Wednesdays
meeting with Dr. Burns was basically uneventful. Most of what we talked about
was not new information. There were a few curveballs though. We thought that
the search for a match had already begun, but as it turns out, Amanda hadn’t
yet signed the consent form. So she did that, and now the search is underway.
We haven’t been too concerned about finding a match, because for caucations of European
descent it’s usually not too hard. One half of the sixth chromosome is where
the HLA (Human leukocyte antigen) markers reside. These markers tell them if
the donor will work for Amanda. Apparently
one of Amanda’s markers is fairly unique, which is a bit disconcerting, but we’re
trying not to jump the gun and worry too much about that yet.
The doctors
opted for cord blood for Amanda, rather than bone marrow. Once the donor is
located, they’ll begin the next wing of her treatment. It begins with about a
week of tests; an echocardiogram to check her heart, a CT scans to check her
lungs, a liver function test, a spinal tap to check for remnants of leukemia, and
various other tests. From there, if everything is up to snuff, it’s on to a
mega chemo treatment and radiation therapy to annihilate any remnants of her
existing immune system. If there’s any left, it may recognize the freshly
installed cord blood as foreign and try to kick it out. If that happens, they
call it Graft vs. Host Disease, and it’s really bad news. There’s a 90% chance
that her body will accept the cord blood and a 50% chance of the Graft vs. Host
Disease, we’re told. Even if this all goes swimmingly the chance of cancer
returning within two years is about 30%.
For a number
of weeks, post BMT, she’ll be stuck in bed, recovering and being monitored. It
takes somewhere around two weeks for the stem cells to find their new home and
begin repopulating her marrow.
As it stands
now, the week of the 11th will be test week. The week of the 18th
is BMT week. We’re hoping for sooner, because the longer we wait, the better
the chances of the cancer cells coming back, and like a cockroach, they become
smarter and more resistant with each treatment. That makes the chances of an ultimately good
outcome drastically worse. All of the percentages and statistics aside, we’re
really very hopeful. We know that she’s getting the best medical care and
treatment available. And above all, she’s determined to fight this thing with
every fiber of her being. All 100%.
One more
note… Please feel free to post any questions you may have on the guestbook. If I
can answer them, I’d be more than happy to oblige you. And finally, questions
or not, please post on the guestbook or give us a call from time to time. I like to read them and hear from you, and
I know that even just a few kind words helps Amanda’s state of mind, and will
remind her how much she means to all of us.
Thanks,
-Z
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