Morphing into a Mouse

Six weeks of this mouse tissue infused treatment and there are no further signs I am morphing into a mouse. Previous reports that I was growing a mouse-tail have proven to be nothing more than folk lore (or chemo drug hallucinations) and the overnight cheese cravings accompanied by rapid scurrying around the house have ceased.

One of my friends sent some mouse trivia facts to me and wanted me to assure her that I was not morphing into a mouse with the risk I would develop any of these possible traits including having eight litters of children per year.

A fellow leukemia patient who was taking Rituxan, was well aware of the mouse tissue component of Rituxan. He located a mouse costume – nose, tail, mask, etc. When his nurse left the room, he quickly donned the costume then yelled for his nurse: “I am having a bad reaction!” The nurse came quickly to his rescue, only to discover him having his “mouse” reaction. I told one of my nurses today that I had considered replicating this brilliant stunt but I knew if I shouted, “I’M HAVING A REACTION!”, they would panic and come running with all sorts of rescue shots and IVs, given my drug reaction history.

Although my body usually revolts against Rituxan and its mouse proteins, I recently discovered that tissue from mice had actually been used to create stem cells which could not be distinguished from human embryonic stem cells. With such controversy and debate surrounding the use of embryonic stem cells to research and cure diseases, this could feasibly be a brilliant discovery (Personally, I am adamantly opposed to this use of human embryonic stem cells -- despite being a cancer patient who could have the potential to benefit from this research– I will never want to personally benefit from the tissue of another human who has been destroyed).

While, I have joked periodically throughout this treatment about morphing into a mouse, there might be more science and potential behind that thought than I ever imagined. If this research proves to be fruitful, more of us than we thought possible, could be benefiting from the tissue of these furry, little critters.