Daniela's Web Page. Daniela was diagnosed April 6, 2005 with T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
Leukemia is cancer of the blood forming tissues that make up the bone marrow inside the large bones. The diseased bone marrow then floods the body with abnormal white cells. These cells do not perform the infection fighting functions of healthy, mature white cells. In addition, production of red cells and platelets is decreased.
There are different types of Childhood leukemia. Dani has Acute Lymphoblastic (or Lymphocytic) Leukemia. 75% of children with leukemia have ALL and only 15% of children with ALL have T-cell type.
Daniela was in remission by Day 14 of her chemotherapy regimen (April 20, 2005). Remission is defined by having the signs and symptoms of leukemia disappear and by having less than 5% abnormal cells found in the blood, bone marrow, or cerebrospinal fluid.
Despite being in remission, if chemotherapy were to be stopped now, it is definite that the leukemia would return. With blood cancers of this type, it only takes one cancer cell, out of the billions and billions of cells in your body, to multiply and begin the cancer again.
Chemotherapy has to continue so we can make sure the “roots” are killed and the “tree” cannot grow back. Discontinuation of treatment before ALL cells are gone, would be fatal. At some point in time Dani will be considered “cured”. That means that the risk of the original disease returning is no greater than the risk faced by all healthy children of developing the same disease.
For kids with standard risk ALL, like Daniela, there are several treatment options with different protocols, but generally speaking, treatment lasts two years for girls, and three years for boys.
Hopefully Dani will not have to have a bone marrow transplant or a cord blood transplant. Barring any complications or relapse, Daniela’s chemotherapy regimen should be enough to win this battle. For kids on higher risk protocols, or those that relapse, other treatment options can include: increased chemo, bone marrow transplant, peripheral blood stem cell transplant, or radiation therapy.
Adapted from our friend Kristie's caringbridge site >
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"Pain is temporary. Quitting is forever" Lance Armstrong
Some things I have learned about Life, Leukemia and Love 1. It is a shame that we take our family’s love for granted until something as horrible as leukemia makes us realize how valuable that love is. 2. It is hard to look at your child’s baldhead. But when you are holding him tight it is warm and soft and makes you remember him as a baby. 3. True friends never say things like “I am sorry I haven’t called but it is so hard for me to talk about it”, true friends know that it’s hard for ME to talk about it too but that I need to sometimes. 4. So much of what I used to consider important in life is now insignificant. You can’t cuddle a big fancy car, you can’t kiss a fancy wardrobe and a nice house won’t crawl in you lap, put their tiny soft hand on your cheek and say “I love you Mommy.” 5. I find that I no longer admire celebrities and sports figures. I admire doctors and nurses that work long hours to save your child’s life. They are the ones that deserve the million dollar paychecks. 6. I learned that only a child would greet with a smile, a hug and a kiss, the person that sticks a needle in their spine once a month. And only an oncology doctor or nurse is deserving of such admiration. 7. Heroes don’t save lives on movie screens, they save lives by donating blood, platelets and bone marrow. 8. The most courageous story I know of is that of a young teen age boy who after a second relapse decided that he wanted to end the battle on his terms and with dignity and so halted all treatment and died at home in peace. 9. The second most courageous story I know is of the mother that let her son choose to end the battle on his own terms and die at home in peace. 10. .... 11. Just when you think you can’t go on life will throw you a lifeline. A hug from a friend, a phone call from a sister, a pat on the hand from a kind nurse. 12. It is okay to let your child see you scared and crying. How else would they know that it is okay for them to be scared and to cry? 13. There are many ways to cope when your child has cancer but the very best is to hold them tight and know that love may not conquer all but for now it’ll do.
"If Children have the ability to ignore odds and percentages, then maybe we can all learn from them. When you think about it, what other chance is there but to HOPE? We have two options, medically and emotionally: give up, or FIGHT LIKE HELL".
-Lance Armstrong
Did You Know This? – Facts About Brothers and Sisters of Children with Cancer
Research indicates that 63% of siblings of children with cancer experience emotional and behavioral challenges after the diagnosis, including post-traumatic stress. Siblings are at risk for poor academic achievement, impaired social interactions, guilt, aggressiveness, withdrawal and anxiety. Younger siblings have displayed higher levels of depression and anxiety than the ill child. Siblings often experience feelings of loss, anger, abandonment, jealousy, fear, depression, grief and more – often resulting in social and behavioral challenges, and school difficulties. These “shadow survivors” – the siblings – carry this impact for the rest of their lives.
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This video was made by the mother of a child with cancer to raise awareness and to support the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act of 2007. It's very powerful and true. What would you do if it was your child? Wouldn't you support the cause?
Journal
Thursday, April 17, 2008 10:57 AM CDT
It finally WAS appendicitis. She went to the Operating Room last night at 9PM. The appendix had already burst. The US showed fluids that happened to be pus. Surgery took one hour and a half. The surgeon had to clean up all the mess in there. We came back to the room around midnight. She was tired but in good spirits. She had a very good night, slept nicely and woke up in a good mood. She feels tired and the scar hurts but she is feeling better. Ale was very worried yesterday and she stayed with us. Now they are together watching TV. If she is fine, and there are no fevers we might be released tomorrow.
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