Cancer by the Numbers

The numbers from a fight with cancer are amazing, and every patient is different. It can be a few scary weeks, an operation, and a few years of watching. It can also drag on for years. When you are 23, losing 300 days of your freedom is a big number. Drew is 200 days into this fight, and he has at least 100 to go.

Since the first call in late August, he has spent 64 nights in the hospital and at least 20 days more, like today, visiting it as a day patient for tests, transfusions, and problems. He has been to emergency rooms four times, and other times he just bypassed them and walked directly to the oncology floor. He has had an IV hooked up for over 1000 hours and worn a gown for less than 2 hours – a real “gown rebel”. He has eaten zero meals from the dining service. He has been scanned six times and x-rayed many more, and Monday he will get his third bone marrow aspiration (a funny word for a corkscrew into your hip bone). His blood has been drawn and checked over 100 times, and something is always out of range - today, five out of eight readings - two were low, two were high, and one was labeled "panic". No one did. It was a normal day.

We count 17 different chemo drugs, and will add one or two new ones to the list starting May 1st. Some attack by shrinking the cancer cells, some by confusing them, some by keeping them from growing, some by starving them, some by making them kill themselves. So far, they have all worked, but none completely.

Meanwhile Jane has opened all the billing and insurance statements from the daily mail. We average five envelopes a day, with a high of ten one day. She has been threatened and apologized to in equal numbers, by confused billing departments. Drew has had three different insurance policies (IBM’s international, then IBM’s US, and now his own as he turned 23 during this adventure). We have made what seems to be 800 calls to 1-800 numbers in six months, and actually found some nice people at the other end. What we have learned: how critical good heath insurance is and how important it is to work for a company that supports its employees. We are fortunate to have both, frustrating at times, but in the end – Drew’s approval for his bone marrow transplant came in record time with an amazing number of “We are here to help you through this” messages. What everyone should hear!

TEAM LLEWELLYN is off to Duke for a Monday appointment with a radiation oncologist. He will be determining the level of radiation intensity Drew will need to endure from May 1st – May 8th. Also, he may determine a booster should be given this week just to make sure the disease remains quiet. The unknowns continue. What we do know is there is going to be a great BIG party when this is all said and done – date will be announced – so keep checking – Game On!