Cunningham-Ramos AML & Stroke after TBI Journey

On a sunny day, we walked into the 5th floor of the Weinberg building at the main John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD where Kim was to stay for 1 week I to start his first chemotherapy treatment. Kim was comfortable and ready start. The oncology doctors attending the floor came by to greet us.

The nursing staff was also very friendly and I could see a glimmer of compassion in their eyes as of to say: we know all of this intervention is futile. About 1/2 of the people diagnosed with AML are over the age of 60 and about 1/2 refuse treatment, primarily because they do not want to subject themselves to it when it is not curing the disease. Also, costs are a big factor and, in addition, the high burden placed on their family /caregiver, if they even have someone to take them to the hospital for the ongoing treatments.

By day 3, Kim started looking pretty bad and started talking about coming home. I also learned that 1/2 way into the first week that he was to stay for 3-4 weeks longer!