News From My Doctor

Morning Everyone! Last week I went to the doctor for my monthly check up. As many of you have known I have been battling different ailments that have to deal with graf vs. host. Things your body deals with after having a transplant from a non-related donor.


Most notably I have been dealing with extreme pain in my feet and extremely dry skin. Well I have been on medication for about three weeks and my feet feel GREAT! As for the skin...well I am the poster boy for vaseline intensive care....I have it at all times.


Oh...and my eyes....I developed cataracts in both eyes due to the steroid I have been on for three years. I had my second surgery over the break and I am now seeing 20-25 overall.......It's like seeing in high def! AWESOME!!


I tell you all of this that brings me to this. January 18th marks YEAR NUMBER 2 from my transplant date. I have heard my doctors say anywhere from 3 to 5 years being cancer free and you are in the clear. So I asked Dr. Collins...WHICH IS IT? 3 years or 5 years?!?!


Dr. Collins is very non committal....as they have to be I understand...nothing is guaranteed....but here is what he had to say.


Mr. Huffman your counts have looked great for quite some time. If you had any cancer cells in your body the graf vs. host that you have going on would literally eat it. I am convinced that the cancer is COMPLETELY GONE! All we are going to do is control your graf vs. host and make sure you are comfortable. If you did not have any graf vs. host we would give you medication that would create graf vs. host. Studies have shown Mr. Huffman that if the patient with your type of cancer makes it to the 3rd year the cancer RARELY comes back...and 5 years it is almost nonexistent.


It did not hit me until I was in the car on the way home that for the first time EVER Dr. Collins told me what he was really thinking. He has NEVER committed one way or the other (which again I understand) on the possibilities of survival because I am a rare case. There are not a lot of statistics for him to research. Usually the patients are much older or are children and the patients cannot handle the treatment therefore they fall to the treatment before the disease. Therefore I am a lab rat! I am providing all kinds of information for their studies.


I just wanted you to know because all of you have been on this very long journey that started on May 25, 2006 and for the FIRST TIME the docter said..."CANCER COMPLETELY GONE" While it is not a guarantee if Dr. Collins is saying it I like the odds.....maybe I should hit the poker tables in Oklahoma while I am on a roll....