I've got a bit of bad news. It turns out the Vidaza treatment didn't keep my cancer away for long. I have relapsed yet again. The treatment itself did go pretty well. My white count was slow to come back but that is how my prior (the bad one) Vidaza treatment went. This alone didn't raise any red flags.
Last Thursday I was to have another bone marrow biopsy (must look like Swiss cheese back there) This was biopsy lucky number 13 if I have counted correctly. The intent was to just confirm remission prior to me returning to Mayo for a checkup. About the same time I started having terrible hip and back pain just like when we first started this journey in Sept 2010.
I got the results yesterday. So in a short timeframe, we had to make arrangements to get to Mayo. Today I checked in to Rochester Methodist Hospital (Mayo) for what they call salvage chemotherapy. I don't have a lot of details yet on my planned treatment. We (Andy's dad Ira is taking first shift this time) arrived about 1:00 and I was settled by two.
After 2:00 today I had 3 blood draws for lab work, an IV line for fluids and pain meds (my hips), a brand new Picc line for treatment, an electrocardiogram, an echocardiogram, X-Rays to see if we can sort out what is up with the intense pain in my hips. Tomorrow is another bone marrow biopsy. They are saying that Thursday they will probably start chemo.
There are a couple of things that the doctors tell me is unusual. First the hip and back pain. But more significantly, my white count is low (1.3) but my hemoglobin and platelets are in the normal range. Hopefully things get a little clearer as we progress through tomorrow.
For now, the pain meds have made me comfortable. I am settled in. The intent of more chemo is to get remission and then do a lymphocyte infusion from my original donor right away.
It's a bummer to be away from Andy and the kids. Andy will join me next week. It's certainly frustrating to have to go through more of this. Still, at least there is something yet to try. After the lymphocyte infusion, we don't have any other options.
I'm hanging in there as best I can.
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