A NEW DIRECTION - January 24, 2008

The waiting game these past nine days ended yesterday with a visit to Jan’s oncologist. Lab tests revealed that her platelet count remained low, and a decision was made to fore go the consolidation chemotherapy. Thus, the week-long hospitalization will not occur, and our attention will now turn to a new plan. That plan includes a Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT).

BMT will be a topic of discussion for the next several months. We have already begun the process by meeting with Dr. Fernandez, a BMT specialist associated with Moffitt Cancer Center. As a result of that meeting, test kits were sent out to Jan’s brother (Pack), and her two sisters (Elaine and Patti) in an attempt to identify a sibling bone marrow match. They were quick to provide blood samples and ship them back to Moffitt within the required 24 hours. There was no hesitation on their part, no second-thoughts, and never a doubt that they would do anything necessary to help their sister. For that, Jan is so thankful to have a family who loves her very much. The success of a BMT is largely dependent on a satisfactory bone marrow match. We have not yet received the results from Patti and Elaine’s sample, but we did receive good news that her brother Pack was a perfect match. The process for analyzing bone marrow is a complicated one, and involves microscopic testing and identifying ten specific chromosomes. By saying that the marrow of her brother Pack is a “perfect” match we mean that the ten specific chromosomes exactly match Jan’s marrow.

The next step is for Jan to undergo two days of testing to ensure that her overall health is sufficient to proceed. The tests will include: heart function tests (MUGA scan), x-rays for lung function, kidney function tests, another marrow biopsy, sinus CT scan, and may also include a variety of scans (MRI, bone, and PET). Jan’s overall health will be thoroughly analyzed.

A BMT is a long and complex process. The following is just a short list of some of the considerations:

1. The process is 3-4 months and requires about 4 weeks in the hospital, followed by two to three months in nearby housing, no less than five minutes from the hospital.
2. We will be away from home for 3-4 months.
3. The potential exists for a wide variety of risks, complications, and graft-versus-host issues.
4. Financial issues
5. Following hospitalization, Jan must be attended to by a caregiver 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Of course, I will be the primary caregiver, but we must also identify “back-up” caregivers in case I become ill.

There are many more issues involved, but I will save those discussions for a later date. While the process seems overwhelming and grueling, Jan and I are determined to focus our attention on the potential prize at the end. That “prize” is the fact that a BMT offers Jan the best hope for a very long remission, and possibly a CURE (now that’s a word that has a very nice ring to it). We’re only half-way through our journey, so please keep us in your thoughts and prayers a little longer.