Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Long day...

After a 12 hour day at MDA, Andrea did well through the Ommaya Reservoir placement into her right side-front skull. As anethesia wore off, she described it like having a knife inserted into her head but by the end of the day; it was more like a hatchet. Appropriate for Halloween, huh???? She has pain meds for tonight, so we're hoping it is better by morning.

Her eyes were bothering her after procedure, so the ophthalmolgy doctor checked her out and she was okay.

She also went to the Radiation Unit to have a special form-fitting mask made for her face to protect areas of her head while radiation is zapping the AML. Plans are to start radiation on Monday to the whole brain at a moderate dose for 2 weeks, then approximately 1 week for a more intense dose to the lesion site. The radiation doctor was reassuring and dispelled my fears with years of clinical trials and best practice under his direction.

Tomorrow and Friday we go back to test the Ommaya Reservoir to make sure it will function as they need it to.

Thank you so much for your prayers.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Faith is being sure of what we hope for (Heb.11:1)

I am sad to be starting the blog again because it means that the acute myleoid leukemia (AML) is back. The Brain and Spine doctor thought it might be lymphoma from the first signs of the biopsy from Andrea's right callosal lesion (1.2 x .9 x .2 cm) in her brain, but it came back AML after days of breaking it down to identify it.
Wednesday, 10/31/07, Andrea will have a Ommaya Reservoir implanted on the top right side of her head that will transport chemotherapy to the brain. But before she gets any chemo, the doctors will administer radiation at intervals for 3 weeks. Then the chemo to the brain begins. When that is over, Andrea will go back to her original Stem Cell Transplant doctor for what he calls a "boost" bone marrow transplant like she had before just to insure that it is not anywhere else. So far, it has not shown up in her blood or spinal fluid.
We have so many wonderful friends and relatives on both sides of our families who also lift up awesome prayers. We thank you so much.
Love to all,
Kathy