A Break

Amanda is off the steroids. Yeah!!!!!! We get a break for a few weeks. She already slept better last night and is talking and smiling a little bit more. Her appetite is still insane.

Her Friday clinic day was full of angry outbursts and lamenting about starving. This is becoming the norm. The doctor and I just talked over her screaming. They must be used to it too. We discussed the next treatment round, which should begin Wednesday. We are waiting for the results of her bone marrow test. There are three different treatment rounds that have been proposed. We have already been eliminated from the most aggressive one based on her DNA. They are able to detect which DNA malfunctions in the production of leukemia cells. She had the better chromosomes malfunction. It's amazing to me what they know about this disease. I am praying for the less invasive treatment. It is far fewer medications. We also have to choose between the clinical trial and standard treatment. This means having her in a research study that increases certain medications. But I know that it is because of past research studies that the cure rate has increased for Amanda. I have a lot of respect for people that have taken the risk to try new treatments that we are now the benefactors to.

Regardless of what track we are on, she will have about 8 weeks of mostly new medications. These will be the ones that cause the traditional cancer side-effects; hair loss and nausea. We'll see how she reacts. After that, it will be another intensive round with increased medications for up to two months. If all goes well, she goes into long term maintenance, which is generally a two year course of monthly chemo treatments, occasional steroids, and a few other drugs thrown into the mix. It's one treatment round at a time, otherwise, it is very overwhelming to think about.