The Plan of Attack

Over the next 5 weeks I will be staying at Banner Gateway to receive treatment for the AML 

• "Induction;" the first phase of treatment.  4 days of chemotherapy (24 hrs/day); started the evening of 11/10

• Bone marrow biopsy 10 days following completion of chemo ~11/24
• If less than 5% blasts (the bad cells), we wait another 14 days to do another BMB
• If more then 5% blasts, more chemo
• If 2nd BMB still shows 5% or fewer blasts, we move on to "consolidation."
• Consolidation is another round of chemo; its intent is to kill thesmall number of leukemia cells that are still around but cannot be seen because there are so few of them.
• "Maintenance."  Getting a low dose of chemo drug for months or years after consolidation is finished.  Only used for a certain classification of AML, M3, which has the best prognosis of all the AML types.

    Me on day 1 of chemo, 11/10/2012.