April called me last night, and her voice told me all I needed to hear. I knew that the leukemia Dad has been fighting had relapsed.
I spoke to Dr. Gregg today. She is the oncologist caring for dad and she confirmed the news. Dad has been on Sprycel and for the last couple of months it has been keeping the cancerous white blood cells at bay. This week the medicine stopped working and the leukemia cells were back and high. Dad's platelet(blood clotters) are normal but they are dropping.
Since Dad has failed traditional chemo and the experimental chemo there are no more options for treatment.
Dad has taken this very much in stride. When I talked to him last night he was feeling very good. He voice was happy and he had all the optimism he has had through this battle.
He only has a few options, but if FIGHT is one of them, then that is what he will do.
He will still have the option to get blood transfusions if his red blood cells get low.
We know our time with Dad is precious and limited, but we recognize the miracle(s) that we have benefitted in receiving this year. Dad made it through a surgery he was given 0% chance of surviving. He responded to a therapy that had little chance of working.
So as Little Creed wrote in a card to Grandpa, "Good luck white blood cells".
Keep up the fight Dad, today we battle on, and every tomorrow we have will be a gift.
To those of you wishing Dad well, we thank you. Every prayer and every comment does help. It lifts us up a lot when all of you have carried a bit of our burden.
