Purgatory is a really long line

Imagine waiting in a very long line.  From the beginning, you can't really see the end, but you know it's up around the corner somewhere.  Finally, you get near the end, only to be told you need to get out of line and go to a new line.  What's special about the new line is that no one knows how long it is.  

And the worst of it all is this isn't a line for Splash Mountain or Grizzly River Rapids.  It's a line for a medical procedure that will probably save your life, but will make you feel sick for at least a month and has at least a potential for death.

In the middle of July, the doctors found some cancer cells in my CSF (cerebral spinal fluid) during one of the many spinal taps (thirteen, to be precise) that I've had the opportunity to participate in.  Because my future transplanted immune system won't be interacting with my spinal fluid, it is imperative that we clear the fluid of cancer cells before the transplant.  Otherwise, I could wind up with clean lymph nodes, but a tumor growing in my brain.

On July 26 I began a new regimen of chemotherapy in an attempt to clean out my CSF.  After almost a month, progress was mostly sideways.  After some initial reluctance, we decided to try irradiation my brain and spinal column.  I was nervous about it because I'd heard that it could be pretty traumatic to my brain and (understatement here) I'd like to avoid that if possible.  

So we've been waiting for awhile for good news and it finally came to us with some good test results last thursday.  My CSF was markedly clearer.  In fact, they detected no cancer cells in the initial report and only about 1% (vs a previous high of about 20%) in the more sophisticated flow cytometry report.

I'm four treatments into my ten-treatment radiation regimen and my doctors are scheduling me back in for the stem cell transplants.  My brother Jarom is scheduled to come up next week and I'll receive another Spinal tap on the 10th.  My doctors seem confident that it will come back clear and that we'll be able to proceed with the transplant the following week, around September 18.  

I'll spend thirty days in the hospital, then I'll be released to our temporary housing facility here in Seattle where they'll continue to monitor me for another 2 months.  If all goes really well, there's a chance I could be home for Christmas.

I know there could be some rough road ahead, but at least I'm moving forward again!