The Saga of Princess Underwear and Princess Booty

Mollie had a great day! We blew bubbles, "gardened", made seashell and bead necklaces, and went to the park. Mollie has been sort of indifferent to Lucy since her diagnosis, but today she wanted them to dress alike and was really in to playing with her. And Lucy loved every minute of it!

Mollie was also in a really goofy mood tonight and dubbed herself Princess Underwear and Lucy, Princess Booty!

More on blood...if you're local, please consider donating at the Shepeard Blood Center because their blood products go to local hospitals (thanks Shane).

A special thank you to those who have already donated.

Blood

It is day 35 of Mollie's treatment for leukemia and she's already had two transfusions of packed red cells. We are so thankful to the anonymous donors. If you are eligible, please donate blood!

The parents of Serenity, another little girl with A.L.L., have set up a National Blogger Blood Drive for July 30. We haven't gotten that organized, but please check out your local Red Cross to find out where you can give blood.

For a typical whole blood donation, red cells, plasma, and platelets can be separated and used for 3 patients (although the platelets have to be pooled with platelets from other donors to make one unit).

I first donated blood in high school and have been a pretty regular donor ever since. It's easy, quick (<30 minutes), and almost painless (just a little pinch when the needle goes in). So if you're healthy and eligible, please consider it. It is a great way to share your good blessings with others. If you're not eligible to donate, you can spread the word and encourage others to donate.

(Hello Readers, this is Matt, posting from Sarah's account)

Quick update from today. Sort of a mixed review, although from my perspective, 100% positive: Mollie's cough was significant enough to postpone beginning consolidation therapy until next Wednesday - we will instead continue with antibiotics and let her rest. Her counts were good (ANC = 1600, Hgb over 11, Platelets around 85, etc) and her day 29 bone marrow was negative on presence of the cancer. So I look at it this way - a week off (only the antibiotics, mouthcare, etc) and an opportunity to build strength before diving into the vincristine etc again.

I know Mollie is feeling better because she's asking to wear fancy clothes instead of letting me pick out her outfits. We had a fun time with bubbles yesterday!

Consolidation is the second phase of Mollie's treatment for A.L.L. I don't have the protocol right in front of me, but it is roughly a month long and consists of at least three spinal taps plus IV chemo and chemo daily (oral). There are no steroids during this phase- not sure if that's good or bad yet. We will find out as we go through it.

Mollie is not in a clinical trial, but she is being treated using the protocol that was most recently used at our hospital. The hospital participates in the Children's Oncology Group and the protocol # is AALL0331. Right now, Mollie is considered standard risk because of her age, sex, WBC at presentation, and low cancer burden at day 7. This could change depending on the cytogenetics and bone marrow results.

Tomorrow she will to start consolidation therapy as long as her counts are good and her cough is gone (I am dubious). Day 1 involves a spinal tap/IT methotrexate , IV vincristine, and oral mercaptopurine (6-MP). This phase lasts about a month, then there is the interim maintennance (IM), lasting about 2 months, and then the worst phase (or so I hear) is the delayed intesification. We should be hitting that right around the holidays if all goes as scheduled.

But for now, Mollie is doing great! She is much sweeter, more cooperative, more energetic, and silly without the steroids. Her hair is coming out in big handfulls at a time. She is worried about it, and we keep reassuring her that it will grow back. We've given her options... getting a wig, going au naturel, putting stickers or temporary tattoos on her head (the sticker idea came from Serenity-- see blog list), or wearing hats/scarves. She likes the sticker idea. Anyway, talking about it and looking at photos of other kids going through it seems to be helping.

Sprung from the hospital this evening. It was a good day (lots of playing with friend, Isabella) and Mollie is in good spirits!

Off to bed...