This past Thursday was my "mega chemo" day (3 chemo drugs, with lots of IV hydration before and after). This was the second time I've had this particular treatment, and just like the last time, it took a toll on me. Exhaustion is at an all time high, and some nausea to boot :( Fortunately, I was able to spend a lot of time resting in bed this weekend, which has helped greatly.
I got the results of my bone marrow biopsy: "Diagnosis: Variably cellular marrow with no morphologic evidence of involvement by lymphoma." Translation: My bone marrow is NOT involved at this point. Meaning that my cancer is at a lower "stage". (I didn't find out which "stage" I'm at; I'll save that question for another appointment, as the stage won't alter the treatment I'm already on.)
This good news does NOT alter the fact that I will still be going through a bone marrow transplant. That has always been the plan, and is still my best chance for not having to deal with cancer again in the future, God willing. I was able to get some more information about the bone marrow transplant (BMT). As it turns out, Stem Cell Transplant *is* the same thing. (Please excuse my ham-handed attempt at paraphrasing some details...) When BMT was newer, harvesting the bone marrow was the best way they had to extract the stem cells. It was a more invasive procedure (the harvesting was done under general anaesthesia and used needles to draw out the marrow, typically from the hip bones). This procedure is probably still used in some cases, I'm not sure.
When they harvest my stem cells, I will be hooked up to a machine that looks vaguely like a dialysis machine, and they will take out my stem cells via my bloodstream. They will be able to use my PICC for this, so no additional jabs will be required, yay!
After the harvest (sounds so ghoulish), my stem cells have a date with they cryogenic freezer, and whatever else they do that takes 2-ish weeks. Then I will be admitted to the BMT ward, have BEAM chemotherapy (4 days straight of mega-dose chemo to kill everything), and then they will transplant my stem cells back into me, again via my PICC. Then I will get more Neupogen (the same bone marrow stimulant I have after my chemo-light treatments) and travel the road of post-transplant recovery.
I still don't have all the details for the BMT timeline/etc. I will be getting more printed information when I go in for my "chemo light" (only 1 drug, followed by 5 days of Neupogen injections) this coming Thursday.
Time to get the kidlets (and then me) to bed for the night :)
Thanks for reading!
Heather
Heather, we are praying for you. I just read about this in the St G bulletin and followed the link to your blog. I didn't know you were battling this. You're a real inspiration - a smile any time I've chatted with you. Praying for Maurice and the kids. That the Lord would help them live through those weeks without you at home. And praying that He would give you strength. We're thinking about you.
ReplyDeleteGod bless you
Antonella (and Nicholas and Serafina) from St G's