JAY IS CANCER Remissed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Huge Jay Update!!!!

The official letter from Sheila:

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GREAT NEWS!!!!!! The bone marrow biopsy shows no sign of cancer. He is officially in remission.

Unfortunately, we're not done though. We went to his Stem Cell Transplant consultation today and he still has a while to go.

This week coming up he will need to have a PET Scan (this is scheduled for Wed.), mugascan (sp), respiratory test, additional blood work, and bone marrow typing (more blood work). They will also send a test to Jay's brother to see if he is a compatible donor in the rare event the autologous stem cell transplant doesn't work.

Then in the next two weeks they will try to start the mobilization chemo which consists of Etoposide and Cytoxan. He will be hospitalized for a day in which they will remove his PICC line and put in another central line. They will also take precautions to make sure that he does not get hemorrhagic cystitis of the bladder.

He will have to take neupogen injections twice a day for 5 - 9 days after, to help build his cells back up. After that he will go to out patient for 1-3 days in order for them to harvest the stem cells by leukapheresis. The stem cells will then be cryopreserved and saved for the transplantation.

Approximately, 4 weeks after the mobilization chemo they will be ready to do the transplant. He will receive another round of chemo. This is the chemo given to kill off all of the bone marrow. The drugs used are BEAM (BCNU, VP-16, ARA-C, and Melphalan). They will be given over 4 -5 days. He will also get an initial spinal tap.

The stem cells will be injected back into him 24 hours after the final dose of chemo on the 5th day. He will then need to be monitored every day for the 1st 5 days after transplant.

The Doctor hasn't decided if he will continue Jay on monthly spinal injections of chemo just to make sure the cancer is not hiding out in his brain somewhere. This will be decided after the transplant since several of the chemo drugs being used for the transplant will penetrate the blood brain barrier.

He is at high risk for infection during this procedure and will have his blood monitored carefully for months afterwards and will need to be on anti-virals for a year. At the 6 month mark, they may revaccinate him for all of his childhood illnesses.

The bone marrow biopsy was great news and he finally has a light at the end of the tunnel.

Feel free to give him a call if you want to talk 724-853-0204.

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So, you can see that he still has a ways to go, and it is still very important to KUTP, bbbbuuuutttttttt you can also add a "Thank you" and a "Your freaking awesome" to those prayers while your at it!

Love yall!!! Love you Jay!!!! Love you Sheila, Love you Tiffany, Love you Momma and Daddy, Nanaw, Aunt Harryette, Tom, Halo, Sushi, Computer, Prince of Egypt, Love you......World!!!! (p.s. as always and everywhere..... I love you LORD!)