Well, What a week this has been. But after 3 trips to Little Rock, we have a plan.

The fine needle aspiration showed 20% myeloma plasma cells in the lesion. It is a confirmed relapse as Frank said earlier.

Dr. Barlogie wants to do another transplant. But not like one he's had in the past. The other transplants are Melphalan (chemo), then stem cells to follow. This time he wants to use a combination of chemo that he's had before: VTD-PACE (all of the letters stand for a different chemo med) PLUS Melphalan, and then stem cells to follow. Sounds tough doesn't it?

Well, the good news is the he's using a reduced dose of 2 of those drugs. So, we're going to call this a Mini-Tranplant. Sort of like the 100 calorie snacks! Just enough to do the job, but not so much we wish we'd never had it!!

Dr. Barlogie is so so busy. He usually has someone on his heels that trying to learn from him or help all around him, etc. But he came in alone and no one bothered us. We had a good long time to talk about all our concerns.

We'd been told in the past that statistics show each remission shortens. Dr. Barlogie told us that was nonsense!! He said he has a patient that has had multiple relapses and she's been in remission for 5 years now since then. Frank asked him if we were running out of options ~ and his reply was "no no no no no."
So, for the first time all week, we came home a little lighter on our feet and more encouraged than we had been so far.

As soon as we hear from insurance, we'll get our schedule to return. Frank has some work things he wants to get done before we leave.

Please pray for insurance to cover this transplant. For the kids as they deal with this, for all details to fall into place as we plan to be gone 3-4 weeks.

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask of think, according to the power that works within us; to Him be the glory in the church adn in Christ Jesus to all genereations forever and ever. Amen" Eph 3:20-21