Day Three and Four Updates

It has been a really long and tiring week. We are all happy that tomorrow is Friday and Elena's last day of chemo for now. Today, Dr. Lew said that Elena looked great and seemed to be tolerating the chemo really well so far. We agree and are definitely counting that among our blessings!
Dr. Lew also talked about Elena's x-ray results. He said that osteopenia was extremely common following ALL due to all of the steroids and the disease itself. He said that no other tests were necessary and that once treatment is over, it almost always gets better over time.  Another praise!

After tomorrow's clinic appointment, Elena will have weekly labs drawn from her line. She will also begin receiving Neupogen at home. It is a drug given after chemo to help the bone marrow recover its ability to produce white blood cells which in turn helps decrease the risk of infection and fever to the patient. Elena has never received the drug before. Both of these things will be arranged through home health care soon. In about three weeks, Elena will have another spinal tap and bone marrow test. She will then be admitted into the hospital to receive another chemo drug, methotrexate. That hospital stay will only be three or four days.

Please pray for Elena's day tomorrow. 

Pray that it will go just as smoothly as the other four have.
Pray her body will continue to handle the chemo.
Pray that the chemo is killing the .1% of the remaining leukemia cells.
Pray that we will be able to coordinate Elena's home health needs with no complications.
Pray that Elena will not have any negative side effects from the Neupogen.
Pray that the Neupogen will do the job it was designed to do.
Pray that Elena will be protected from any infections and fevers.
Pray that God will continue to be in the details of our lives and in His plan for Elena.

In Him,
The Tates

"We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete."
Hebrews 12:2