Updates On Jodi's Treatment 2nd Transplant

I will first start off by saying that this is not the easiest disease, treatment plan to explain. I figured I would update the blog to help clear up any confusion and hopefully answer any questions that you may have.

#1 Is Jodi's cancer back? Has she relapsed?
Answer = Kind of....? Jodi's health has not been as good as it is right now in a long time however at her last round of check ups 3 months ago there were a few lab tests that suggested she might be headed for a relapse. Now at her most recent check up here in June more tests came back that put her right up to the edge of relapse. Really at this point it is like splitting hairs to say relapse or still in remission. A better way to think about it is that, she is in the beginning of a relapse or on her on her way to relapse.

The doctors all know if nothing is done she will be in full blown relapse at her next round of check ups in 3 months. The decision was made to go ahead and treat her aggressively now rather than wait for the disease to progress any further. She is actually much healthier now than when she went through the first autologous bone marrow transplant.

Her options after the last round of lab results were: 1. Do nothing and wait and see. 2. Start more aggressive chemotherapy and wait to do a second bone marrow transplant or 3. Go straight to the second bone marrow transplant.

She opted for choice 3 which in her case, is the best option. She actually has already started the process and so far, she is doing well. She is a lot healthier than when she had her first bone marrow transplant which is a good indicator for how she will do. She is hitting the disease before it has had the chance to cause full blown relapse. This is an aggressive approach and considered to be part of a trend in treating cancers. Doctors have been moving away from the "wait and see" and then use the bone marrow transplant as a last effort treatment when all other options have been exhausted.

In Multiple Myeloma patients who are fortunate enough to be able to receive autologous bone marrow transplants,  only have enough stem cells to do a total of 2 transplants after the second transplant they fight any relapses with a variety of different chemotherapies and other treatments. Many studies have shown that hitting the cancer fast and hard with 2 bone marrow transplants prior to full relapse provides better longterm outcomes. This is called a Tandem Transplant. In cases where patients receive a 2nd transplant after they have been in full blown relapse and battled the cancer with many different chemotherapies the 2nd transplant is called a Salvage Transplant.

Given Jodi's good health and much stronger disposition as compared to her 1st transplant, her doctors think that the best approach for her now is to proceed with the 2nd transplant and she should respond well and actually tolerate it better than she did the first time as her cancer was significantly more advanced at that time. In fact her numbers now, had they been the numbers when she was first diagnosed would probably cause the doctors to not do any treatment and just watch and see if the disease progressed. However since we know that she is on the path to full relapse they want to stop the progression in it's tracks.

This is a rather brief overview of what Jodi is going through but hopefully it sheds some light on her condition and the current treatment plan.

She has already received her first dose of big chemo that will take her white blood cells to 0 and is now admitted into the "bubble" while she waits for her immune system to shut off. Once this occurs they will transplant the new bone marrow and wait for it to take it's effect and replace any and all of the diseased bone marrow. She has had her bone marrow biopsy which was very good compared to her first biopsy, her port has been placed and the chemo has been administered. She will most likely lose her hair again and have a month or longer of some long days in the hospital. Then she will be discharged and receive outpatient therapy for a few weeks / 1 - 2 months and most like be able to return to Colorado after the process is complete.

Ed has been here by her side every step of the way and Jodi has been tough as always. She is a fighter and doing well.

Feel free to share this post and blog and I will update it from time to time with information as it becomes available.

Thanks,

Jared