On 2010-11-04, Don Foreman wrote:
I have friends here that care, other readers please ignore.

We were at Mayo Monday and Wednesday.

We now have a course of action and treatment.

Diagnosis is 99% sure that Mary's disease is primary light-chain
amyloidosis involving her heart and gut. The 1% doubt that will be
resolved with lab results not yet available concerns the particular
form of the disease but it's really a matter of i-dotting and
t-crossing confirmation of other diagnostic results.

This is an incurable disease, a form of cancer. It's akin to leukemia
in that it involves white blood cells, different in that it involves
different white cells.

Ouch!

What does the 1% doubt cover? Something possibly better?

[ ... ]

Because there is clearly cardiac involvement and damage, sudden death
by heart failure is more probable than for a person without such
damage. We agree that sudden death by heart failure or whatever
purely beats the hell out of a lingering death fraught with pain.

That I can certainly understand and sympathize with.

Does "incurable" also eliminate a possibility of stabilizing it
at the current stage, if not causing remission?

[ ... ]

Mary's sense of humor is undiminished.

That is good!

A friend at work had lukemia, and was posting regular updates on
his status and treatment -- including significant technical details.
That was his way of dealing with it.

Best of luck,
DoN.

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