01/05/2010
by Michael Wells
A very short journal entry as we are off to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) to meet with Dr. Nancy Bunin for a preliminary bone marrow transplantation physical examination. We are hoping Dr. Bunin can give us some words of encouragement regarding Brady’s condition. I will let you know the outcome of today’s meeting this evening.
In the meantime, Brady is just about as happy, energetic and inquisitive as any healthy toddler. Got to run; please continue to pray, hug and keep Brady in your thoughts…
Well, the visit to CHOP went as well as anyone could expect. Brady will be undergoing a bone marrow transplant (BMT) some time in mid February. But first, he will start his 3rd round of chemotherapy this coming Thursday at the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick and we should be there for approximately 4 – 6 weeks. Once his blood count levels are stable and hopefully his cancer is in remission, it will be off the CHOP for 2 – 4 months depending on how many “speed bumps” he encounters during this process. Once out of CHOP Brady will be more or less isolated from the world for 2 – 6 months; this is to allow his immune system the necessary time to develop without any added stresses.
But back to our visit today: the BMT unit at CHOP is a very modern, clean and well equipped facility. The staff seems professional and quite courteous. Dr. Bunin runs a very nice operation. There is a 2:1 ratio of patients to nurses and I think it’s safe to say Brady will have excellent care during his stay.
The BMT process starts with 11 days of “conditioning.” Conditioning is an odd phrase because it is during these 11 days that Brady will be receiving the harshest chemotherapy to date. His regimen will include: Busulfan, Cytoxan, and Thymoglobulin drugs. These drugs will basically totally destroy his bone marrow and make him ready to receive his blood cord BMT. These days are classified as minus days i.e.; -11, -10, -9, -8, etc. The actual bone marrow transplant will be an IV injection and we’ve been told rather anti-climatic and is Day Zero. The days after the BMT are positive days; +1, +2, +3, etc. On day +28 we will get our first report on how well the BMT is taking and hopefully some positive news.
The two to four weeks immediately following transplant are the most critical. The high-dose chemotherapy given to Brady during conditioning will have destroyed his bone marrow, virtually crippling his immune system. During the time it takes for the transplanted bone marrow to migrate to the cavities of the large bones, set up housekeeping or “engraft,” and begin producing normal blood cells, Brady will be very susceptible to infection and excessive bleeding. Numerous antibiotics and blood transfusions will be administered to him to help prevent and fight infection. Transfusions of platelets will be given to prevent bleeding. He will also receive medications to prevent and control graft-versus-host disease. Needless to say, this is about as serious as “things” can get and both Sherrie and I are scared to death.
So, it was a “fun” day and one we will remember forever. I think it might be a bit understated but please continue to keep our son in your prayers, thoughts and hugs – he needs ALL the help he can get!!!
“8 Years Later—Still No Cure for Pediatric Cancer” is a series of posts revisiting the journal kept by Sherrie and Michael Wells during the cancer diagnosis and treatment of their son, Brady Michael. Hopefully these entires will provide an understanding of the journey families face when dealing with these horrific diseases and of the important work the Hugs for Brady Foundation does.