Doing A Little Better

Tonight Brian is doing a little better. Hooray! No headache all day and no headache tonight either, (as of 8 pm). He had a low fever this morning, and it doesn't seem to be spiking tonight! This is really big progress. There were some monocytes in the CBC report this morning and that is the first real sign that the counts are coming back up. Today marked 3 weeks in the hospital this round. He's not eating well yet, ( since he's been having headaches and fevers) but is eating a little and I expect that to improve soon. So, there's some good news tonight. I hope things continue in this direction, and that tonight is un-eventful, unlike the last couple nights, when he had some minor but unusual breathing issues and ended up needing a little oxygen to sleep comfortably. Probably won't be perfect yet, but should be better. He's been on his laptop for hours now, so that's another really good sign. Thanks for keeping tabs on Brian. We appreciate your love and support. :)

Endurance Test

There is this period of time between the relief from the last chemo and going home that has grown to be somewhat of an endurance test. When the counts hit bottom, it is good, because they have to go there before they can come up again. But - there is that space of an unknown quantity of time that increasingly with each chemo, becomes more of an issue, and that is what Brian is dealing with now. At the present, he is fighting fevers, headaches, mouth sores, etc., this is all part of what goes on and is to be expected. It is wonderful that they have medicines that modify if not resolve these temporarily...and then one day the counts come back, or at least to a minimum and the difficult times become history. I am thankful that this is all we have to complain about, and pray that Brian doesn't get sick from anything else while going through this. He is hanging in there, is alert and on top of his care and being a patient- patient. He is after all, ALMOST FINISHED!

Yippie Skippie

"Yippie Skippie"- that was the reaction of our nurse from Boston, when she got the second CBC back this morning. EVERYTHING is normal, right where it should be. The report was a freak, she said it happens once in a while. We are all relieved!

A Little Puzzled

The nurses are a little puzzled because the red blood cells are high this morning, so they have redone the CBC and are waiting to see if it is the same. Monday he got 2 units of blood. Tuesday's labs showed little improvement in the red blood cells in spite of that, yet today they are over the top. Yesterday he was given platelets, but today they are still low, as if there were no effect. This wouldn't be a big surprise if he had previously been given many more transfusions, but they say he hasn't had enough to cause that. Maybe tomorrow they will shoot up...? It makes Brian worry a bit, I am hopeful that it is just a temporary thing as the bone marrow works to bring things back to normal after the chemo . He has a low temp again today, his body is working hard.

Count Recovery Days

Sorry I haven't posted much lately. There hasn't been that much to write about. We knew these bottom count days were coming, and tried to prepare for them and hoped they'd go better than the last time. Annoying headache, mouth sores, sometimes requiring pain meds, but as he passes through these days the time is getting closer, whenever it will be, when he will get his counts back up and be able to go home. We are so thankful that this is the last round! Just praying that he keeps from all the illnesses that are going around. Don't want to go there. On the bright side, we've been talking about traveling this spring... Meanwhile time for a platelet transfusion. Sounds bad, but totally painless. They just hook him up and start it. So far, he has not had any problems with blood or platelet transfusions. I hope that continues to be the case.

One More Dose of Chemo. :)

Tomorrow morning is THE last day of chemo, one small dose and it's finished! Brian is doing well, and looking forward to getting back to regular life in a few weeks. One more count recovery to pass through. I hope he does well.

Getting Better Here

Thursday, after 2 really rough days of fever and nausea, Rick, our nurse, suggested another anti-nausea drug on Brian's list that Brian could have (in addition to the 3-4 he was already getting in rotation). So, we said why not? That was at 9 p.m., and at 11 his fever broke! Turns out the drug was also good for the fever. Since then, Brian has been so much better. Not eating a lot, but improving! Now we're putting all our efforts into preventing mouth sores. Today we had a surprise visit from Brian's brother, Matt, and also sister Charlotte this afternoon and expecting bro-in-law Trujillo tonight. He has had a great day! 3 chemo days to go! :)

2 Days Done

Tonight starts day 3 of chemo. This is going to be a real test. They are adding a second drug in, a new one for Brian. So far, it has been rough, but he's hanging in there. I hope the extra drug doesn't compound the situation. He's still strong, but not eating. Maybe tonight he'll go for a little chicken noodle soup. He finally felt like playing a PS3 game, so that is a good sign. February is just a week away, and he'll be finished with chemotherapy!!

Back to Finish Chemos

Yesterday we arrived back at the hospital for the 4th and final round of chemotherapy. Brian is healthy and we know the drill... And hopefully no unexpected problems or illnesses will occur. It is a little nerve wracking bringing home your son, immunocomprimised during the cold and flu (epidemic) season. We are thankful to all who stayed away when they might be contagious, and to those who understand this temporary situation. I think our whole family is much more aware of taking ALL the precautions to stay well and avoid illness. In that way it's been a blessing. Yeah, so I am paranoid ...hahaha.
This round of chemo lasts 8 days. Now, he has already one day done! Two major drugs, Cytarabine (Ara-C) and Mitoxantrone, plus the study drug, Bortezomib. The two major drugs overlap in the middle. The beautiful part of this is that this is the last round of chemo!
I think Brian is getting tired of it, but he's a pretty positive person and I hope he/we can keep his spirits up.

Doing Fine

Just a little post - Brian is finishing up round 3 this week and is feeling pretty good. It was a little harder on his body this time, but he's pulling out of it ahead of schedule so far, for which we are very thankful. One more round to go. It is scary with all the flu season going on, but we just have to be super careful...even up here in the hospital, in the ICS Unit, there are lots of sick (with flu) cancer kids. We had a good New Years and they treat us well up here. Thanks to all who have been praying for Brian, it's powerful. It's a pretty day here in Salt Lake. Brian is too sleepy for a photo, so here's the view from our room. Happy New Year to you all.