It will be a year tomorrow that Barclay was getting a blood test and was told to go to the ER immediately. He had almost 0 platelets, and extremely low RBC, WBC, and hemoglobins. Seriously bad. I knew it was something bad and that this wasn’t just a blip.
He got in to see the local oncologist pretty quickly( like that same week). MDS was a possibility or aplastic anemia. After getting more transfusions he got a BMB but the BMB wasn’t done right and the sample was inadequate. This was when we were still with Sutter. So eventually it was done correctly and the diagnosis was MDS high risk.
He then was transfusion-dependent and without a transplant would last maybe a year.
The rest is history.
Today was almost that year mark and another BMB.
Now my turn. It was right before Thanksgiving in 2003 when I had the fracture in my T-10. Of course, I didn’t know that then or even that it was Multiple Myeloma. the NP I saw said a strained back. No Xray ( which would have at least seen something). I lived with that for 18 months till the spring of 2005 when I saw a doctor about some back surgery since my back still hadn’t really ever gotten 100% better. Then I had an MRI. There was a plasmacytoma. The rest is history.
So November brings up some difficult emotions.
Transversing blood cancers is difficult. I’ve been fortunate that my Myeloma has responded when I’m in treatment. I’m grateful I’m not starting treatment this month but hopefully can get to spring before I start. B’s MDS is tricky and I hope he has a long if not permanent remission.
There’s always the questions” Why Us?” But I don’t bother with that anymore. Nor do I do prayers or the ‘God’ thing’. Life is what it is and I believe we must live presently and with good intentions. There are no second-guessing these things. I believe we must js\ust put one foot in front of the other and
remember what Bilbo Baggins says” It’s dangerous business going out your front door”.
Tahoe Girl 
You had me at Bilbo. I agree completely with all you said. All my bad shit happened in March, which I suggest is the cruelest month. I hated March for so long, but now it’s just another month. What’s the quote? When you’re going through Hell, keep going.
I love that quote!!! Yes, for me time has really eased the pain of diagnosis. But it’s always in the back of my mind and this last year has been quite challenging. But upward and onward, or something like that.
It’s hard to accept that horrid things just happen. I don’t believe they happen for a reason. They just happen.
So happy that you’ve responded to treatment. All the best for more Novembers.
Thank you, Time is a healer and we are really in a good place. B is in complete response and with MDS, the transplant can be a cure but you never really know. But I’m confident he has some years left. I’m coming out of remission ( again), but I just take it one day at a time.
I can understand difficult months. Hugs to you both. (It IS dangerous to head out the front door!)