Cure 4 Jack

I'm home with Christina again this weekend and so happy to get a break. The boys are at the hospital creating havoc for the nurses (Tracey, of course) and bonding. Roy has Jack saying "I hate this place, Tracey never works!".....Roy's such an instigator, but it's all in good fun.

Thursday afternoon, Dr. Bunin asked me to come out into the hall to talk to her and right away I thought the worst, but was then happy to hear, believe it or not, the biopsy results of his scope last week is showing GVHD in his gut. After looking deep into the tissue that they got, there it was. Dr. Bunin being the doctor she is, proceeded to tell me that she wants to make absolutely sure of this and is sending Jack's slides off the Seatle Washington where they see a lot of gut GVHD, to have a second opinion. Dr. Bunin said that most cases of GVHD in the gut usually shows signs of it on the skin and it is a little puzzling to her that Jack doesn't show any signs of this. (GVHD occurs when white blood cells in the donated bone marrow (the graft) identify your cells (the host) as "foreign" and launch an attack, just as your immune system would normally attack infection.) This was great news to finally get a reason to why Jack's stooling isn't getting better and every test they have run has come back negative or normal. Now on the flip side, GVHD isn't always a great thing to have. Thankfully it has been found and treatment has already started. Dr. Orange stopped by today and told Roy that if all goes well with the new plan of attack, we should start to see a difference in Jack's stooling by the beginning of next week. Maybe we'll be able to bring Jack home the end of next week. That doesn't mean that it's going to be easy since he will have to remain on TPN for a couple of months. GVHD in the gut causes a lot of diahrea and very little absorption so we don't have a choice about nutriton at this point. This really explains so much to why he hasn't been able to gain the weight through his normal tube feeds. No absorption, no weight gain. Unfortunately it takes getting a scope to really see deep into the tissue to be able to get this diagnosis, but it was all worth it. Now it is a matter of getting it under control and getting Jack better.

Treatment for this is an increase in steriods (yuk) and starting Jack back on the Prograft which is a medication to help prevent GVHD. The protocol for Prograft is usually given for a short period of time after transplant which Jack had the full course but unfortunately you can't see what's going on in the gut to determine if the course needs to be lengthened. The good news is that there is a rhyme and a reason and now a plan.

Thank you for always remembering to keep us in your prayers and with the power of prayer we have gotten our answer and working towards recovery.

God Bless

OOOPS, I almost forgot.....engraphment studies are back still 100%donor!!!!!!!!