Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Bombs dropping

I debated whether to make an entry tonight, or to wait until tomorrow or the next day when I'm a little more settled about our visit to the oncologist today. But here I am. I'm probably making all this out to be much more than it is.
Long story short: Glenn's kidney function/lab values were not what the Dr. had hoped they would be with the steroids and chemo regiment he's had Glenn on. So the Dr. wanted to admit him next week to do another stem cell transplant and use different chemo than was used with the first transplant. He wants to get the light chain production, the disease that is causing all the problems, under control. But since Glenn is scheduled for his fistula to be placed next Thursday, the Dr. will wait until that incision is healed. The stem cell transplant entails dropping a bomb of chemo in his body to kill the darn things, (the excess light chains), which totally wipes out his immune system and makes him totally open to infection and inability to heal. Then two days later give him back his stem cells that have been frozen from the harvest with the first transplant. Those will eventually grow and cause his immune system to increase. The Dr. also mentioned giving Glenn a large dose of chemo for six days and again in another month. I don't know which is going to happen. I just know he has taken a long look at Glenn's body's response to what he's been doing so far  and it is't getting him into remission/ getting the light chains to a normal level. We know the kidneys are pretty much toast at this point, but the disease, if not gotten under control, can affect other organs, ie heart, lungs, liver, colon, brain, if it hasn't already.
At this point I'm pretty much speechless. Glenn, on the other hand, is pretty nonchalant about it. I think he's more focused on the surgery for the fistula next week, understandably. He's happy that with today's work up for the fistula they found a good vein in his left arm this time. He had hoped for that rather than having it in his right arm. That's not the final decision. That will happen by the surgeon during the surgery next Thursday. But at least there's hope for the left arm to be used for the fistula.
So that's where we are as of today, folks. Prayers, good thoughts, etc, please.

No comments:

Post a Comment