 2000. It was rather

quick.. I had seen the surgeon only twice before, when they decided

that I needed surgery NOW. I wasn't doing well, my heart had become

enlarged to a point that it was interfering with daily life.

My husband had taken me to Spokane, WA (about 95 miles from our home)

for a cardiac cath that day. Next thing I know I'm sitting in the CPU

(chest pain unit) waiting surgery, which was supposed to be at 2:00

p.m. that day. When 2 p.m. came and went, I started wondering what

was going on. The surgeon came into the unit and told me that they

couldn't do the surgery because my white count was high (19,000).

I attributed the WBC to a sinus infection. I've had them most of my

adult life. Off I went for a cat scan... the did find an infection

and put me on 1000 mgs. Ceftin. I was sent home with a referral to an

ear, nose and throat doc.

They drained my sinuses (now I know where the Beatles got the idea

for the song " Maxwell's Silver Hammer), kept me on the antibiotics

and scheduled another appointment for the following week. Since my

husband works swing shift, I drove myself to these appointments.

WBC the following week showed the all clear.. normal wbc. Surgery was

scheduled again, only to find the day of the surgery that my wbc had

shot back to the 19,000 range.

This scenario went on for 3 more times. I would be scheduled for

heart surgery and at the last minute postponed. It was absolutely

maddening and I didn't know how much more I could take of it.

The fifth time of scheduling, and again my wbc shot back up. There I

was in pre-op, with three heart surgeons and my cardiologist standing

over me arguing about what to do with me. It was decided that I would

be put in the hospital for a week of testing. Interestingly enough, a

visit with an onc was part of this, and I was declared NOT to have

leuk. Too bad that they didn't look for the RIGHT one. lol

The next week they decided that I normally had a high wbc and

scheduled the surgery. As I said before, I almost died on the table.

My recovery went well that week in the hospital and I was finally

sent home. This was in October of 2000.

In November I was again hospitalized with pericarditis, a nasty case.

Got better, sent home. December it was pleural effusion that caused

me to be hospitalized again. Got over that episode and sent home

again.

In January, my PCP was monitoring my WBC like a hawk. I was going

down for blood tests twice a week, and each time it would be higher.

I went back and saw the onc... he did blood tests and sent me home.

When it reached 68,000, my pcp called the oncs office and had me

scheduled for a BMA. When I arrived for the appoitment I was called

into the exam room. A PA came in and said that they didn't need to do

a BMA, but the onc wanted to talk to me. He came in, asked if anyone

was with me. I said that yes, my husband was in the waiting room, but

he needn't come in. That's when I was hit with the " You have CML "

I'll make the rest of this short. lol Since that time I have been

diagnosed with breast cancer, had a mastectomy, had a staph infection

in the wound, was dxed with congestive heart failure, peripheral

neuropathy, sudden startle syndrome and arthritis. I've had many

surgeries since, one being a breast reconstruction.

I am doing well... I mostly do what I want and a few things that the

docs would pale over. I don't like to sit still, so I usually have

about 3 projects going at a time. I rototill the garden, mow the

lawn, etc. In the winter months I stay sane with decorative painting

and my house has been so many different colors that I've lost count

of them all.

I'm not one to dwell on anything.... I'd rather try to find a

solution to things I can change and accept the things I cannot.

Anyway, there it is. Sorry for such a long post.

Take care,

Zazzy