FINALLY A DIAGNOSIS

This afternoon the doctors gave us the results from Johnny's BMA and BMB today -- the results are preliminary, but they seem pretty confident that Johnny has acute myeloid leukemia (AML).  The doctor's were very clear to say this is not in addition too ALL, or a hybrid of both.  The ALL has morphed into AML -- Dr. Horton's analogy: 'like a super hero who is a shape shifter' (I think Dr. Horton either likes comic books or watches a lot of Saturday morning cartoons.  But it's definitely an analogy that our family can relate too, we read a lot of comic books and watch a lot of Saturday morning cartoons).

Not exactly the results we wanted  -- we were hoping for the GCSF effect -- but at least it's not the hybrid and we have answers that can direct a game plan.  I am very relieved to know what we fighting, no more guessing and having doctor's from all corner's of the hospital coming by to analyze Johnny's rashes, gums, aches and pains and a bunch of other non-specific symptoms that have been making him feel like total shit -- everything is related to the AML.  Since Johnny started feeling crappy last weekend, I knew something was up, but we needed confirmation before we treated him -- it was the longest 10 days of our 70 day stay to date.

Treatment starts tomorrow morning.  Essentially we are starting as if he were newly diagnosed, back to square one.  The treatment consists of 5, 28ish day blocks with stronger doses of a few drugs he's had before and a few drugs he hasn't.  Although the first block is 28 days, the chemo is only the first ten -- the rest of the time is recovery.  I have no idea what the other blocks look like because Dr. Horton said we are going to take it block by block to see where he's at and probably make a decision when to transplant as we go.  Pretty smart on her part not to give me too much information to read, dwell and obsess over.  Like everything else, we'll just take it as it comes...