Torrents of sleeting rain began to fall as Dr. Alan Olsen reviewed the medical records from the Petoskey Clinic. A nurse read from the charts. "This is a six-year-old girl diagnosed with marrow failure brought on by myelodysplasia or aplastic anemia. Doctors from upstate recommend that she receive a bone-marrow transplant as soon as possible." Olsen frowned. His examination of the marrow biopsy confirmed Dr. Hackman's findings that Nicole Merryweather's marrow was severely depleted of cells, thoroughly scarred, and inadequate to the production of healthy blood; but Olsen had a radically different opinion on the cause of her condition. Examining the specimen under low magnification, Olsen had discovered that the few marrow cells he had found were atypical in terms of the characteristic features of aplastic anemia. They also lacked the telltale distortions associated with myelodysplasia. In departing from Hackman's diagnosis, Olsen believed that factors extrinsic to the marrow's stem cells were inhibiting Merryweather's capacity to produce viable blood. Olsen found her marrow cells to be healthy.
Olsen called Dr. Hackman. "Well I'm sorry to say I disagree, Paul Hackman said, courteously but unequivocally. "Your hospital may be world famous, but the senior man up here is as seasoned a pathologist as there is in the mid-west. I've tracked the Merryweather girl for 6 months. The longer the transplant is put off, the dicier it gets. She needs aggressive treatment, and she needs it immediately." I've seen enough severe marrow failure to know it’s lethal--a fatal disease. Listen, Olsen, her situation is critical, it requires radical intervention, implemented swiftly and in no uncertain terms. She is in desperate circumstances."
Olsen paused. His years of training had taught him to be skeptical of having an undying faith in technology. While this sensibility ran counter to his clinical training, years of practice had shown him the wisdom of a cautious approach. "Hackman, I will advise Merryweather's guardians to hold off on the transplant." After a slight hesitation, Hackman coldly advised Olsen that he could no longer be responsible for the patient's outcome.
After hanging up, Olsen ordered a high dose of growth factors to boost Nicole's blood counts. She was given G-CSF, the white cell growth factor, and erythropoietin, a red-cell growth factor. Olsen knew there was a risk of sparking full-blown leukemia, but this was a chance he was willing to take. For 10 days, Nicole Merryweather hovered near death with a raging pneumonia. Then the growth factor therapy began to take hold. Her white cell count slowly began to resist te invading bacteria, and the infections that had plagued her for the last year slowly abated. Finally, after a week of terrible uncertainty, Nicole was taken off of the respirator.
3 weeks later, Nicole had lost 15 pounds and was too weak to walk without assistance. But there was no sign of acute leukemia, and she was allowed to leave the hospital. Slowly, Nicole Merryweather's energy returned. She put on weight and regained her appetite. By early October it was apparent that Nicole was cured.
On that cool leaf-blown autumn day, Nicole realized the benefit of the second opinion Don Merryweather had so badly sought for his daughter. There is an irony in the fact that, although they never made it to St. Ignace, the drive had saved her. As fate would have it, her father's death delivered Nicole to a Doctor that proved to be her salvation. She was destined for greater things.
Olsen called Dr. Hackman. "Well I'm sorry to say I disagree, Paul Hackman said, courteously but unequivocally. "Your hospital may be world famous, but the senior man up here is as seasoned a pathologist as there is in the mid-west. I've tracked the Merryweather girl for 6 months. The longer the transplant is put off, the dicier it gets. She needs aggressive treatment, and she needs it immediately." I've seen enough severe marrow failure to know it’s lethal--a fatal disease. Listen, Olsen, her situation is critical, it requires radical intervention, implemented swiftly and in no uncertain terms. She is in desperate circumstances."
Olsen paused. His years of training had taught him to be skeptical of having an undying faith in technology. While this sensibility ran counter to his clinical training, years of practice had shown him the wisdom of a cautious approach. "Hackman, I will advise Merryweather's guardians to hold off on the transplant." After a slight hesitation, Hackman coldly advised Olsen that he could no longer be responsible for the patient's outcome.
After hanging up, Olsen ordered a high dose of growth factors to boost Nicole's blood counts. She was given G-CSF, the white cell growth factor, and erythropoietin, a red-cell growth factor. Olsen knew there was a risk of sparking full-blown leukemia, but this was a chance he was willing to take. For 10 days, Nicole Merryweather hovered near death with a raging pneumonia. Then the growth factor therapy began to take hold. Her white cell count slowly began to resist te invading bacteria, and the infections that had plagued her for the last year slowly abated. Finally, after a week of terrible uncertainty, Nicole was taken off of the respirator.
3 weeks later, Nicole had lost 15 pounds and was too weak to walk without assistance. But there was no sign of acute leukemia, and she was allowed to leave the hospital. Slowly, Nicole Merryweather's energy returned. She put on weight and regained her appetite. By early October it was apparent that Nicole was cured.
On that cool leaf-blown autumn day, Nicole realized the benefit of the second opinion Don Merryweather had so badly sought for his daughter. There is an irony in the fact that, although they never made it to St. Ignace, the drive had saved her. As fate would have it, her father's death delivered Nicole to a Doctor that proved to be her salvation. She was destined for greater things.
1 comment:
thats a sweet story. i like the fubar page.
gl
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