New Plan

The plan that they have created (since the transplant can not yet proceed) is to have a Brain MRI for Tyler and then another Lumbar Puncture on Monday. The LP is to measure whether or not the cells they saw this week were just the last onery cells dying off. The brain MRI is to investigate WHY none of the treatments have worked yet. Tyler has had several rounds of chemo to his spinal fluid and a heavy dose of radiation that all should have killed off every speck of leukemia. The doctor says they will be looking for a "leukemia lump" in his brain somewhere. I didn't know that leukemia could form a solid tumor, but that sounds like what they are looking for.

All of this makes me wish that we had caught Tyler's leukemia much earlier and maybe had more success as fighting the dang disease!

In the meantime, the doctor expects that we will have several boring days at UW just waiting for tests and for healing. Dr Turtle did mention that Tyler's White Blood Cell count had gone up this morning, so the doctor thinks that Ty's body will start to recover now. It would be a blessing to have his throat return to normal. I bought Tyler a 36-pack of Mountain Dew for his birthday and it would be a crime for me to drink it all without him.

He is swallowing NOTHING these days, so he is unable to take his Tasigna. The doctor thinks that will be okay, but I get worried when they talk about his WBC climbing up and I know Tyler is not on his leukemia meds. It does give me peace of mind to know they are watching him so closely while he is in the hospital. If we had experienced the not-breathing episode last night, I would have been beside myself trying to figure out what to do. It took me long enough to find the nurse's call button as it was....

I'm back to spend the night with Tyler again. It's an interesting way to try to get rest. They wake us up every 4 hours to take vitals. I know that is important, but I weigh that against the importance of sleep. Maybe I should take ear plugs tonight??