12/23/2009
by Michael Wells Brady is breathing much better and still has a normal temperature. So, it was a pretty good day! It amazes me how the very little things such as breathing well with a normal temperature have become so overwhelmingly critical to Sherrie and me. Other than the daily vomiting episodes (once again with Dad as the primary target) the numerous antibiotics are working and maybe by Christmas we will be out of isolation. Sherrie and I had our telephone consultation with Dr. Kernan of Sloan-Kettering and as a result of it we have ruled out Settle as a possibility for bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Dr. Kernan is not a “fan” of total body irradiation (TBI) for anyone under the age of 2. In fact, they stopped this procedure over 3 years ago. She is confident we can cure Brady’s cancer without TBI. She also told us that Dr. Bunin of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) would be an excellent choice and we should take into consideration where we can get the most support from our family during this 3-6 month hospital ordeal. So, all things considered we will most likely do a BMT and most likely it will be at CHOP. The next bone marrow biopsy will finalize our course of action. We now must begin the process of finding a donor. While, we have (on reserve) a blood cord with a good potential match Dr. Kernan strongly suggested seeking out a donor because once it will enable multiple uses if necessary. That’s something I hope we never have to do but it does make sense. She also would like Sherrie and me to be “typed” to see if we are potential matches. I’ve got to start my day so until next time – continue to keep Brady in your thoughts, prayers and hugs…“8 Years Later—Still No Cure for Pediatric Cancer” is a series of posts revisiting the journal kept by Sherrie and Michael Wells during the cancer diagnosis and treatment of their son, Brady Michael. Hopefully these entires will provide an understanding of the journey families face when dealing with these horrific diseases and of the important work the Hugs for Brady Foundation does.