I have hit upon a plan for selecting my next treatment. I have struggled with making this decision since late summer, when symptoms became more problematic, indicators of bone marrow failure emerged, and my hemoglobin, neutrophils and platelets began declining. Never has making a treatment decision been so complicated and mentally draining for me in these 12+ years of leukemia.
I told my husband last night that since no two specialists can agree upon THE best treatment for me, I will obtain a large hat, write each treatment option on a slip of paper, deposit the slips of paper in the hat, and draw out the "lucky" winner! Is that not a plan? It will take all of the pressure off of me to continue researching, traveling to leukemia specialists, and contemplating this decision 24/7. With one slip of paper, my destiny will be determined. How much easier can it get?
(Disclaimer: While this plan has little medical merit, one must admit that in the world of leukemia, there appears to be no "right" or "wrong" answers for many patients. Everything falls in an area of grey. One treatment may help one patient, yet cause great harm to another. One therapy may bring a complete remission, but the costs to the immune system might result in death by infection. I will let you know what slip is drawn when I put my plan into action. Perhaps I will even take photos of the big event!")
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