KESJ: 8 September 2009

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

8 September 2009

We are very thankful that Jeremy has been fever-free since last Tuesday and has been able to come home on so many Gate Passes. Today will most probably be his last Gate Pass for a long time, as he starts TBI tomorrow in preparation for his bone marrow transplant next Tuesday. He has quickly adjusted to his nasogastric tube, and wants to help when we attach his tube to the Kangaroo pump for his nasogastric feeds! He is so full of life and energy - watching him play at home, you wouldn't know that he is seriously ill.

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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.