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Cardiologist receives marrow transplant for preleukemia

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By Ann McGlynn | Tuesday, August 28, 2007 |

While waiting for a doctor’s appointment in Iowa City, a doctor told his journey of being a patient.

The journey, which reached a milestone this weekend with Steve Alldredge’s release from the hospital, resulted in 500 Quad-Citians registering to be marrow donors.

The required marrow transplant, to fend off a “preleukemia,” which could have been fatal, also resulted in a change for the area heart doctor.

“I’ve had people tell me I am brave. Everybody is brave when they face this stuff. You’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do,” he said while waiting for a checkup appointment. “I think this is going to change some of the ways I do some things.”

The “things” are what he has always wanted to do but never found the time, he said, including traveling.

A marrow drive at Genesis Medical Center in May drew hundreds of people. Of those, 503 were eligible to be added to the marrow registry, said Colleen Chapleau, associate director of the Iowa Marrow Donor Program.

A match has yet to be made from that specific group, but all donors will remain on the list until the age of 61, she said.

Alldredge learned in July from Chapleau that a match had been found from the massive, international list of donors. All he and his wife, Roxey, know is that the marrow is from a man who lives in the United States. Alldredge went to Iowa City on July 31 to undergo intense chemotherapy. The transplant took place on Aug. 7.

He left the hospital Saturday after a 25-day stay. He will be on medications to fight infections for up to a year.

While he hopes to return to his practice in January, a more realistic goal, he said, is for a year from now.

The support he and his family have received through the process has been overwhelming, from hundreds of e-mails to his partners taking on his patient load.

“All of the prayers help,” he said.

Ann McGlynn can be contacted at (563) 383-2336 or amcglynn@qctimes.com.