Remission!!!

I have waited 77 days to say this "Mark is in remission!!!". It feels as good as I hoped it would feel. So what does 'remission' mean? First of all, Dr. Soloman, the oncologist, said Mark is in complete remission meaning they did not see any leukemic cells in all of the extensive tests they ran on Mark bone marrow. This is wonderful news. Now that we have finished the induction phase and reached remission, Mark begins the consolidation phase. Basically, the consolidation phase means more treatment to completely kill off any stray leukemic cells that they could not find. This phase is a critical part. I have read lots of research that shows many patients who skip the consolidation and maintenance phase (that's the last phase) have a relapse that could have been prevented. So consolidation greatly increases the chances of our ultimate goal "permanent remission" which in my mind equals "cure".

So, what is in store for Mark during the consolidation phase. First of all, as long as Mark stays well and has transportation to the hospital each day, the whole phase can be outpatient. YAY!!! Secondly, Mark will go in a couple days to get a new PICC line (they took the other one out about a month ago just in case it caused the infection that made him sick in June). Just like the induction phase, the PICC will be used to give Mark all his IV medications and take any blood tests that are needed, so he does not have to get jabbed every time. Probably the first of next week, Mark will get 3 days of chemotherapy. The two chemo drugs are daunorubicin (this is the same chemo he had in the induction phase) and cytarabine. After the 3 days of chemo, he will get a few days off from treatment (but good chance we will still have to go to the hospital daily to have lab work done.

After a short break (just a few days), Mark will go in 5 days a week (Monday thru Friday most likely) for a daily dose of arsenic trioxide. He will continue the arsenic treatment for 6 weeks. Once he completes the arsenic treatments, the doctors will evaluate how he is doing and it is likely he will be approved to drive and return to work. He was really excited to hear that he might be able to return to work in about 2 months, seriously really excited. This will be the end of the consolidation phase. At that point, Mark enters the maintenance phase, where he will take the same ATRA pills he just finished taking. This time he will take the pills for 2 weeks, every 3 months, for 2 years. That sounds easy after overcoming the induction and consolidation phases.

So, obviously we are all ecstatic to know that Mark is in remission. He is responding to all the treatment exactly how the doctors want him to respond. The upcoming chemo treatment will drop Mark's cell counts back to zero. This means he will be neutropenic again and extremely susceptible to infection. Hopefully, any side effects can be easily managed and infections avoided so Mark can stay at home during the treatment. He will also have probably daily trips to the BMT clinic at Northside for lab work and to receive any medications or blood products he needs - since his cell counts will drop, it is pretty much guaranteed that he will need some blood products such as red blood cells and platelets.

At this point, I am just grateful for the blessing of remission and ready to take on the consolidation phase. I again thank each of you for your love, support, and prayers throughout this journey. Please continue to pray for Mark's health. It is so important that his body copes well with the treatment. We pray to stay outpatient, which means he has to avoid germs (good luck with a 3 year old and an educator in the house, but we will certainly try). Pray for continued remission and eventually permanent remission. Pray for strength and courage for our entire family to face the coming challenges with the same tenacity we faced the first challenges. It is important to remember that all is for God's glory, and I am so thankful to Him for all the blessings in my life.

With a thankful heart,
Amanda