Here we go again!

Sorry for the delay in updating Luke's status but he had a wedding to go to!

Luke is taking up residency at MDA again tomorrow.  Last time Luke received a high concentration of methotrexate which kept him in residence for a week waiting for his kidneys to clear out the residual MTX.  Luke will receive a high dose MTX again but with the issues he had with his kidneys this time Dr. Wells will likely cut down on the concentration.  Tomorrow Luke gets aristide and erwinia.  He's had both before, but like the MTX, the concentrations given will he higher.  Expected stay is until Friday but predicting his length of stay to date has not been great. 

This aristide/erwinia round was scheduled to start last week but Luke was able to finagle a chemo pass to attend Kendall's wedding.  He did take oral methotrexate for the week but the oral dose was a lot lower than the IV dose the previous week so overall his week was good.  

The good news from Luke's last visit with Dr. Wells was his minimal residual disease (MRD) was negative.  This means that minimal leukaemic cells were seen on a flow spectrometer.  The problem is it only takes one leukaemc cell to cause relapse.  With having relapsed once the ongoing chemo Luke will receive is designed to eradicate all the leukaemic cells.  With chemo not working last time this time the concentrations will be higher and over a longer period than last go round. 

A stem cell transplant is still in the picture.  Being MRD negative qualifies Luke for a transplant should he want to go in that direction.  With Luke responding favorably to chemo, the medical opinions on continuing with chemo or going with a transplant differ depending on who you talk with.  In ether case in the objective is the same, zero leukemia cells and no relapse.

Val and Addie to the ER

Stopping by to see Luke at his last appointment with Dr. Wells was Addison and his mom Val.  Addison was at MDA for a LP and while he was having the LP Val went over to donate blood.  Well Val got a bit light when they came up to see Luke in the clinic and Addie, who just had an LP, treated her to a complimentary ride to the ER for evaluation.

Kendall's Wedding was great.  It was wonderful to see friends and family and meet new friends and family.   Luke played and sang at the wedding ceremony and after much coercion he played and sang at the reception (and if you believe Luke really had to be coerced to sing at the reception I have a bridge to sell you).

Luke and Kendall

         

Luke, Mom Beth and Kate