KESJ: 31 October 2009

Saturday, October 31, 2009

31 October 2009

T+46

We are thankful that Jeremy was able to come home on Gate Pass, even though his blood electrolyte levels and nasogastric feeds still need work! He did try to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner today, but only managed a mouthful each time before saying he was full.

However, we are pleased that he has decided that it is quicker to drink his water requirements from a cup, rather than have to sit still while we put it very slowly down his nasogastric tube!

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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.