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Maureen Trepp GOOD NEWS CONTINUES: 18 month check-up!
Those visiting this site for the first time may want to check out past journal entries for descriptions of Maureen's Bone Marrow Transplant -- her illness, her progress begining in Dec 2001, family reaction to the health care system, etc. These can be viewed by clicking on "past journal entries" at the bottom of this page. We also recommend checking out the "Guestbook."
Journal
Thursday, August 14, 2003 2:39 PM CDT Maureen's 18 month check-up took place yesterday, Aug 13, 2003 (actually a 19&1/2 month check-up). She continues to be in remission -- no detectable lymphoma. Nor is there any sign of her chronic, and potentially fatal, GRAFT vs HOST disease flaring up. She is so healthy, her doctor doesn't want to see her until January.
Maureen has a few minor health concerns, but probably no more than the average woman in her mid-fifties. Some of these minor problems are clearly side-effects from past or current treatment; others, her doctor doesn't recognize as such. (We suspect everything as being related to treatment, but the BMT docs don't expect people to live as long or become as healthy as Maureen has, so they aren't tuned in to some of the minor problems she is experiencing.)
The worst of her problems, and hardly worth hosting a web-site to discuss, is the progressive nerve damage in her feet, probably from taking Bencrystine(?) -- one of the first chemo-therapies she tried five years ago. Her feet permanently "feel asleep," they cramp easily, especially early morning and late evening, and her toes have curled up (down, actually) to the point that they are almost under the balls of her feet. As you can imagine, this makes walking difficult.
The BMT docs don't take much responsibility for this because, 1)they don't know what to do about it; and 2)it is caused by a treaatment she received prior to entering the BMT program. Frustrated, Maureen tried several acupuncture treatments, but they didn't help. At yesterday's check-up, her BMT doc reluctantly gave Maureen a referral to nuerology -- presumably, the reluctance is based on their skepticism that nuerology can help -- but its worth a try.
As most of our readers surely know, the big news within the family is Ethan's upcoming wedding. This will be a huge event, over 300 people -- the Groom's dinner is pushing 80. With 10 days to go, the current crisis is the special insurance required for the Garden Center to host an event involving alcohol -- tommorow will surely bring a new crisis. But just as surely, Ethan and Ashley will be wed on Aug 23.
The following week, Maureen begins her 30th year in the classroom, teaching world history to sixth-graders at Field Middle School.
Look at past journal
entries
Hospital Information: University of Minnesota Hospital 420 Delaware St. S.E. Minneapolis, MN 55455-0392 612-273-2800
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