Paula's Place: Delayed Start

On Friday, we met with the doctor again to discuss the planned schedule for starting the chemotherapy treatment regimen. We were offered two options for treatment; the first option was the standard treatment regimen (BEAM). The second option was an experimental clinical study that includes the standard treatment plus rituximab given for two weeks prior to treatment and two other drugs (bortezomib and vorinostat) given as monthly maintenance for a year following treatment.

We have tentatively decided to go ahead with the clinical study option; we are waiting for the study review board to approve Mom for the study. The hope is that this clinical study might prove more effective than standard treatment alone. This means that the actual conditioning regimen won't start for at least another two weeks. Mom needs to receive rituximab (the same drug that she has already received) once a week for two weeks before beginning the conditioning regimen to adhere to the study protocol.

Currently, the revised schedule is that Mom will have a rituximab infusion on Wednesday, Nov. 2nd. Mom and Dad will then potentially head home for a week and come back up here the following Wednesday, Nov. 9th for the second infusion and head back home for another week. Then after coming back up here to Seattle on Wednesday, Nov. 16th the conditioning regimen will begin. The conditioning regimen requires that Mom is checked into the University of Washington Medical Center hospital for a 2-3 week period while undergoing treatment.

Laura was able to make a trip up here this weekend to visit. We were able to have the whole family together to walk around town, see the sights, sample the local restaurants and work on puzzles among other things.