Everyone's been asking... so here's what I know so far...
Ann and I will NOT be going down to Arizona, this year. At least, we have cancelled all plans to head south for the winter. Just when I thought things were starting to turn around in my favor....
I received a rather disturbing phone call from my GP. Dr. Houston phoned me and reported that I have Chronic Lymphoytic Leukemia (CLL)
http://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org/all_page?item_id=7059#blood
He is sending me to see a Hematologist, Dr. Yee re: this matter. Dr. Yee will be checking my blood and perhaps do some bone marrow tests to find the root of the Leukemia problem. Here's the down and dirty.... My White Blood cells should be less than 10 (I'm currently at 19).... too high.... My Red Blood cells should be around 130 (I'm currently at 84).... far too low... that's why I'm tired and easily winded....
We're dealing with two separate issues..... my first problem is: Merkel Cell Carcinoma (I have a big "cancer tumor" on my back) It's the size of 4-5 silver dollars stacked on my back.
http://cancerweb.ncl.ac.uk/cancernet/210847.html
I'm going ahead with my original plans and that is...
1. I have a consultation appointment with Dr. Djurickovic (Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon) on November 8/07. I have the date of November 30/07 planned to remove the tumor from my back. He will be the surgeon that will be removing the cancerous tumor and repair my back.
2. I have another consultation appointment with Dr. S. Larson (Radiation Specialist) at the Cancer Clinic, on November 6/07. He will be filling me in as to when radiation (perhaps Chemo) treatments will commence. He might shrink this "tumor" before the operation or he might "burn" this tumor after the operation. That's why the consultation.
My dermatologist, Dr. Patrick Kenny was pleased when I told him I was cancelling my trip to Arizona. This way, there's no pressure on the medical team or on us. The bottom line is I don't know how long these medical treatments will take. There is no cure for CLL, but if I'm careful, I can keep an eye on my blood levels... and can live a fairly normal and active life. I will have to keep watchful eye on the Merkel Skin Cancer too. It can come back any time.
Jeez, a total of SIX doctors all poking me, like a prized beef (LOL). When does this end??
Ann and I had really wanted to go down south this winter and had made plans to leave on November 1/07. The "waiting" to hear from the various doctors has been soooooo draining and time consuming.
I want to be healthy going down "south" and certainly don't want to have any medical problems down there.
Trust you have a better understanding of my health situation up this point.... I will make an official announcement to the general family and some close friends, in a couple of weeks, when I get some concrete answers myself.
Ah, life's a bummer when you start getting old.... On the bright side, modern medicine is at its BEST, right now. While I'm easily tired and winded, I do feel strong and I do have a good feeling that doctors will come up some answers to remedy this delicate situation.
I appreciate you thinking of me and my concerns.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Obituary: Tony Eng Lived a Magical Life
Former owner of Trick & Joke Shop succumbs to leukemia and skin cancer
Jeff Bell, Times Colonist
Published: Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Published: Wednesday, May 07, 2008
A meeting of the Victoria Magic Circle last night turned into a memorial for one of its most accomplished members, Tony Eng, who died Sunday at the age of 61.
The hope when the meeting was planned was that Eng would present his namesake trophy to the winner of a competition for the best close-up magic trick. Instead, fellow magicians like Shayne King took time to share thoughts of a man they respected and admired.
"He taught me a lot, he gave a lot of magicians their start," said King, who managed Tony's Trick & Joke Shop for Eng. He has continued at the store since it became Murray's Trick & Joke Shop two years ago under Murray Hatfield.
Hatfield said running the store has shown him just how far-reaching Eng's influence has been. Eng's legendary demonstrations of his sleight-of-hand at the store counter were a long-time attraction, Hatfield said.
"I can't tell you how many times since we took over the shop that I've had people coming in and saying thinks like 'We're here from Bakersfield, Calif. and we were here five years ago, and it was just the high point of our trip'".
It was all because of Tony and the way he made people feel.
"Tony was a master and definitely one-of-a-kind, and he will be greatly missed by both the magic community at large and by a lot of non-magicians who just happened to come in and meet him through the shop."
Hatfield said that many people he speaks to are finding the news of Eng's death hard to believe.
"This has been such a blow. For the last three days, I've been hearing nothing but people just being in shock. Tony was such an awesome guy -- not only was he an exceptional performer and a great businessman, he just was a really nice man."
The response to his death means a great deal to the family, said Sandra Eng, one of his two daughters.
"The word is starting to ripple out there now and it touches my heart every time I hear how significantly Dad made an impact on people."
She said her father, born in Victoria in 1946, was diagnosed last October with both a form of leukemia and a rare type of skin cancer.
His fascination with magic went back to his early childhood, she said.
"He got his first magic kit when he was eight and did his first paid gig at the age of 12."
His ability as a musician had him performing at innumerable charity events over the years. He also became a Sunday night fixture at the Japanese Village restaurant, where he entertained diners for two decades.
Her father had many interests outside of magic, as well, his daughter said, and entrepreneurial skills that saw him run a successful wholesale business and establish the Premier School of Bartending.
"He loved to play racquetball. He was a fierce competitor and his Y buddies are going to sorely miss him. He also went fly-fishing, he did woodworking and he went RVing. Mom and Dad started travelling in the last few years quite a bit down south to Arizona."
A tribute is set for 3 p.m. Sunday at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church.
No comments:
Post a Comment