Doctor's Visit Today - April 26 2012

Jani and I drove down to UCH early in case I needed a platelet transfusion today (I did not). RN Brooke drew my blood and we went to wait in the Cancer Center waiting area for my appointment with Dr. Myint this afternoon. Jani graded papers.

We saw Nurse Practitioner Shannon and Dr. Myint right on time. 

Dr. Myint told us that my 3 May 2012 bone marrow biopsy results will have to be less than 5 % plasma cells and free of cytogenetic changes, especially 1q21 and 4:14 before I would be candidate for the 2nd autologous stem cell transplant. If I (well, my bone marrow) meet this criteria, then I'd be admitted on 11 May 2012 for 1 week of conditioning chemotherapy called VD-BEAM followed by the stem cell transplant --- a minimum 21 day stay in the hospital!

If my bone marrow fails to make the cytogenetic-free and 5 % or less plasma cells, then I'll still be admitted on 11 May 2012 for a 3rd Cycle of VD-PACE. And, then in a month, they would re-evaluate for the 2nd autologous stem cell transplant.

I will have an echocardiogram on 2 May 2012 to evaluate the blood clot in the right atrium of my heart. If all is okay with that, I will have Pulmonary Function Tests that afternoon. The bone marrow biopsy is scheduled for the next day on 3 May 2012.

My white blood cell count is soaring today at 14.3 (norms 4-11.1), but they feel this is Neulasta effect and not my REAL white blood cell count; My hemoglobin is low at 9.4 (norms 12.1-16.3); and my platelets are up, yet low at 67 (norms 150-400) which means I will have to increase my Fragmin dosage tonight to 12,500 units.

My Immunolglobulin G is down to 434 today which is good. At relapse it was 818. You cannot really evaluate the Immunoglobulin G values with the standard norm range listed below. My cancer is in the immunoglobulin G - so, any increase is not GOOD. Just as reference, my immunoglobulin G was 3,422 on 13 June 2011 just after I was diagnosed on 24 May 2011.