The wait is over! The traditional call from my Oncologists office has come and gone. The “My Penn Medicine” website has replaced the agony of waiting, with real time results for tests and bloodwork. Patients now receive their numbers on their phone or computer when the email pops up that you have new test results in your cue. Usually within 24 hours the results of my CBC test will pop up for me to analyze and review. As I write this post, the evening of May 23rd, 2023, the expertise that I have acquired in reading and interpreting my lab results is the result of being twenty-seven years deep into this adventure. On this day, twenty-seven years ago, I received my cancer diagnoses of CML. Seems like forever ago. This anniversary deserves no pomp and circumstance, no recognition and no celebration. Unless I brought it up to anyone, the memory and milestone is mine alone. That’s OK though, it’s been a long time and it definitely was not a pleasant day. Congrats to me.
Let’s get back to the results. The CBC… the bloodwork benchmark. This current report was perfect. White cells, red cells, Hemoglobin, platelets, etc. All within normal parameters. This is always nice to see since it can somewhat predict the outcome of the results of my BCR-ABL test. Next up is the Metabolic panel. Again, all within normal parameters. Kidney function, liver function, glucose, etc….all excellent. Now we wait. The BCR-ABL test takes about six to eight days from the blood draw to pop up on my email. It feels like forever. Ok, sounds dramatic, but this result is the big one. A positive result, even the slightest bit positive, will crush you. “You have a test result”. The email from “MyPennMedicine” stood out like a sore thumb. As I open it up, the anxiety always hits me as I fumble through the obligatory sign in and password prompts. I hit the “Test results” button and there it is…the BCR-ABL Quantative analysis result box. Just have to press it. Nice and easy, slowly, tentatively, I hesitate and after a deep breath, c’mon… Boom! It’s negative. Ahhh…and the Oncologists office probably won’t see my results for a couple of days. Sure glad that I have my self endowed PhD in Leukemia blood test result reading!
Today was a good day. Nick was honored as one of the Top 80 Real Estate Producers in Philadelphia for 2022/23 in Philly Magazine, the second year in a row! Joe is in London tonight, touring Europe with his girlfriend Kara and celebrating his friend’s wedding in Sorento, Italy. And as Lor sleeps peacefully beside me, I get to quietly contemplate another cancer milestone and be thankful that I’m still here to write about it. In four months,as you know by now, I’ll repeat the bloodwork process and hope for the same results. It is what it is.
Next Up: Wrapping it Up