Some things make my problems seem small.

[cjsmith]

Just found out that my cousin's son has leukemia -- AML, the aggressive form.

PS: If ever you feel like signing up for the marrow-donor registry, information is available at http://www.marrow.org. This is not a guilt trip: the chances of matching any *specific* patient, this boy included, are incredibly small, and it's not yet certain he's a marrow transplant candidate anyway. But in case you're motivated, there's the link. Joining requires giving a small blood sample a cheek swab sample and paying a tax-deductible fee of around $50. Various medical things may disqualify a donor (active Lyme, for example, sigh).

Comments

[ashiegrrrl.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry. He will be in my prayers. *hugs*

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I cannot imagine the levels of stress and shock his parents are going through right now. It sure does make one's own problems fade, doesn't it? At least it feels that way to me right now.

[tattermuffin.livejournal.com]

:(

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yeah, sorta makes my little gripes about medicating cats seem incredibly small. I hope he is in that percentage who makes it.

[tattermuffin.livejournal.com]

Well, just because others have worse going on, it doesn't invalidate the issues we have in our own lives - so don't fall into that trap. sounds like you're just using it as a reality check though, and that's never a bad thing.

And absolutely, hoping for the best possible outcome for the little guy. He'll be in my thoughts with healing energies winging their way to him

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's basically it: a reality check, a dose of perspective.

Thank you!

[ladycelia.livejournal.com]

Oh man.
He will be in my prayers.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Add his mom, if you would. She's losing it. :-(

I don't know how parents whose kids get massively sick *ever* cope.

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

Urgh. The hammer o' perspective hurts, especially when it hits close to home/family. *hugs*

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

No kidding. *hugsback* and thanks.

[shoutingboy.livejournal.com]

Oh, man. I'm so sorry. That's just horrible.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I can't imagine what Mama's going through. Life just... sometimes it isn't always roses and song, y'know? :-/

Postscript...

[shoutingboy.livejournal.com]

People may want to sign up for the marrow-donor registry. You can get information at www.marrow.org (http://www.marrow.org/).

Joining just requires giving a small blood sample, which they use to determine your rejection spectrum. You also need to pay around $50 (tax-dedictible) to cover the cost of the typing. Odds are you'll never match anyone, but you never know.

Re: Postscript...

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

A good point. I'll edit the post to add that.

I'm ineligible due to Lyme, myself, and none of my family is actually related to this child by blood because he was adopted at birth, but this is one of those cases where the Powers That Be will go find the birth family and ask.

Re: Postscript...

[pure-agnostic.livejournal.com]

Actually, donors don't need to give a blood sample - just a cheek swab. When I signed up, they sent a little cheek-swab kit to me in the mail. It was simple, quick, and painless.

Re: Postscript...

[shoutingboy.livejournal.com]

Wow! Technology has progressed in the twenty years since I registered.

[juverna.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry.

Don't forget, miracles happen all the time.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

They do. And he could very well be one of them.

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

OMG, that's horrible news... any hope of treatment success?

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Some, yes; apparently children with AML do better than adults with it, and his bone marrow test showed something that seemed to be positive and hope-giving (though the medical news has reached me third-hand and is thus devoid of any detail).

[ckd]

At one point my mom was as a social worker in a pediatric oncology ward, so I got to help out once or twice with picnics and the like for the kids. It's tough, but treatment's gotten better even in the past decade or two.

Best wishes to your cousin's son, and your cousin as well. They'll be in my thoughts.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

That's good to hear. Another cousin, sister of this kid's Mama, is a nurse who worked a couple of years in a leukemia ward, so the fact that she knows the lingo is very comforting to the boy's parents right now. And thanks.

[ckd]

I hadn't seen this Pharyngula post when I made that comment. (Hat tip to thnidu for linking to it.)

Admittedly, the graphs are of ALL survival rates instead of AML, but holy SHIT those are looking better than they were in the 1980s. Seriously, I knew treatments had improved, but I had no idea how much.

Have hope. Not false hope, not "OMG it's all cured" (much as we might wish it), but there is hope.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

It's good to see. Things have indeed come a long way.

[lkeele.livejournal.com]

Oh, damn. :(

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yeah, sometimes things just suck. Savor the joys, to balance it out.

[lkeele.livejournal.com]

How old is he?

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Um, thirteen I think. My family will now slap me for inaccuracy. :-)

[lkeele.livejournal.com]

If you want to slip my e-mail addy to the parents, they might be looking for support from other parents whose kids have health issues.

[tiger-spot.livejournal.com]

Oh, man. I'm sorry to hear that.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I can't imagine how parents ever cope with something like this. Things like this make me realize that (because I have no children) I am very insulated from some of the painful curve balls life can throw.

[meglimir.livejournal.com]

*hugs* :(

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thanks! *Me*, I'm fine -- but I will pass along good thoughts to my cousin and her son. They're in franticland at the moment, bouncing around from hospital to home.

[just-cyd.livejournal.com]

oh man. makes me feel really stupid for wallowing like i am today.

This isn't the same cousin that lost a teenage son last year, is it? i seem to recall your family (in general) just had a tragedy last year.

*hugs* all around. and then i'll check out the marrow donor thingey.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

You're allowed to wallow. Everyone feels their own pain, even if there's other pain out there. But you knew that. :-)

You have a good memory! It was in January. Not the same cousin, but siblings; this boy's mother and the teenage boy's father are brother and sister. The brown stuff has really rained on that branch of the family lately.

[tsjafo.livejournal.com]

Prayers and good thoughts on the way.

[pure-agnostic.livejournal.com]

Sorry about your cousin's son. I hope all goes well for him. As a bone-marrow donor, I'd happily donate to him if that would help.

And thanks for encouraging people to sign up at marrow.org!

[ashiegrrrl.livejournal.com]

I loosely counted at least 3 items that disqualify me. Things like medications could disqualify me further. I am curious about donating blood, I haven't tried since my medical issues started in '03.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yeah, if you're what I cynically refer to as a "normal human being" -- that is, someone who does not lead a totally charmed life, someone who actually HAS BAD THINGS HAPPEN sometimes -- you can't donate bone marrow. Heh. Is my bitterness over health issues showing? Just a wee bit, perhaps!