Sent: Thursday, August 26, 1999 8:19 PM
Subject: Sit down for this, it's pretty serious news

My dear friends,

Since I first found out about this, the news has actually gotten much,
much better.  It's a big, bad problem, but I am reasonably optimistic
about the outcome.  Read the whole email message before 
freaking out excessively.

I have been diagnosed with myelodisplasia, a disease of the bone marrow that, 
if unchecked, will develop into acute myelogenous leukemia.  On the date of 
my original diagnosis, June 21, the first doctor made us believe that I had 
something like a month to live!  To make a very long story much shorter, my 
prospects of surviving this and living a healthy life are now quite good.  

I will be undergoing a bone marrow transplant (BMT) in Denver in October.  My 
brother was tested, and he is a perfect match for my tissue type.  There was 
only a 25% chance of this, and it will make things much, much easier for me.  
The doctors are going to use a recently developed BMT technique on me, 
developed in Israel, that doubles my chances of surviving compared to the 
traditional BMT.  These two factors increased my survival probability from 
about 30% (no kidding) to over 80%.  Given a number of other factors, 
including my age, health, sex and recent diagnosis, my chances are likely 
even higher than that.  

My present situation is remarkably good.  The only manifestation of the 
disease is a lowered red blood cell count.  My white cells (immune system) 
and platelets (defense against bleeding) are still in the normal ranges.  I 
am able to do most things, including going on hikes in the national park up 
to 4 miles long.  I did drive up to 12000 feet at the pass.  When asked how I 
felt, I said that I used to pay good money in college to feel like that.  I 
was in New England a few weeks ago on business, and, because of the higher 
oxygen pressure, felt no symptoms at all.  JoAnne and I are going to Hawaii 
from Sept. 6 thru the 16th.  

Dave