The Best Option

Last night was uneventful. We got to sleep, and besides helping Alex get up to use the bathroom a few times, we were able to rest.

The doctors had ordered a second Echo Cardiogram, since Alex's blood pressure had been so strange. Alex was not happy about this, since his experience on Monday with the first Echo technician was painful.

With the first Echo, we had told Alex that it was just pictures of his heart, and it wouldn't hurt. Unfortunately, the technician was focused on getting a good picture, and was pressing way to hard on Alex's ribcage. Silent tears ran down his face, as he tried to be brave, and not cry. We had to stop the procedure, and have the technician leave the room for a bit, while I lay next to him, and dried his tears.

So, when he heard that he needed a second Echo, he started getting really anxious. I told the new technician that he was apprehensive, and to be extra gentle. To her credit, she was hyper-aware of Alex's concern, and talked with him about everything she was doing. We got through the process without stoic tears.

What an amazing technology. I watched Alex's heart beating. I saw the blood flow in and out of that phenomenal muscle, as it pumped life for my son. I silently spoke to that image, trying to extract a promise that it would beat for another 90 years.

Later, our doctor came in and told us the results of the chromosome test for Alex's leukemia. It has the genetic marker, MLL, which means that this leukemia was caused by the cure for his lymphoma. Yes - the cure caused his cancer, and a bone marrow transplant is really the only way to cure him. But, this is better news than a relapse of his first cancer.

Eric and I have only one experience around bone marrow transplant. It was not a happy ending.

We know that this is the best option to cure him, and as we educate ourselves about the process, we will educate all of you too. The first step in that education came this afternoon, when we met with the bone marrow transplant coordinator. She had the nurses draw more blood so she can get Alex typed and start the search for a perfect match. It usually takes a few months to find a match, so the transplant will happen when he is both in remission, and the match is confirmed.

We are told that we may be able to go home on Friday - but our experience with the hospital tells us not to count on that until the discharge papers are in our hand.