3/8/11 Tests Show No Mantle Cells

Today was Fast Track Day where Joe gets his blood drawn at the 6th floor Lymphoma floor. While Joe was sitting in a row of chairs waiting for his turn, I received an e-mail from Dr. Romaguera. He stated that the bone marrow results were not fully completed yet but he spoke to the pathologist who stated that he did not see any lymphoma cells in the marrow but he did see scarring of the marrow caused by the myelofibrosis. He told Joe to keep taking the antibiotics and antifungal medicines and that he will see him next Monday after he returns from the annual Mantle Cell Lymphoma Panel Conference in Washington, D.C. Joe and I were filled with joy since the blood tests show no lymphoma, the lungs no lymphoma, the CT Scans show no lymphoma. Dr. Romaguera believes that Joe is in Complete Remission. We do not know if Dr Romaguera will want to proceed with the last two rounds of HyperCVAD-R after the infection clears and Joe has been released by Dr. Torres of Infectious Disease department. Joe and I feel that Dr Romaguera will went Joe to complete the last two rounds so we will stay in that frame of mind until we hear his blessing. With Mantle Cell Lymphoma having a complete remission does not mean you are cured. The disease is sleeping and will raise its ugly head in the future of which there is no doubt that will happen. There is no way to know how long one would stay in remission. There are patients who lasted only a few weeks and some as much as seven years. When it comes back, it will not be a surprise and we will hit it head on once again with the advice of Dr Romaguera.

At noon today we met Rick Klein for lunch at the Rotary House. Rick lives in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Rick has been fighting a Gastro Sarcoma cancer for the last two years. His cancer is very aggressive and he has five tumors still in his system. He has gone to the Portland Cancer Center and to Sloan Kettering where he had a total of two operations to remove the tumors but they grew back. He was in two previous clinical trials where both failed. He is now in his third clinical trial at MDACC where he takes a drug orally. It is shrinking his tumors. He has to fly to MDACC every three weeks from the Sacramento Airport in California. His wife, Cheryl, comes when he has a CT Scan which they anxiously await the results. Chemo and radiation does not work on this type of cancer. He has a positive frame of mind that he has book a cruise to the Med in August. We had a delightful interesting lunch since we had cancer in common as well as the love of travel and good wine. How did I know Rick? On our Egyptian Riverboat Cruise and Land tour, we shared a table with Fran Bartolomew and her travel friend, Chris. Over the years Fran and I have kept in touch when she told me about her dear friend's husband was being treated at MDACC also and perhaps we would meet each other. Rick and I communicated several times via e-mail and we made arrangements today to meet each other. Isn't it such a grand world we live in?

After lunch Joe and I headed back to the 6th floor Lymphoma Clinic to meet with one of the Physician's Assistants who was perplexed as to why Joe was there since he has not had chemo since January. She gave us a copy of Joe's blood tests where Joe's White Blood Cells still are very high at 62.7 but 89% of the white blood cells are neutrophils. Joe's platelets continue to fall from 88 four days ago to 62 today. The great news is that Joe's Red Blood Cells (3.85), Hemogloblin (11.6) and Hematocrit (35.9) are at their highest levels since April 2010. Each blood test they get better and better. If only we could get the White Blood Cells down and the platelets up but it is the Myelofibrosis raising its nasty head.

After we got back "home" and were resting, I received a phone call from Holli Baker who also has Mantle Cell Lymphoma who relapsed from remission in October 2010 after a year and a half of remission. MDACC has been searching since October for a stem cell match for her. They found one today with a 9 out of 10 match. Her voice was joyous and I was joyous with her. I was so happy for her that I was grinning from ear to ear. Tomorrow she starts chemo again to get her back into remission then a few weeks after that, they will do the allo stem cell transplant. She will have to stay in the hospital for 30 days will the transplant takes hold and her immune system builds up. Even though she lives only 45 minutes away from MDACC, after the transplant she will have to live within 5 minutes of the hospital. She is searching for a place and has a real good lead that specializes in housing stem cell transplants. I am so excited for Hollie and her husband, Johnny. It will be hard on them but this is the light at the end of the tunnel in beating down Mantle Cell Lymphoma.

Tomorrow Joe and I will be attending the Houston Livestock and Rodeo Show. After much research, I know that we will enjoy it to the fullest. I will take photos and post them. Martina McBride is the headliner who will do her show after the rodeo at Reliant Stadium. What a fun day Joe and I will have!

Till the Buffalo Roam,