Still on track

Andrew's appointment at U of M went well today. His platelets are up to 100,000. This is a number we have not seen in a long time. His hemoglobin is 9.4, down a little from last week, but not enough to warrant a red blood transfusion. The doctor feels Andrew's bone marrow is making red blood cells, otherwise this number would have been much lower. His white blood cells and neutrophils are high (above normal levels). This means he does not need to take the neupogen shot any longer.

The next few weeks are a "wait-and-see". We are waiting to see if Andrew's white blood cells and neutrophil levels remain up without the help of the neupogen. If his numbers hold after a few weeks, he will be at the three month mark of the treatment. At the three month mark, the team of doctors meet to decide whether he will need a bone marrow transplant. If they feel he is responding well to the treatment, they will start slowly weening him off the cyclosporine (which is the anti-rejection medicine).

The doctors are pleased at how well he is responding to the treatment at this point. However, they always make it known to us that nothing is definite and it does not mean he is "cured". Things can change at any point. We are still very encouraged and very excited about the way the treatment is going. We are hopeful that Andrew is on the right track with the treatment and pray that all will go well for him in the future.