Hello all - well, after a really long week, we have more "mixed news". I took Taylor back in today for another bone marrow aspiration. Last Monday her leukemia or blast counts were greater than eight percent. To be considered in remission, you must be less than five percent. Today, she came back as less than 6 percent. So...the question is what does this all mean? There is a not a great answer to this question. Like last week, it come mean one of two things....

First, it could mean that her leukemia has still relapsed and she is not responding. Or, it could mean that her bone marrow needs more time to recover. Like last week, there is a fifty/fifty percent chance. They explained that after a couple rounds of chemotherapy, it can take the bone marrow longer to recover. The cells that they are seeing under the microscope are "immature" cells, so it is difficult to tell if they are leukemia cells or not. I am trying to be positive and be glad that she went from greater than 8 percent to less than 6 percent but it is extremely difficult. They are not able to start chemotherapy until she is less than 5 percent, so we have another week of waiting. At least we are back at home!!

The waiting is so extremely difficult for us. This also means that Taylor will have to have another bone marrow aspiration next week...another "poke", another round of sedative medication, and the waiting!!! She is very nauseated today and threw up in the car coming home from the procedure. Her back (where they poke her) is hurting her so I will giving her pain meds tonight.

All I can say is this week is going to be VERY long (just like last week!).

Thanks for your prayers and support...think we will still be needing them!!

Love,
Kristen

Hello all - hope you are having a great weekend. As I write this blog, a bunch of you are having dinner at the golf charity event for Taylor. For those of you who played golf and/or supported our family at the dinner....thank you so much. We truly appreciate your generosity and support. It is hard to believe how many people that we know and those that we have never met are supporting and praying for Taylor..it is amazing!!

A huge thank you goes out to Tom Margie. Tom is a good friend who was behind the golf tournament. He spent many hours organizing the event and making it a huge success. Thank you also to our many friends who volunteered their time at the event today.....thank you all so much.

I took Taylor and Savannah down to the hospital today to celebrate Aleeya's 3rd birthday. Aleeya has been our roommate during every round of chemo. Going to the birthday party was the highlight of Taylor's "break"....she was so excited to go to a birthday party. The party was really cute. All of Aleeya's family was there. Thank you to Aleeya and her family for letting us celebrate Aleeya's big day.

I will post again on Monday once we find out whether Taylor has gone back into remission or if she has relapsed. We will be re-admitted either way so we will be back at our second home. Please pray for Taylor.....Monday is a big day!!

Thank you again to all who have supported us through prayers, cards, gifts, food and donations. Your support means so much to us.

Love,
Kristen

Hello everyone - just wanted to post quickly to let you all know how much we appreciate your thoughts and prayers since the bad news on Monday. I have been contacted by so many people letting me know that all prayers for Taylor have gone into "over drive". Thank you all for continuing to post on the blog. I still read the posts to Taylor...she loves hearing them. A big thank you to Taylor's nurse, Katie O.....you posting today made Taylor so happy.....we tried to call you but you were not working....she misses you!! Thank you all so much for your prayers....we need it.

Taylor is hanging in there. She is very tired and gets worn out very quickly. Savannah has come down with a stomach bug and was sent home from school today with a low grade fever. She is OK tonight but complains that her stomach hurts!! I just pray that Taylor doesn't get a stomach bug on top of everything else.

I have been meaning to thank all of our dear friends who are working diligently on putting together the golf tournament on Saturday. Your efforts are amazing.....thank you in advance for doing this for us!!!

I apologize for not answering a lot of calls this week. Monday hit me really hard and I have been having a really hard time this week. I am trying hard to pick up my spirits.......just watching how tired Taylor is really scares me. I am trying to think positive....but it is hard.

I will post again in a couple of days to let you all know how Taylor is doing.

Keep praying for Taylor....we appreciate it.

Love,
Kristen

Hello again - so sorry to post again but noticed there was an error in the post from tonight. I talked about Taylor's results after round 1. I meant to say that after round 1 Taylor had <3>8% blasts of leukemia cells. To be considered in remission, you must have <5% blasts. So....she was in remission after Round 1 and now they are considering her to have relapsed until we repeat the test next Monday.

Hope that isn't too confusing.

Thanks,
Kristen

It is with a very sad heart that I post our "mixed results" as the oncologist put it today. Taylor went in for her lumbar puncture and bone marrow aspiration today. The good part of the mixed news is that her lumbar puncture came back clean (no leukemia)....yeah!! The not so good part of the mixed news is that her bone marrow aspiration results have come back that she has relapsed....horrible news!! It is very hard to explain and I don't even understand the news 100% but will try my best to explain it. Leukemia patients have cells in their bone marrow that are called "blasts". These are immature blood cells that either turn into normal mature cells or leukemia cells. Obviously when this all started, Taylor's "blasts" had turned into leukemia cells. After Round 1 of chemotherapy she had <3>8%....not good!!! But.....there is a 50/50 chance that the bone marrow has not had enough time to heal after 2 rounds of chemotherapy and that is why they are seeing an increase of leukemia cells. The doctor explained that this does happen. So....as of today, she has technically relapsed.

The new plan is to keep Taylor at home (that is the only good news out of all of this!!) until next Monday and re-test her bone marrow. So, she will have to have another bone marrow aspiration. The hope is that the blasts have matured into normal cells instead of leukemia cells and that she will have <5% leukemia cells. If she does have <5% on the next bone marrow aspiration, she will be considered back in remission. I asked the doctor what she thought would happen and she said that it could go either way. What we need now is more prayers than ever before!! I didn't think I could be more scared than when she was first diagnosed, but trust me, I am!!!

Taylor had a really hard time with the lumbar puncture and bone marrow aspiration today. She is in a lot of pain and I have had to give her oxycodone every 4 hours since we have gotten home. They did the bone marrow and lumbar puncture really close together on her back and she is very sore from it....poor baby!!! She is asleep already and I pray she sleeps all night....she really needs to recover.

So...until next Monday we are really just waiting AND PRAYING!!! This really wasn't the news that I had expected.....things seemed to be going so well. The question you are all probably asking is what happens if she isn't in remission next Monday.....the answer is, I don't' know. The doctor said that we would talk about that next Monday. If she is in remission (please, please, please!), then she will be admitted for Round 3.

I really don't know what else to say...not a very good day. I am very tired so think I will try to go to bed....long day.

Please pray for Taylor.

Love,
Kristen