Induction II

We met with Carla's neurosurgeon in Springfield last Monday.  He thought the bottom screw in vertebrae T9 was moving out.  He did not know how to fix it while Carla was in chemo.  So we headed on to Little Rock on Tuesday as planned.

We drove the westerly route through Joplin and Fayetteville so we could visit my son, John, in Centerton, AR.  Olivia Marie Ferguson was born on December 22.

Lauren, John and Olivia

We were fortunate to get a furnished apartment through a church's "Home Away from Home" program.  It isn't quite as nice as the one we had last time but it costs about $1,000 a month less.  The cold front followed us south and Little Rock isn't used to freezing temperatures as evidenced by the warning sign in our apartment complex.

Warning Sign in our Apartment Complex

Wednesday, Carla had another bone marrow biopsy and a MRI.  We met with Dr. Barlogie on Friday and he said her blood and urine tests were good.  The PET scan had shown that of the 11 original active focal lesions only 1 was now active and the MRI revealed that it was shrinking in size.  The MRI showed that Carla's bones were repairing the myeloma damage.

Dr. Barlogie thought we should see a doctor in the Intervention Radiology group and he got us in to see him on Friday.  This doctor is well known for balloon Kyphoplasty.  A lot of the patients coming to the Myeloma Institue have fractured vertebrae.  Kyphoplasty involves insertion of a balloon into the vertebrae and expanding the collapsed bone.  Once this bone is expanded the balloon is removed and replaced by plastic cement.  All of this procedure uses a CT scan to enable to doctor to see the spine.

This doctor lookedat Carla's MRI's and thought he might be able to repair her back with kyphplasty and perhaps give an ephidural to help with the pain.  He wanted to take a CT Scan to better see Carla's back.  We were unable to get the scan on Friday because the extra load on the electric lines due to the extreme cold had caused voltage fluctuations and the hospital had shut down all non-critical instruments.  Carla got pain relief by staying flat on her back in bed.  This is where she spent most of the weekend.

We have a 7:30 a.m. appointment Monday to get the CT Scan, analyze it and perhaps do the Kyphoplastic work and/or ephidural.  Probably they will insert the catheter again as this is the same department.  Carla would then be ready for the chemo.

Pray that the doctor will have wisdom in knowing how to repair Carla's back.

Carla's son was having a check up with his doctor in New York City.  He told the doctor about his Mom's myeloma.  The doctor asked where she was being treated.  The doctor said all of their myeloma patients they sent to the Myeloma Institute in Little Rock, Arkansas!  This even strengthened our confidence in the work Dr. Barlogie heads up here.  I only wish that we had taken Carla to Little Rock rather than have her back surgery in Springfield.  Most doctors and surgeons don't deal with myeloma and therefore don't know what to expect when normal screws are inserted in vertebrae.