Many thanks for all the prayers and support to Tyler and our family. Today, Tyler finished his 12th day of a 15 day course of chemotherapy. He will finish his first cycle of chemotherapy on Thursday, then will have a 14-40 day inpatient recovery period. The length of the recovery will depend on how long it takes his body to regenerate healthy cells, and on whether or not he succumbs to infection.
What we’ve learned so far is that acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a fast-growing cancer of the blood and bone marrow. In AML, the bone marrow makes many unformed cells called blasts. Blasts normally develop into white blood cells that fight infection. However, the blasts are abnormal in AML. They do not develop and cannot fight infections. The bone marrow may also make abnormal red blood cells and platelets. The number of abnormal cells (or leukemia cells) grows quickly. They crowd out the normal red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets the body needs, so the goal is to destroy the leukemia cells while hoping the bone marrow produces healthy red blood cells and platelets, and healthy white cells to fight infection.
In Tyler’s case a bone marrow transplant offers the best chance for long-term survival since he has the FLT3-ITD gene mutation. A transplant is a strong treatment with risks of serious side effects, so it is not used for all patients with AML. A transplant is used when chemotherapy alone is unlikely to provide a long-term remission.
Tyler has had his ups and downs coping with the side effects of the chemotherapy, being confined (imprisoned, as he states it) to his IV pole, not being able to go to school or church, and the harsh reality that, “I may spend the rest of my life in this hospital bed hooked to this pole.”
He is best able to be distracted from his circumstances by the multitude of visitors and their generosity. Tyler started school today with one of his tutors, and appeared semi-accepting of his new educational routine. We are all coping a little better now, and trying to develop a routine. God has given us some needed peace and strength to adjust to our new set of circumstances, and He continues to work through wonderful individuals who are in prayer, and are skilled at the art of serving.
We sincerely thank everyone for having our family’s best interest at heart!
Ron