Sick Friend - has passed on :(

Posted about this a few times the last week, have a friend I've known since I was a little kid, she's the kindest person you could ever meet. Always smiling, always friendly, a really good person. She was diagnosed with AML and went into the cancer center for treatment. With the chemotherapy her immune system weakened and she came down with pneumonia. She went into ICU and was put into a medically induced coma.

She was stable but today she's gotten worse her vitals have dropped, she's had several blood transfusions and other procedures. She's on life support right now. It's terrible that such a kind person is suffering like this. Even when she pulls through this she just started a month of treatment she'll have to endure.

My prayers are with her and her family.

I hope your friend makes it. Its hard to know whether or not she made the right choice by doing chemo. I don't know that answer either to be honest. I think if one can afford alternative expensive treatments then maybe its the better route? I honestly don't know. Chemo is a poison, and I'm not even sure that it works but I suppose sometimes ppl have no choice and sometimes its the only choice. Anyway, sorry you have to go through this, its a scary feeling. Its nice that she has ppl who care. I hope she's not suffering too much. I've heard that vitamin b17 is supposed to work against cancer, not sure how much BS that is or isn't. Vitamin C, zinc and D cant hurt, but obviously not possible to get that in her right now.

Out of curiosity, why do they give blood transfusions? What are they correcting or taking away in the blood? Are they adding antibodies or are they taking away leukaemia cells? Or are they removing toxic blood from the byproducts, or is she bleeding?

Try to stay strong.

So sorry Sci-fi, it really makes you question things when bad things happen to good people. It is simply unfair.

I sincerely hope she gets better quickly. Even though I hardly know you Sci-fi with the kind of person you display here, for her to have friends like you she will get through the next stage.

You look after yourself too .

^ Chemo is used to kill things. So for example one type of cancer is formed from too many white blood cells being produced (which I think is similar to Sci-fi friend). The chemo was used to kill all the white blood cells in the body and then the body kick started producing them normally. It was a very effective treatment. I admit I know nothing about alternative treatments, but wuld be interested if they had the same effect.

I hope she gets better as well and will be thinking of her and her family and friends.
Stork-Error-blood transfusions can be needed during or after chemo when the patient's blood count goes too low and they have severe anaemia as a result. I had to have one when I had chemo. and my cancer wasn't in the blood.

Im so sorry Sci-fi. Hope she recovers soon...anything is possible. Take care.

They had to give her a concentrated hemoglobin, and one concentrated platelets, whatever that means. This all came on rather quickly, within a few weeks so they had no other option than to try chemo. With the pneumonia her lungs aren't functioning properly and she's not breathing on her own right now. Last update about an hour ago was from her little sister on Facebook asking her to just breath.

Her family greatly appreciates the well wishes.

Just got this update on her status; this morning the doctors hand pumped her oxygen for two hours until she started breathing again. Don't know if its a miracle, or just a delay, but its hope. She's still fighting, and she has an excellent team fighting for her.

That's good she's fighting. It's terrible what's going on for her and her family and friends, and I'll certainly keep her in my thoughts. Things like this touch nearly everyone.

Sci-Fi said:

They had to give her a concentrated hemoglobin, and one concentrated platelets, whatever that means.

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Ahh ok that makes sense, red blood cells carry oxygen, she must have not had enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to her tissues and organs

Just got this update on her status; this morning the doctors hand pumped her oxygen for two hours until she started breathing again. Don't know if its a miracle, or just a delay, but its hope. She's still fighting, and she has an excellent team fighting for her.

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I think this is a good sign that she survived the transfusions.

Sci-Fi said:

They had to give her a concentrated hemoglobin, and one concentrated platelets, whatever that means. This all came on rather quickly, within a few weeks so they had no other option than to try chemo. With the pneumonia her lungs aren't functioning properly and she's not breathing on her own right now. Last update about an hour ago was from her little sister on Facebook asking her to just breath.

Her family greatly appreciates the well wishes.

Just got this update on her status; this morning the doctors hand pumped her oxygen for two hours until she started breathing again. Don't know if its a miracle, or just a delay, but its hope. She's still fighting, and she has an excellent team fighting for her.

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I went through that whole breathing difficulty phase too. I really feel for her. :\
Sending my best wishes over to her - may she remain strong and keep fighting through this. I'm rooting for her, Sci.

Thats a great improvement. She is a fighter. I hope she goes from strength to strength.

Hugs for you her family and other friends.

Get home from work and more good news, after her family being called early this morning to say goodbye until she started breathing on her own. They've been able to flip her on her belly and her vitals are back up, they've even reduced oxygen to 80% down from 100.

May it continue to get better for her.

Sorry to hear what happened, but it seems like there's hope yet. Hope she gets better.

I hope your friend keeps improving.

I was just wondering if your friend has been improving at all? Hopefully, that's been the case.

She is gradually. Last update from her boyfriend is that she was rolled onto her side for the first time and she tolerated it, it might be awhile before they wake her up since they are having a hard time weening her off of oxygen. The doctor said a week is a fair bet assuming no set backs, but young people sometimes come back quicker. Definitely not tomorrow. She is still taking in a lot of transfusions.

All of your well wishes and concern are appreciated.

Things aren't good, my friend has a high fever and the hospital is low on platelets that she needs. Going to be a rough night for her.

I hope she gets through ok.

Sci-Fi said:

Things aren't good, my friend has a high fever and the hospital is low on platelets that she needs. Going to be a rough night for her.

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That's rough. I hope there'll be more availability of platelets there. :\