David had to go through another bone marrow aspiration (an extremely painful procedure), the quick results said that his bone marrow is 70-80% cancer cells (it was 90% when he was originally diagnosed in Jan. 2010).
After the bone marrow test, David received platelets. His platelet level was at 20 (it was at 93 at the time of the port-a-cath removal). Because the platelet level is so low David has bruising and a red rash over areas of his body. The bruise around his port-a-cath removal is extensive.
He also had to have a spinal tap to test the spinal fluid. To continue to protect the cancer cells from getting to his brain, whatever amount of spinal fluid they remove during the test, they inject chemo back into the spinal column. This procedure will give him a headache for days. He has to lay very flat to help reduce the headache.
Since chemo can damage the heart wall, he was taken to Nuclear Medicine to confirm that his heart is strong enough to endure the chemo drugs he will be given. He was injected with gamma rays and then they monitored to make sure his left ventricle pumps at least 51% of the blood out of it with each pump. His heart was pumping 70%. The technician said that a really healthy heart pumps 70%.
As soon as he returned from his tests and was wheeled back into his room a PICC line nurse arrived. Having lost the port-a-cath was hard, it was a much better way to administer the chemo and do blood test. There is no way all the tests and drugs David will need can be done through IVs and injections. So a central catheter needed to be inserted. Between the exhaustion of the long night & day, too many procedures and being drugged with pain killers David was dehydrated and the nurse was challenged to find a vein. It took several attempts but he was successful.
The heart results came back okay later in the evening and David received his first dose of chemo.
When asking about what the plan looks like for David’s treatment the “Best case” would be a month hospital stay with additional doses of 2 new chemo drugs that David hasn’t had before. Hopefully this will put him back in remission and then David will need to receive a bone marrow transplant. They will be entering his information into the NMDP (National Marrow Donor Program) to see if they can find a match.
If the first month of chemo doesn’t put him in remission, he will go home for a one week break and be readmitted for another month of heavy chemo treatments.
Thanks so much for your prayers they are very much appreciated.
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