This wasn’t supposed to happen, and I don’t know how to react. Bryon’s leukemia wasn’t eradicated. There’s 0.5% still in his bone marrow. How small a portion is that, I don’t know, but it’s still there, and that means that it will keep growing, in his case, rapidly (because his HCL has never been chronic), and we’re in a race with time.

46 days until we leave Argentina. In my perfect world, Bryon starts another round of chemo this week, next week he’s back in the hospital for a week, then he’s home resting for 3 weeks, and we still have a week and a half before we leave. Cutting it close, don’t ya think? But it’s do-able.

But this world isn’t perfect, and there are always complications. For instance, Bryon’s doctor wants to do another drug, Rituximab, which is an injection once a week for 4 weeks. That doesn’t fit into my timetable, because what happens if afterwards he has to be in the hospital for some time due to high fevers? Then we don’t make the plane.

And now that I actually write down my perfect plan, it doesn’t seem feasible. But waiting until almost June for treatment (we arrive in Colorado on May 22nd) doesn’t seem plausible either – with as rapidly as Bryon’s HCL multiplies, 10 weeks or more is such a risk.

What do we do?

Okay, body is finally reacting to the news. No more am I numb. What’ll we do? Please, someone, make the decision for me!!!

How do we tell the kids? Do we wait for the full results, which come in 2 weeks, to see if it’s a variant of hcl? That, in my “perfect” world, leaves us with days…and what if Bryon, not being as strong this time, has fevers for longer periods of time, has to stay in hospital, etc.? I know I shouldn’t worry about the future, but we have to consider everything in order to make a decision.