I'm slowly gaining a better understanding of what treating this leukemia is going to be like. So, there's two major tracks:
- chemo and
- stem cell bone marrow transplant.
There are very good treatment protocols using chemo that can result in both short term and/or long-term remission. Anyone one of these cycles could result in a longer-term remission. It just all depends on what my body does with the chemo. With chemo, it all depends on how your body responds. They're now thinking I might go home this week because my body has responded so well all of a sudden. Or it could change in not. It's a little swirl from day to day knowing what might be next, Will it be at the hospital? Will be going home will it be a week or tomorrow?
The star treatment and the hope in this is a blood stem cell bone/marrow transplant from a close match donor. This has the highest success rate, higher than the chemo but if there's not a donor match then it's not an option. My brother is coming today to donate blood for the genetic testing and genetically he has a one in four chance of being a perfect match for me. So that would be wonderful if he could be that perfect match.
Jesus was my perfect match for eternity, my brother may be my perfect match here on Earth. We shall see.
I think of you daily. You continue to be in my prayers. Your Center Church family is also in prayer. We love you so. By the way who is that handsome fellow in the photo, your doctor or nurse?
ReplyDeleteKnow the Lord is with you, may he give you peace and comfort.
Love you Gary Leavelle
Your brother in Christ, Gary