Scheduling Updates

Since Isabella had an extra couple of weeks of recovery time from chemo, her blood counts were at very good levels. The doctors feel she may have gotten enough stem cells in today's collection, but they will officially know tomorrow morning. The worst case is that they have to do another collection early tomorrow. Since you have to wait 48 hours after the collection to start chemo, they'll be sending us home tomorrow and start chemo on Thursday morning. We'll be readmitted to the hospital Thursday, hopefully for just two days, then be home on Saturday.

This cycle of chemo will be different from the previous three in that they will not be giving Vincristine on Day 1, 7 and 14. Instead, they will just be doing Carboplatin on Day 1 and Day 2, and Temodar on Days 1 through 5. Then, that's it for this cycle! Isabella will get her MRI done on April 18, then we're not sure when the final, really intensive Chemo cycle begins. It will be during this final chemo cycle when her bone marrow will be killed by the chemo. They will then inject the stem cells that they collected back into her to regrow the bone marrow and restimulate the creation of her white cells. That whole recovery period will take 4 to 8 weeks in isolation in the hospital. It will take a year for her body to fully recover.

Thanks for keeping up to date. The weather is getting nice here in the Northeast and hopefully you are enjoying your Spring.