What the heck is up NOW?!

Dani said to us last night, "Have you ever thought about how crazy our lives are?" We said, yep. I am cutting and pasting from an email I sent out to family last night here, so if it is repetitive, please forgive me. There is also more info now, so you might want to read it anyway. :)

When Blaine went in the hospital for chemo, he had elevated LDH numbers, which indicates inflammation in the body. As he received the infusion, LDH numbers kept coming down, until Sunday, when they were brought into the normal range. Chemo stopped Sunday evening. By Monday morning's labs, LDH levels had already significantly risen.

The docs have been great, doing everything they know to help Blaine, and consulting with Dana Farber. However, they themselves have been surprised at every turn by the aggressive nature of Blaine's disease. The last time I spoke with them, they suggested we take him out west to be with family, and did mention Huntsman Cancer Institute, since we had discussed it previously. Knowing that Huntsman has docs that come from a program that is VERY aggressive with MM, and that starts out with the very approach that was Blaine's third line of defense, I emailed them yesterday since it was a holiday, and called today. I spoke with Dr. Tricot who has 20 years experience with MM and has treated over 5,000 MM patients. He asked me to get Blaine there NOW. He has seen this response before and told me how he would handle him based on the info I gave him.

So bottom line, Blaine is on board a plane for Salt Lake City, UT. He arrives at 11:50 AM, Mountain Time, and will drive straight to the Huntsman Cancer Institute where they are expecting him. They will begin his workup when he gets there. Dr. Tricot can piggy-back on the just completed chemo and neulasta for stem-cell collection, so he is on schedule for harvesting stem cells in two weeks. If they can harvest enough cells, then he will be moving right on to transplant within the month. If he cannot produce enough cells, we look at matches immediately in his family for a donor. He will have a tandem (back to back) transplant. This will keep us in Utah for 6 months at the very minimum.

Starting tomorrow, our house is for sale. 5 bedrooms, 2 baths, hardwood floors throughout, 2 acres of land, a mature garden spot, updated septic, new drainage system, enclosed porch, and a 2 car garage. Any takers?

That's the news. Kyle said yesterday, "You know all those fasting and praying and stuff? Well, this is the light." We think he is correct, and this is the answer we've been seeking.

We are sorry Blaine didn't get to see so many of you, but this is what he needs. We send our love and prayers to Brian and others who are hurting, and will continue to update this blog with things as they unfold. We can still be reached by phone or email. Wish us well, and we you.

Love,
Marleigh and Blaine.