Remission Status Please

Dr. Asch and Erika Te

Dr. Julie Asch came in today to give us news on Erika's marrow results. Erika is in REMISSION! This doesn't mean Erika is finished with chemo therapy. It just means that chemo therapy is working. She has a long ways to go before she is done. This long process is to prevent a relapse from occuring.

Dr. Asch also asked for permission to use Erika's smiling face to be displayed at the end of her presentation, which she will be giving at the largest leukemia conference next week, among many doctors around the world, to share the current results of the clinical trial Erika is a part of.  Remember the MRI of Erika's brain with that spot? Dr. Asch believe it was a brain disease. Fortunately the LDS hospital, as a part of their leukemia treatment program, happens to do an MRI of the brain outside of the Dana Farber clinical trial and outside of standard treatment. According to Dr. Asch, most hospitals do not do an MRI of the brain at all, for doctors do not feel it is necessary. Yet, Dr. Asch believes it is crucial, for it determines how to treat the CNS when that phase approaches for the patient. Many patients have died after going into remission a few years or even months after chemo treatment due to brain related complications. This is one of the key points Dr. Asch will discuss during the conference, the importance of doing a brain MRI which currently is being ignored. When Erika approaches her CNS (Central Nervous System) phase they will treat her with high doses of radiation, not to prevent possible encroachment of leukemia cells, but to treat it as a person who currently has it. This is the benefit of the MRI because it alters the program making each program for each patient individualized. There are many leukemia patients out there who are being treated without knowing whether they have any leukemia cells in the brain or not. Hopefully this presentation will encourage doctors to make brain MRIs a standard procedure to help save many lives in the future.

Thanks Dr. Asch.

Consolidation

Yesterday Erika was admitted into LDS to begin the consolidation phase. This means her marrow is good enough to continue with chemo. She is in room 854. She will be here for at least a week.

Tuesday's Visit for Biopsy # 4

Pain are mostly felt during the injection of lidocaine (local anesthetic) and the extraction of the marrow due to the change of pressure in the hip bone.

The bone marrow biopsy done yesterday went well compared to last weeks. Last week on Wednesday, Erika was experiencing complications with the biopsy for her marrow kept on clotting the needle used to pull the sample. After coating the needle inside out with heparin (anticoagulant), the doctor had to stick her about 5 to 6 different times to locate a good site on her hip to pull a good sample of the marrow. Yesterday her marrow was behaving much better and did not clot the needle. She has an appointment tomorrow at LDS again to discuss the result of her marrow. Hopefully they say she can continue on with chemo and that she will not need a transplant (since there are no match at the moment), but mostly that she is in remission.

Here are a couple of links on YouTube to give you an idea of what a bone marrow biopsy procedure is like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svTQ-zJHY9M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfOeGWRmyl0

Pain is Tolerable

LDS perscribed Erika a stronger pain medication. Her body is still aching, but its not as severe. They said there is nothing they can do to take all the pain away, but just enough to make it more tolerable. Tomorrow is the marrow biopsy again. Hopefully all of this body ache Erika is feeling has to do with her marrow regenerating than the luekemia cell replicating. We will most likely get the results this Thursday.

Body pains and rash

Since Wednesday erika has been experiencing body pains and a sever rash on her chest. The rash is now getting batter but her body pain is getting worse. LDS wants her to come in today so we are now heading up there to get her pain in control.

Update on Wednesday's Visit

On Wednesday, Erika had an MRI of her brain, spinal tap with a small dose of chemo, and a bone marrow biopsy to determine if she is in remission or not.

Her MRI results showed no more signs of the bright spot which was determined to be leukemia. It does show something different, signs of micro hemorrhages. Doctors said because its too soon and being it be a micro size of hemorrhages that we shouldnt worry about it.

The spinal fluid came back negative. There were no signs of leukemia. Another small dose of chemo was injected into the spine as well.

Based on her marrow result, Erika is not officially in remission but is in indeterminate. Ive attached photos of her marrow below. You will see a photo that looks as it should with lots of white spots. Then you will see one with a bunch of purple spots in a group. This either means they are leukemia cells dying off or regenerating. Because her marrow is questionable, she will need another biopsy done scheduled next Tuesday to determine whether she will continue with chemo or begin searching for a doner.

Erika will remain at home until further results come through after her BM biopsy next week on Tuesday.

Pink spots are dead blast cells. Dark purple spots are blast cells possibly regenerating or dying off to become like the pink spots.

Zoomed in on the purple spots.

A portion of her marrow that looks the way it should after chemo. This is how we want her marrow to look like all throughout her body with no other evidence of leukemia.

Rescheduling

Erika's final day of her Induction phase, which consist of an MRI of the brain, spinal tap, and a bone marrow biopsy, has been rescheduled to be done today. She is now headed in to get an MRI done now. Afterwards it would be the spinal tap and then biopsy.

Fund Raising for Erika

A few have asked how to financially donate for Erika's battle with Leukemia. 

Please use the button below to donate with a card. Yet, paying with a card does entail a percentage surcharge to us, not to you. So for us to get every dollar donated please use the methods below:

Deposit donations to any Chase Bank to Erika Te account # 8846844484. 

Send a check to our home address written to Erika Te 1023 Stowe Drive Ogden Utah 84404. 

We greatly appreciate everyone's support. 

Thank you.

Total donations 02/06/13: $1539

Can I Get a Thousand!

Dr. Mitchell said if Erika's neutrophil count reaches at least 500, then during the duration of the induction phase (the phase she is currently in) she can spend the rest of her time at home with the use of home care. This Tuesday morning, her neutrophil count went from 300 to 1000. Tuesday afternoon Erika was released from the hospital. On Wednesday, home care nurses came to the house to show us how to inject certain medications through the skin and also through the central line. Erika is advised to stay home and to only leave the house when necessary with her mask on. Sorry, she can't drive down to visit.

Paid actress to represent home care nurses. Don't know about the old folks in the back. Why are they standing there? They need to sit down and relax.

This coming Tuesday, February the 5th, Erika will have her 3rd bone marrow biopsy, 4th spinal tap, and another MRI of her brain done. This day will be the last day of the Induction phase of chemotherapy. On Friday, February 8th, Erika will be admitted back into LDS Hospital to begin her 2nd phase of chemo called Consolidation. There are three parts of Consolidation, 1A, 1B, and 1C. If her bone marrow biopsy shows a high ratio of leukemia cells, they will start her on 1C, which is very aggressive (bone marrow biopsies weekly, two spinal taps weekly, and very high doses of chemo). Otherwise, if she is in remission (no evidence of leukemia or trace amounts of it) then she will begin with 1A and gradually go towards 1C, without the weekly bone marrow biopsy. Consolidation phase overall is aggressive. Yet, I fear not that her youth and body will overcome this phase. For now, we will enjoy our time at home like there is no tomorrow and party like a rock star...with her mask on.