KESJ: 22 August 2009

Saturday, August 22, 2009

22 August 2009

Jeremy finished his 5-day course of chemo yesterday, and was granted a Gate Pass this morning. This means that because he didn't have a fever and was otherwise "well", he was allowed out of hospital for the day, but had to go back to hospital at nighttime to sleep. The bone marrow transplant doctor is happy for Jeremy to go out on Gate Passes from now on unless he develops a fever. Jeremy had lots of fun playing with Stephanie at home and at the sandpit park, and we are thankful for every day that we can be together as a family out of hospital!

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Definitions

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) - a rapidly progressing cancer of the blood and bone marrow. ALL affects the type of developing white blood cells known as lymphocytes. It is the most common form of childhood leukaemia, and the most common type of childhood cancer. It also occurs in adults.

Blast cells - immature blood cells normally found in the bone marrow. Blast cells normally constitute up to 5% of all bone marrow cells. These cells divide and replenish all the normal blood cells in the marrow and circulating blood. Acute leukaemia is characterised by an accumulation of abnormal blast cells that take over the marrow and spill out into the blood stream.

Bone marrow transplant - the process of replacing bone marrow cells (stem cells) that are unhealthy, with stem cells that are healthy. The healthy stem cells are re-infused intravenously through the central line, after very strong chemotherapy and/or radiation to kill unhealthy stem cells. The re-infusion of healthy stem cells essentially rescues the patient from the chemotherapy and/or radiation, by enabling his or her bone marrow to start producing new blood cells.