Subject: Arlene Busch: News from Houston
From: "Arlene Busch" <[email-masked]>
To: "Arlene Busch" <[email-masked]>
Cc: "Bob Childress" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 23 Jun 2016 21:45:32 +0000

To all of my friends who have called, emailed, texted, played WWF, and gotten together with me over the past few weeks....

Bob and I arrived in Houston on Tuesday June 21st. 
I had blood work and a bone marrow biopsy on Tuesday June 22nd. Also blood work on June 23rd. 
Today (June 23rd I also met with my Dr. (Dr. Courtney DiNardo), and my research nurse (Ken Vaughn) to go over my results of both and get my schedule organized for the next few months. 

Blood work: results were good. The important results are platelets (which are back to normal), hemoglobin (which are below normal, but no transfusions at this time) and white cells (which are very low). The component of white cells that are most important are ANC, which determines my ability to fight infection. My ANC is also very low. Both chemo (which I take one hour a day for five days each month) and my clinical trial drug (ABT-199) which I take every day, depress and keep low my white cells. So, although expected with this treatment....I run a greater risk of infection and need to be careful around friends and shouldn't see anyone who is even slightly sick. 
I have also needed to go to Mayo each day for a fungal medication which I need to take intravenously. 

Bone Marrow Biopsy results:
The important component of this biopsy is "blasts". When I arrived on April 18th my blasts were 60%. At the end of my first round of treatment, my blasts were 15% (although I had no leukemia cells present). 
Good news!! My blasts are down to 2% (normal range is 0 to 5%). 
So I am completely in remission. 

Going forward:
The doc has:
Lowered my ABT-199 clinical trial drug from a 28 day cycle to a 21 day cycle so I have a better chance of my white cells coming back toward normal. 
I only need to go to the hospital Monday, Wednesday, Friday for caspo instead of every day. This will make life easier. 
The doc is flexible on travel and schedule. 

Therefore, I can go anywhere else we want as long as I am not gone for more than 6 days at a time. This includes all of the trips I have planned over the next six months. 

So life, although not back to pre diagnosis is better than I anticipated at this point. 

Hope to see everyone very soon....
Arlene

Arlene Busch
312-498-9595 (m)
202-333-1880 (w)

Arlene Busch
312-498-9595 (m)
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