My father was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in early 2009. It was life changing. My father, the absolute strongest man I know was now weakened by a vicious monster that we refer to as cancer. Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a cancer of the blood plasma. This cancer runs throughout his veins on a daily basis. He often receives plasma transfusions along with blood transfusions, these help raise his blood count and lower his protein count. He receives his monthly, multi-day chemo treatment at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. This month was a bit different for him because it was the first treatment that my mom wouldn't be by his side. He did great! BUT, it's Jim Burns, so why wouldn't he?!? This man is still, despite his bones literally deteriorating inside his body, and every single plasma cell coursing through his veins being contaminated with cancer, the strongest man that I know. He CAN & WILL overcome EVERYTHING & ANYTHING that comes in his way.
The support of family and friends, thoughts and prayers from everyone who cares about him are what is keeping my Pop strong; that and the wonderful miracles workers at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, the researchers at the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation who dauntlessly work at finding a cure for my father and everyone suffering from MM.
Cancer puts loved ones in this uncontrollable place; the same loved ones who would do anything for the person they love. We are suddenly left helpless; all we have is our faith & put it ALL in every doctor and nurse, ALL of our faith in whatever higher power one chooses to pray to, EVERYTHING is out of our hands.
Clearly I couldn't just sit back, so I did a bit of investigating and found that the Philadelphia Multiple Myeloma Networking Group held an event called Miles for Myeloma (it was only the 2nd annual event). This event is a 5k walk/run with one of the beneficiaries being Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. This is what I had to do! I coordinated a team in honor of my Pop, called "The Bee's Knees", this year will be the 3rd year we will be 'stepping to take the sting out of MM'. If you are in the Philadelphia area on Saturday, April 21st (which would have been my Mom's 70th birthday) and would like to join or donate to my team, THE BEE'S KNEES, please just click on the link and be as generous as possible!
We couldn't keep up this fight with out people like you. HUMANS HELPING HUMANS!!
Showing posts with label University of Pennsylvania. Show all posts
Showing posts with label University of Pennsylvania. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Working Over-time.
Yesterday was my first day off in 9 days, it also just happened to be Labor Day; however there were no Bar-B-Q's to speak of for me, I would be visiting my father at the Hospital of The University of Pennsylvania. The last four months Pop has been receiving aggressive Chemotherapy at his home away from home. I have to admit that on this visit I was a little bitter. Bitter because in the hospital bed lie a man, who worked 50+ years for General Motors, many of those days were 12-14 hour days. My dad NEVER said no to over-time or hard work; some way to spend a holiday built for people like just like him.
I called him the night before and asked when the best time to come visit would be, we planned for after lunch. When I arrived the nurse came in and took his blood pressure, it was high, 150/some other big number. The nurse was concerned, but she would be in multiple times because Pop was in the middle of getting a blood transfusion and they check vital signs every 15-30 minutes. We chatted and laughed, he told stories that I have heard a million times and I listened enthralled as always, normal Pop & Sarah stuff. Finally, Pop had had enough of your truly and pretty much started kicked me out by throwing out hints of "Sarah, you don't want to miss the train", when the train wasn't coming for 45 minutes. I waited until the nurse came one final time, when the first unit of blood was done. His blood pressure was now 121/some other not so big number. Now, I am no medical expert and some may say it was the blood transfusion that lowered his pressure, but Pop and I are sticking to the story that it was my visit that lowered those digits.
After seeing Pop's ruddy complexion and lifted spirits I wasn't so bitter, the man worked so hard all those years to make us happy, not himself. He said yesterday, that sometimes when he thinks he's had it, he keeps fighting for the people who love him, the people who are praying for him.
He is still the hard working man I remember; just right now he is working hard, over-time, in his battle with Multiple Myeloma.
I called him the night before and asked when the best time to come visit would be, we planned for after lunch. When I arrived the nurse came in and took his blood pressure, it was high, 150/some other big number. The nurse was concerned, but she would be in multiple times because Pop was in the middle of getting a blood transfusion and they check vital signs every 15-30 minutes. We chatted and laughed, he told stories that I have heard a million times and I listened enthralled as always, normal Pop & Sarah stuff. Finally, Pop had had enough of your truly and pretty much started kicked me out by throwing out hints of "Sarah, you don't want to miss the train", when the train wasn't coming for 45 minutes. I waited until the nurse came one final time, when the first unit of blood was done. His blood pressure was now 121/some other not so big number. Now, I am no medical expert and some may say it was the blood transfusion that lowered his pressure, but Pop and I are sticking to the story that it was my visit that lowered those digits.
After seeing Pop's ruddy complexion and lifted spirits I wasn't so bitter, the man worked so hard all those years to make us happy, not himself. He said yesterday, that sometimes when he thinks he's had it, he keeps fighting for the people who love him, the people who are praying for him.
He is still the hard working man I remember; just right now he is working hard, over-time, in his battle with Multiple Myeloma.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
"OH SH*T!!" No one made it...
We delivered "the goods"; "the goods", being my dad, to the University of Pennsylvania last night. They didn't end up calling my parents to let them know that a bed was ready until after 6 pm. Thank goodness my mom made the decision to catch a train as start down to the city about an hour before the call. When we arrived we had to wait an hour for the room to be clean. We were thinking this must be a hell of a hospital room!! & it was!!!
When we got up to his floor and were waiting at the nurses station where we happened upon this wall;
where I immediately looked and was puzzled by the lack of photos in the frames, then my mom caught my quizzical look at the wall. Finally, Pop turned around...he shocking said, "OH SH*T! No one made it." and laughed...
He still has his sense of humor! Like I said he expects you to laugh and be fun. No gloomy Guses in his presence.
His biggest fear was that we had to take the 11 pm train home & that we might run into hoodlems. I reassured him that I had it covered. I'm not sure that he believed me, but I knew that we were going to be just fine. I take combat classes afterall.
Pop will be in the University of Pennsylvania for a couple more days until they can lower his blood's viscosity to a normal, more healthy level. While he is not happy to be a patient, I know that he is the best hands in the tri-state area for his type of cancer & if anything was to happen he is being well taken care of. I know this makes my mom less anxious and right now she needs to grab any break she can get.
When we got up to his floor and were waiting at the nurses station where we happened upon this wall;
He still has his sense of humor! Like I said he expects you to laugh and be fun. No gloomy Guses in his presence.
His biggest fear was that we had to take the 11 pm train home & that we might run into hoodlems. I reassured him that I had it covered. I'm not sure that he believed me, but I knew that we were going to be just fine. I take combat classes afterall.
Pop will be in the University of Pennsylvania for a couple more days until they can lower his blood's viscosity to a normal, more healthy level. While he is not happy to be a patient, I know that he is the best hands in the tri-state area for his type of cancer & if anything was to happen he is being well taken care of. I know this makes my mom less anxious and right now she needs to grab any break she can get.
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