An update is overdue.  Luke was back in MDA last week for scheduled chemo.  He received methotrexate (IV) and vincristine.  This time around the methotrexate was a much lower dose due to the time it took his kidneys to clear it last time.    He was only in for the scheduled three days I first time that has happened in a while. 

After getting home the methotrexate kicked in and he developed sever mouth and throat sores.  Those have started to clear up but Luke did not have much of an appetite until today.   

This week Luke was schedule for mercaptopurine, cyclophosphamide and etoposide.  I don’t know who thinks up he names but this stuff just sounds like chemo!  Good bad or indifferent Luke’s counts dropped and combined with the mouth sores Dr. Wells gave him a bye on this week’s chemo until next week. 

We are meeting with the bone marrow transplant (BMT) team tomorrow.  As of yet no final decision has been made on BMT.  To go forward with BMT the Infectious Disease team wants to be sure the fungus infection Luke has is under control. To ensure that they want him to be on fungicide for at least 3 months before undergoing BMT.  With a 3 month window before making a decision on BMT Dr. Wells is keeping Luke on the prescribed chemo protocol.  If it was possible for Luke to immediately go forward with a BMT Dr. Wells was considering putting him on a maintenance dose of chemo but 3 months is too long to try to bridge on a maintenance dose.        

That’s the update.  Hopefully those reading this got the notice that Team Luke is again participating in The Light the Night Walk for LLS.  Date is October 12.  Please consider donating to Team Luke and joining us at the walk.   

July 19

The week as quit.  Blood counts are recovering for the next round of chemo which will probably start next week.  Next round will be more methotrexate.  Because of the slow recovery of Luke's renal function the last round of methotrexate Dr. Wells is going to reduce the dose from 5 to 1g/m2.     

The prospect of a bone marrow transplant is still out there.  Before a decision can be made on BMT the fugal pneumonia will need to be cleared up.  To ensure that happens the infectious disease folks want him on the antifungal for another three weeks. 

Luke's feeling well enough that he is talking about playing at Rudy's tonight.  May see you there. 

   

Friday July 5

Friday July 5

Luke was discharged from MDA Tuesday evening.  He's moving rather slow.  Having a lot of joint pain that is being attributed to the neupogen he is getting putting is bone marrow into over drive producing blood cells.

In additional to all the other medications he is now getting antibiotics and fungicide.  Antibiotics are for a bacterial infection which is not expected to take long to clear up.  getting rid of the fungus is going to take a while. 

White count is still coming up, red cell count is steady platelets are still low.  Luke went to MDA this morning for blood counts and as this is being written he is getting a bag of platelets. 

At this point we are not sure whether Luke will star the next round of chemo next week or wait.  The next round is the first of four three-week cycles of methotrexate.