June 25, 2001
Hi Everyone,
Dave and I were in Boston today for his third of 3 monthly check-ups since starting Gleevec. The doctor says he's doing great, and all his blood counts are in pretty good shape (the reds are a little low, but the whites and platelets are completely normal). Dave had a bone marrow biopsy done, and we'll know the results of that in a couple of weeks (so much waiting!!). The doctor said he hopes to see good results (meaning a decrease in the percentage of leukemic cells), but that the 6-month biopsy is when he really expects to see improvement (more waiting). Ever the optimists, we're hoping to see really good results with this one!
The doctor would like to have Dave continue on his current dosage of Gleevec (600mg daily) until he sees the biopsy results. If the results are good, he may lower the dosage. Fortunately, Dave isn't having any serious side effects (they're more like nuisance side effects).
Next appointment is the end of September/beginning of October, when Dave will have the 6-month biopsy done. In the meantime, he'll have blood tests done monthly here in Burlington and the results sent to Dana Farber.
That's all for now. The doctor is happy, so we're happy. It was such a beautiful day, we took the scenic route back through New Hampshire and had ourselves a one-day getaway. It doesn't get much greener than it is right now! We'll let you know when we get the biopsy results back. Hope this finds you all well.
Allison