What's Next...

So after mommy's counts recover what happens next?

Well, first of all, she'll be able to go home!!

We have to ask the team here what needs to be done in preparation for her going home. She's been neutropenic here in the hospital (meaning her counts were down) and it has meant having a special diet, making sure that no plants and fresh fruits are on the floor, and keeping her safe from any germs (washing hands constantly and wearing masks when sick).

Do these things continue when we go home??
Mommy LOVES plants and our house is full of them. Do they need to go? Does she need to continue eating a neutropenic diet? Can we keep our pets (Snuggle the cat and Jaric the turtle)?

Even after Mommy leaves the hospital, the road continues towards prayerfully seeing her in complete remission AND prayerfully cured.
This period of intense treatment that she's undergone is called INDUCTION THERAPY. This treatment killed the leukemia cells and will get her blood cell counts up to a good number. A few leukemia cells may be present and to make sure that those are killed and there's no relapse... continued treatment will be necessary.

What will likely follow this induction therapy is CONSOLIDATION THERAPY. Every 3 or 4 weeks (about once a month) Mommy would have to return to HUP for a round of chemotherapy. She'd stay a week in the hospital to receive the chemo treatment and then return home for the period of recovering her counts. This is to rid the body of any other leukemia cells that may be present.

What this possible treatment will be, or any other follow up treatment she'll need, still needs to be identified by the doctor. But, we realize that when she leaves here there'll most likely be more treatment ahead to continue to be clean and clear of leukemia.

Those are steps still to come. As we get a clearer picture of what's next we'll continue to share with you.

For now, we are sooo GRATEFUL for this great news and anticipate the recovery of her counts so she can come home!!! We're breathing a sigh of relief and filled with great joy!!