Stem Cells - are very cool. They live in the bone marrow and can become any kind of blood cell. As my Plasma Cells are now causing more trouble than Hobby and Dom at a wiffle-bat convention...they have to go. It seems a bit over the top, but the only way to deal with the trouble makers is poison everyone in the family. BUT if we save some of the Magical stem cells(which are not blood cells yet) they can eventually be put back and replace all the blood cells. Hopefully with fewwer "super breeding plasma cells".

So to actually answer Katys' question... By using a medication called a Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor (G-CSF) (e.g. Neupogen®) the bone marrow is stimulated to increase the number of stem cells in the blood. A process called pheresis is then used to collect the stem cells from the blood. Pheresis is a fancy way of saying "everyday for a week we strap the paitent to a table for 2-5 hours, stick a large needle in his arm, suck his blood, filter out the tasty bits(stem cells) and put the rest back. When they have enough....they put them in the freezer... I think they treat them too, but not sure on that. Apparently stem cells keep better in the freezer than leftovers. They do collect enough for several transplants as often people need another, years later, and the Chemo makes a second collection difficult or immpossible(not sure on this)

I believe the same drug is used to make the Stem Cells collect in the bones and start working. The Colony Stimulating stuff.

Bone Marrow Transplants from youself vs others- two big issues seem to be "graft vs Host" and "effectiveness"
With your own stem cells there may be a slightly higher rate of "reinfection" but very low rate of rejection(Graft vs Host)

With other peoples stem cells....mortality rates go way up on transplants and so do complications. Your body will reject the cells as not your own and attack.

For reasons I have not be able to find, a few people can't use their stem cells.... hopefully not me. I think I have already had 5 people ofter bone marrow, even though they think it involves large needles, health risks and hosptiall stays.... I have good friends. What i really need is friends to drink Sangria with in Spain, Wine in Italy, Ozuo in Greece and margaritas anywhere...... but that is next year.



While I am trying to become a expert....expect errors

I wish.

While I only live a 100 miles from Vancouver, it takes 4-6hrs due to big inlets surronded by high mountains The trip is drive 20 minutes, take a ferry for 50 minutes past waterfalls, mountains, whales and forest covered islands, drive for a hr+ on a narrow twisting road 2 lane road, another ferrry for 40 minuties and then 30-50 minutes to the hospital depending on traffic. With waiting, 4 1/2 hours on a good day, 6 hrs on a bad one. Or a 25 minute flight.

Jeez this is nice. In America, your diagnosis could result in financial ruin quite easily.

I have read a few blogs/stories of people in the US. Some have been treated well by their insurance but one one guy had a 2nd bone marrow transplant turned down as "it didn't work the first time", but this is common with Multiple Myeloma.... The "failure of treatment" was he only got 6 years of healthy living before it came back?? wtf They did pay for another treatment, just refused the transplant.

Up here without the private work insurance I could still have gone on medical unemployment insurance for up to a yr($1,500 max per month) and you could still claim drug and other medical costs on your taxes as a deduction, but you would have had to pay up front.

If you are really poor...the welfare system would pay for most drugs and all medical costs.

Pay a bit more taxes...lose some of the life risk.

Here a significant medical problem could mean that you could lose your house, your retirement, and the lion's share of your personal income.

This still happens here. It is just usually related to the reduced income and not medical costs.

No Insurance in the US would scare the crap out me. What does Insurance cost there?

Here the govt premiums are about $100 per month, depending on family and such. That protects you from all the big costs except drugs and is manditory.

Insurance can be pretty insane here. Also, they can drop you. And they regularly petition to do so. Not just in health insurance, but auto insurance, homeowner's insurance, etc. They petition the government to drop buyers merely on the basis of their being unprofitable. They've had many successes doing so here in California, for example, where the political campaigns have largely been funded by insurance companies and a lot of politicians go on to jobs in the insurance companies after their tenure, or come from there before election (or appointment).

$100 per month is nuts. Here you can easily spend $300 to $600 if you're single, healthy, and never go to the doctor. Many people pay twice that much and more. And that's to get a $2000 deductible or more.

WTF?! That is insanely good considering how much it covers.

What a great experience to go through on the way to and from something not so great. When I was going back and forth to chemo treatments as a kid I mostly rode in a car past cheese factories and feed mills.

I had to go check and make sure the numbers were right as my work pays.
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BC Health Premiums
Monthly rates are $54 for one person, $96 for a family of two and $108 for a family of three or more. Effective January 1, 2010 monthly rates will change to $57 for one person, $102 for a family of two and $114 for a family of three or more. This covers all health costs, except drugs, glasses, dental(although it does cover emerg stuff but not fillings and such) or volunteer stuff like sex changes or larger boobs.

Now remember....we do pay 4-13% more in taxes than Americans, depending on income. But the taxes also provide other benifits such as free polar bear meat and architectural igloo instructions.

LOL

How do you take care of vision and dental expenses? Are those all out of pocket? So you are still paying a premium (for insanely good coverage) in addition to higher taxes?

Oh yeah. Everything is not free. People get extra insurance to cover glasses, dental, physio, disablility(like I am on currently). Usually like the US, either work pays or there is some split between employees and employers. Deal with Billion Dollar insurance giants.

Now I have to go find a pay stub - I never even pay attention as to what that extra insurance costs..... Hum? Work must pay 100%. It is not on my income. Oh right, Med Insurance in Canada is no taxable. Now I have to ask our bookeeper.

Good luck, man. My father and 3 of his siblings died of cancer. It's such a bastard of a disease. Don't be afraid to use your "C'mon! One Time!".

First of all, I want to wish you the best. I've never really posted in the lounge, but I felt like I need to respond to your story. Keep up the positive attitude, it will undoubtedly help you overcome this.


I'm not a doctor or other medical professional, at least not yet, but after reading your story I felt like looking into it.

All the best,

Jokes

It's been almost 24 hours since the OP posted in the thread. I hope he's ok.

Best wishes and best of luck Merek. Stay strong, and fight.