October 7, 2006

Well it’s been 2 weeks since I switched from the AMN 107 drug and started on Dasatinib (Sprycel) by Bristol-Meyer Squibb. This drug started out with some pretty harsh side effects and those side effects have not let up. It seems that each successive drug I’ve taken is worse on me than the one before.

The hardest times for me now are nights. My temperature rises to 101+, there are a lot aches and pains and my blood pressure and pulse rates get quite high. By morning most of the effects have subsided, but I feel pretty beat up. Its like I remember hangovers in my non-Christian, younger years. My best time is late afternoon and early evening. We have had friends over for dinner and it has been great to be able to just “hang out”. I love you guys and it is fun to hang out with you when that works out.

Some of my blood counts have been dropping with the Dasatinib because as it suppresses the leukemia, it also suppresses the output of the marrow. None of the blood counts are dangerously low but they are at the point where I feel pretty fatigued. I started administering Procrit shots on myself once a week and hopefully they will increase the red cells, hematocrit, hemoglobin and platelet levels quickly.

The jury is still out on whether Dasatinib is making any changes in the leukemia level in my marrow. I will have a bone marrow biopsy this Wednesday. We should have preliminary results back in 5 days from the biopsy. Those results will be important to help determine whether I stay on Dasatinib as it lowers the leukemia or whether I go straight to chemotherapy and stop Dasatinib.

Even with the side effects of Dasatinib it would better to stay on it than to have to get chemotherapy before the transplant. If I have to do a regime of chemotherapy to lower the leukemia in my marrow, then there will be a short waiting period of 2-4 weeks before getting another regime of a different chemotherapy that is necessary to prepare for the transplant. A double dose of chemotherapy heightens the probability of serious complications during the transplant process.

Oh well, God knows what is best for me and I am trying to rest in His plan. I do have to admit that I would really prefer to know what He has in mind, instead of just relying on the fact that He is in control by faith. If He can create everything we see and can’t see, then I’m confident He can handle my situation. ONLY GOD.