Another mostly uneventful day. They started her chemo a little earlier today and will start it a little earlier tomorrow so we can go home as early as possible. The doctor on call here this week brought up the possibility of having to stay while her numbers drop and then come back up. I was very upset when I heard this. However they checked with the oncologist that is in charge of her care and she was okay with us going home. So that is one less worry.
Her oncologist also came to talk to us about the possibility of getting stem cells from Ambrosia to be used later with a high dosage of chemo. She explained that they take the stem cells after giving a medicine that helps boost her numbers up and releases what they need into the blood stream. Then they hook her up to a machine and collect the stem cells. However, she thinks Ambrosia's weight is not where it can be to be able to collect it that way. They can harvest the bone marrow a different way by taking some from both of her hip bones. They would put her under anesthesia for it and it would be an outpatient procedure. She will be talking with others to figure out which route they will take.
They will then keep her stem cells frozen until the high dosage of chemo is scheduled. They won't schedule that until almost all of the tumors are gone, if not already completely gone. The hope is to do a scan during the week of the 25th to see if the tumors have shrunk. They will then have the surgeons look to see if the tumor on her liver looks small enough to be removed yet and if the ones on her lungs are completely gone or few enough to also be removed. Dr. Cheerva thinks it will take 2 to 3 more rounds before they are shrunk enough for surgery. She is only speculating at this point.
After knowing that the tumors are gone or small enough to be completely removed, they will do surgery. Then after recovery time from that, they will do the high dosage of chemo and then "rescue" her bone marrow by putting her own stem cells back in her. It is put in through a line just like a transfusion. They want as much as the tumors to be gone as possible before doing the high dosage of chemo so they can get anything that might be lingering in her system.
Dr. Cheerva said that after looking at what has been done for these types of rare tumors, when they do a high dosage of chemo it really helps the survival rate of the patient. It will be hard as she would be in the hospital for 5 to 6 weeks and then wouldn't be able to leave the house for awhile once we got home. But if this procedure in anyway helps raise her survival rate and the chance for the tumors to NOT reappear then I think it is worth it. Luckily this wouldn't happen for a couple more months so we would have time to prepare for it.
The Main Line radio stations here in town were doing a fundraiser for Kosair Children's Hospital for the past two days. One of the stories they played had this song playing in the background, so it's been in my head ever since this afternoon. Just thought I'd share.
Her oncologist also came to talk to us about the possibility of getting stem cells from Ambrosia to be used later with a high dosage of chemo. She explained that they take the stem cells after giving a medicine that helps boost her numbers up and releases what they need into the blood stream. Then they hook her up to a machine and collect the stem cells. However, she thinks Ambrosia's weight is not where it can be to be able to collect it that way. They can harvest the bone marrow a different way by taking some from both of her hip bones. They would put her under anesthesia for it and it would be an outpatient procedure. She will be talking with others to figure out which route they will take.
They will then keep her stem cells frozen until the high dosage of chemo is scheduled. They won't schedule that until almost all of the tumors are gone, if not already completely gone. The hope is to do a scan during the week of the 25th to see if the tumors have shrunk. They will then have the surgeons look to see if the tumor on her liver looks small enough to be removed yet and if the ones on her lungs are completely gone or few enough to also be removed. Dr. Cheerva thinks it will take 2 to 3 more rounds before they are shrunk enough for surgery. She is only speculating at this point.
After knowing that the tumors are gone or small enough to be completely removed, they will do surgery. Then after recovery time from that, they will do the high dosage of chemo and then "rescue" her bone marrow by putting her own stem cells back in her. It is put in through a line just like a transfusion. They want as much as the tumors to be gone as possible before doing the high dosage of chemo so they can get anything that might be lingering in her system.
Dr. Cheerva said that after looking at what has been done for these types of rare tumors, when they do a high dosage of chemo it really helps the survival rate of the patient. It will be hard as she would be in the hospital for 5 to 6 weeks and then wouldn't be able to leave the house for awhile once we got home. But if this procedure in anyway helps raise her survival rate and the chance for the tumors to NOT reappear then I think it is worth it. Luckily this wouldn't happen for a couple more months so we would have time to prepare for it.
The Main Line radio stations here in town were doing a fundraiser for Kosair Children's Hospital for the past two days. One of the stories they played had this song playing in the background, so it's been in my head ever since this afternoon. Just thought I'd share.
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