Fan Fiction ❯ Eve's Garden ❯ Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
It felt as if a stone had formed on Eve's stomach. Leukemia.
"Leukemia? I don't understand. How?" Michael said. His voice sounded hollow and far away.
The doctor explained, " Leukemia is like a cancer of the bones. There is no known cause, it is not genetic or caused by unhealthy living. There is no why or how, it just is. The healthy marrow in bones create new blood cells, replacing old, dead cells with new ones, everyday. When a person has your form of leukemia, the marrow is creating new cells but they are underdeveloped or misshapen, leaving fewer and fewer good blood cells to keep the body functioning. At the rate this is progressing in you, Michael, you may have noticed that you tire more easily as of late because your red cells are depleted, limiting the amount of oxygen being carried throughout your body. And you are more susceptible to illness since you have fewer white cells to ward off viruses and infection. Your platelets are lower, making you bruise more easily and extending the length of time it takes for your body to heal after an injury. The rash on your legs is an early sign of your depleted platelet count. It is not really a rash at all. It is, in fact, the result of the minute blood vessels in your legs rupturing as your blood vessels have become weaker. In medical terms it is called petechia."
"First, we will need to perform a bone marrow biopsy. After you have matured into adulthood, your bones stop growing and only the marrow in your hips and collar bone continue to regenerate new cells. We will numb a place on your hip with a local anesthetic, make an incision with a blade, and use a small device to remove a core of bone marrow from your hip. We will send this to a lab to analyze at what stage your illness is progressing and to determine how well the remaining bone marrow is performing."
Doctor Klausen paused, "I will not lie. It is an uncomfortable procedure. And it will have to be performed again, perhaps a number of times, to monitor the effectiveness of your treatment. I will need to give you 'marching orders.' After we complete the tests here, you will need to be immediately hospitalized. The marching orders are your admittance papers and my instructions for the hospital. You will be admitted this afternoon at Saint Anthony's. Before we begin your treatments, you will undergo surgery to have a shunt, or tube I.V., inserted into a major artery in your chest. This is a major operation and you will be sedated and unconscious. The shunt will serve the same function as a typical I.V., in that it will allow us to administer blood transfusions to keep your body working, chemotherapy to attack the diseased bone marrow and kill leukemic cells, antibiotics to help you fight infection, and pain medication to make the process more bearable. Also, you may find that you cannot or do not want to eat while you are undergoing chemotherapy. The shunt will allow us to supplement you with nutrition and hydration should it become necessary. The shunt is essential in place of a traditional I.V. because your blood vessels are very weak right now, and to administer so many things through a smaller vein in your arm, hand or leg would likely cause the vein to collapse. The shunt will supply any medications, et cetera, that we administer, directly to your blood steam through a stronger juncture."
Eve looked at Michael out of the corner of her eye. He had slumped over in his chair and was holding his head in his hands. She got out of her seat and kneeled on the floor in front of him, looking up at him as she pulled his head to her breast and held him.
"I understand that this is all a lot to take in at one time, and for that I am sorry," Doctor Klausen continued, "But I must be completely frank with you. I will not hide anything from you about your condition or treatment. You and I must be a team as we attack this. You are an integral part of the success of your treatment and play a large factor in how well your body responds and how soon you will be healthy again. You must understand the full gravity of what you must go through. And I say will and must because if you do not adhere firmly to your treatment, and that includes hygiene, dietary restrictions and level of activity, there is no guarantee that you will survive. Most of my patients are children or the elderly and infirm; they often don't have the physical and mental strength to endure. Your youth is an asset. I know that this is a horrifying experience and you must be shaken to your core, but I want you to be shaken so that you understand that you are truly in mortal danger."
"I don't understand," Michael sobbed, "but I understand enough."
"You have someone to be strong with you," the doctor looked steadily at Eve "Hold on to each other."
The doctor excused himself to allow them time to fully absorb it all and to console each other.
"What are we going to do?" Michael sobbed, his eyes bloodshot and pained.
Eve fought back the tears that were forming in her own eyes and swallowed the lump of ice that had formed in her throat, "I don't know. But I will do anything you need. I won't leave you, I'll be right here every step of the way."
"Are you sure? You told me that you didn't even want a relationship when we met. And now, you may be investing a lot of yourself with no guarantees. I don't know if I have any right to ask that of you."
"Then don't ask. I'm telling you. I'm here now. Life has no guarantees. And nothing worth anything is gained without a risk. I will be by your side for all of it," Michael took hold of her hand and squeezed it firmly.
"Thank you," he said softly. Eve reached up and dried Michael's tears. Michael ran his thumb along her cheek and wiped away the stray droplet she had been unable to force back.
"It will be okay," she whispered. She hugged him around the neck and put her lips near his ear, "What we have doesn't happen everyday. It doesn't happen every decade, or even every century. You have to be okay so we can have our happy ending, right?"
Michael forced a smile, "Right."
Another short knock on the door signaled Doctor Klausen's return and the doctor lead the way back to an examination room.
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