Busting Out

Tuesday, 2/4

I had a busy morning taking on additional platelets and blood to get those counts back in line.  The blast cells didn't register yesterday as the total volume of white blood cells is now so low. That was the first report without blast cells, so a positive thing. It doesn't mean they're still not in there, just that they can't read them right now.  We are headed towards a stage called Nadir, or low point where the chemo will finish suppressing the body's ability to make new blood cells and a natural rebuild will begin.  They expect this to happen around day 10-12 from when treatment started or by this Thursday or Friday.  From there we'll be monitoring the rise in blood counts and hope that they come back free of blast cells.  Being free of blast cells will allow us to continue on to the consolidation phases.  Return of blast cells means we must repeat induction.

The Oncologist then brought some excellent news that the pathology report revealed a M2/M4 (likely) AML with normal cytogenetics.  The take away here is that we're dealing with a more curable form of AML and that bone marrow transplant is likely not necessary.  The present course of treatment should theoretically be enough.  That was a huge weight off mine (and my wife's) shoulders.   Not knowing if this was some sort of strange mutation that scientists around the world would want to study, experimental drug trials, grasping at straws.  It's much more comforting that we're dealing with a known enemy and there's a plan to defeat it.

With spirits riding high I asked the Dr. if I could get a hall pass to visit the outside garden and he approved!  They unhooked me from the IV in the afternoon and my mom and I went off the floor, down the elevator, and outside.

The first place we tried was a little garden area near a cafeteria.  As we walked outside, there sat three people smoking, right next to the NO SMOKING ON THIS PROPERTY sign. You can't make this stuff up.  We snapped a photo and headed in another direction.  Walking the other way took us down to a lake side cafe and something I haven't seen in a week and a half - stairs.  Wow, the atrophy that is taking place is unreal.  We went down the stairs and sat out by the lake next to the hospital for just a few minutes, then made our way back to my room.  I was pretty tired from the activity, but loved that I broke through a new barrier.  I plan to return soon.