David - Feb. 15, 2010

David had a good day today. He had friends visit and had a good appetite.

A Friend of David's offered this clarification of the Chemo and David's Neutorpenia...
While it's true that chemotherapy is destroying both the cancer cells and good cells, not every good cell is susceptible to chemo.  Chemotherapeutics are a very specific class of drugs designed to kill rapidly dividing cells.  As an adult, most of David's cells are no longer dividing and will not be affected.  Only the populations of cells that have a normal level of replenishment (or turn-over) are susceptible to chemo.  These include hair follicles, finger nail beds, new blood cells, and so on.  So in a sense, chemotherapy is also a lot like a pre-emergent weed control that (at the proper dosage) doesn't kill mature plants, but rather just the new seedlings (which includes both weeds and flowers).  I want to avoid the common misconception that chemo is just a poison that's being pumped into David.  Chemo is a very specific drug with a specific purpose and effect.  David is also on a high dose of a corticosteroid (Prednisone) which is working in concert with the chemo to suppress his specific type of cancer.  Cotricosteroids have many side effects (including diabetes and neutropenia) that in this case would be considered "iatrogenic" or "physician-induced."

"they will fight against you, David,
but will not overcome you,
for I am with you to rescue and save you,"
declares the Lord."    Jeremiah 15:20b-

No comments:

Post a Comment