Trip to Fargo

Yesterday we left at 5:30AM to go to the Roger Maris Cancer Center for a chemo class - we got there and there was an instructor, nurse, and one other couple. The woman, from the other couple was starting chemo yesterday, she talked alot, that nervous chatter that people do when something unknown is about to happen to them. I felt bad for her, and her husband. The results were back from the bone marrow biopsy - the original biopsy done in march of 2007 - to now - 40% of the bone marrow was effected -- now, over 80% of the bone marrow is effected. -- From there we talked to Mary. Mary is the one who is coordinating the treatment schedule and trying to get things rolling with the Mayo trial study. -- it looks like he will be in the study, but there is no way he can start treatment this week. -- we killed sometime at the mall, can you believe it? i didn't buy anything! -- and headed back up for a CT scan - after that we went and ate - and headed home getting to Edgeley just in time for Em to coach the basketball game. Treatment will most likely start the middle of January -- trying to work around some other events coming up. In some ways - the waiting is the hardest part right now.

The Story Behind the Beginning

I'm going to start journaling my husbands cancer journey -- maybe someday I'll even tell someone about it! In Februrary - 2007 - Em was diagnosed with CLL - Cronic Lymphositic Leukemia -- a slow progressing type of cancer -- we were told - after several tests that he had a more aggressive type of this cancer. For the last almost 3 years we have been going to check ups every 3 to 6 months - although the numbers have been increasing - (white blood cells) - he has remained stable. Last week we went for a check-up that included bloodwork - and a CT scan -- from the scan it showed that his spleen is now enlarged - and several small lymph nodes have appeared. His white blood count is over 90,000 and his platlets dropped to 115 -- treatment needs to begin. Tomorrow he goes to Fargo for a bone marrow biopsy - and to find out about his treatment plan -- so I will post after that - and we will let this leg of the journey begin!