The Bald Brother & Biology

Because I've got a brother, I've always got a friend.

There is another bald man in the world this week. Allan Carl Christenson, Big Al, Hoop, Sniper, Slugger, AC, Christy, aka my big brother is bald. I did the chopping and Aunt Jane did the shaving. Now there are 6 bald seniors in Arnett, Oklahoma. The Woodward News did a feature on the bald boys. You can find it at www.woodwardnews.net

I went to clinic yesterday morning and labs were taken.

My Counts

Hemoglobin-11.3

WBC-1.4

Platelets-13

ANC-238

Where they're supposed to be

Hemoglobin-12-16

WBC- 4-10

Platelets - 140- 450

ANC-above 1500

So as you can tell from above, they aren't where a 16 year old girls counts should be, but for me this was a great lab day! Let's review, white blood cells (WBC) and absolute neutrophil count (ANC) fight infection, platelets help you clot, and Hemoglobin is the blood that provides oxygen to your brain,legs,etc. In my marrow the MDS causes blasts. Blasts are premature cells. I am taking you back to ninth grade biology here, stay with me. When the cells don't mature and enter the blood stream they are known as blasts. Everyone has one or two. However, I have 17% in my marrow. GO BIG OR GO HOME. Just kidding. The goal of Decitabine is to destroy the blasts and regulate my cell growth.It is to improve the condition of my disease. The human body is amazing and so is medicine. I am so thankful it's available. This is the first time my hemoglobin has spiked without a transfusion in 8 months. I'm climbing. Praise God.