Jody's Treatment

On March 10, 2010 Jody and I met with Dr. Brunvand concerning Jody's Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT). Dr. Brunvand is a BMT specialist, who practices with the Rocky Mountain Cancer Center here in Denver (see Jody's Disease). His observation, based on the aggressive progress of her disease, was that we need to do a BMT in six to nine months. He further recommended we begin a low dosage chemo therapy treatment as soon as possible to buy us time. His team would continue to pursue their search for an adult bone marrow donor, but they would ideally like to find a suitable umbilical cord donation.

Dr. Brunvand recommended we begin a regimented treatment using a drug called VIDAZA. VIDAZA is prescribed to help reduce the need for transfusions. It may also help her bone marrow make healthy white blood cells and platelets. VIDAZA is given either as a shot or intravenously for five to seven days and then wait twenty-one days and begin again. Usually this is given for four cycles and the blood marrow is re-evaluated. VIDAZA is a chemo-therapy drug, the only one of its kind FDA approved for treatment of MDS. The dosage does not cause hair loss, but can make her ill with side-effects. VIDAZA can be prescribed for as long as she continues to benefit from it and side effects don't require her to stop treatment. He asked us to get in touch with Dr. Faragher to discuss this option.

Our original appointment with Dr. Farragher was April 1, 2010. His staff called us and moved the appointment up to Monday, March 22. We discussed the VIDAZA treatment with him as well as other options. He recommended we consider a less aggressive treatment using two drugs REVLIMID and PREDNISONE. These two-drugs in combination treats her disease the same as VIDAZA but less aggressively. With VIDAZA it would have taken three to four months to measure her results. With the "two-drug" regiment we should begin to see improvement in four to six weeks. Both treatments should accomplish the same results, (1) buy us more time to find a suitable donor, (2) decrease her need for transfusion, (3) slow the progress of the disease. Either treatment should lower her "iron" ( as a result of fewer transfusion) and lower her high kidney lab values. Both drugs have strong side-effects, number one being a lower immunity to infections.

After consultations with Dr. Faragher we decided to begin with the "two-drug" therapy. Jody began taking the drugs March 25, 2010. She, so far, has not shown any strong reaction to the drug other than some initial insomnia.

This post should bring everyone up to date. As we move forward in Jody's treatment I will make post to keep everyone current. We hope to avoid a lot of awkward questions and having to repeat things that are uncomfortable for us as well as you.

Thank you for reading my post, I hope I wasn't too technical... If you have not all ready read Jody's Disease I would recommend that you do, it may fill in the gaps.

We love you all!