Leukemia Still Detectable

            I was quite disheartened last week, and struggled unsuccessfully to post, but there is some positive news today.

           

Last week’s report:

On Thursday, 11 September, we got the disheartening news: despite the high dose cytarabine chemotherapy, leukemia was still detectable in the bone marrow biopsy on Monday, 8 September. The marrow is “hypocellular”, meaning there aren’t many cells, thanks to the chemo, but some of them are leukemic blasts. Blast!

            Dr. Chen said, he wasn’t happy with the results, but we’ve still got options.

            So, on 11 September, David received a dose of Sam’s lymphocytes, collected in August. Hopefully these lymphocytes will stimulate the previously transplanted stem cells.

The technician rolled a metal cart into the room, which held a covered 2 gallon turquoise toy garbage can, and a large metal machine the size of our desktop printer. Wisps of nitrogen vapor swirled, as he removed the small plastic bag from the bucket. The fuchsia-rose-colored blood came into the room at negative 85º C. Placed into the warming machine, the bag was body temperature in just a few minutes. The infusion into the port in David’s chest took about 10 minutes. Dr. Chen looked in afterwards. “I missed the main event!” Dryly David replied, “It was really exciting.”

Stored at negative 170ºC, the lymphocytes have a 10 year expiration date. They were able to harvest 2 doses from Sam. They may infuse the second dose in about a month.

            Over the weekend, David was able to go with us to Carl and Susan’s second home in the Poconos (northeast Pennsylvania). We spend a drizzly Saturday in their cozy house, talking, watching a movie, and eating the delicious food Susan prepared. Also drinking diet white birch beer soda. Why doesn’t Massachusetts have white birch beer? Does any place other than Pennsylvania offer such a delicacy? On our emergency ice cream trip to the Weis Market we picked up 3 cases to bring home. Come on over and try some.

[I’m polling the group: 1) Have you tasted birch beer soda, of either the white or red sort? 2) Can you buy it locally?]

Back to today, 18 September 2014:

            It’s Day 25 from the start of the high dose chemo. David’s white blood cell counts have started to rise, from a steady .1 (practically zero: the target range 4.5 to 10.), to .7. We hope he recovers (a 2 will be acceptable) by day 35.

            His platelets and red blood cells have started to recover as well: today he didn’t need a transfusion of any kind. The platelets were 6 on 15 September and 21 after a transfusion on that same day. Today they are 23, which indicates his bone marrow has restarted production.