Update

Dear friends-

It’s with heavy heart that I update this blog. Things had gone well, with the normal ups and downs, during the 100 days post transplant. Our friends and family from near and far provided more than 2500 hours of constant companionship to Dan. This is a miracle.

We came home and we got right back into life together at home. Dan got back to his favorite hobbies of woodworking and watching the Vikings. 

Unfortunately the bone marrow biopsy done right after the 100 days showed 7% residual disease, meaning there was still some leukemia present. He started a new oral chemotherapy in the hopes of eliminating the residual disease. 

On October 1st his routine blood work showed a very high white blood cell count (135k) which showed a relapse of acute leukemia. He got admitted into the hospital in St Cloud. It was a shock to us and to the doctor as well. He started oral chemotherapy and standard treatment to lower his white blood cell count. His counts came down nicely over 3 days and the plan is to meet the oncologist at the University of Minnesota on Friday October 4th and admit Dan for ten days of immunotherapy (Blincyto) infusions. This is an intravenous treatment which should attack the leukemic cells. Unfortunately they told us that this is not curative. It is unlikely to put him in a long term remission. This was such hard news to receive. 

We are going to do everything we can to fight but at this time we need to fight the way Christians fight, which (like Fr José told us) is by begging. So please, pray for a miracle.

We are praying to blessed Rolando Rivi.