What we know so far...

Not much. Sorry.

There still isn't much information that is conclusive. But here's how the day went. Ben saw his main cancer doctor before going down for the bone marrow aspiration and biopsy. It was actually one of Ben's other cancer docs whom we'd met at our last visit who performed the procedure. He was really nice and let me stay in the room with Ben to comfort him while he was falling asleep with the anesthesiologist's help. Then I had to go, of course, but I waited like a puppy right outside the door and only about 30 minutes later the doctor opened the door and showed me the samples (which were taken from a bone in Ben's back) he had taken to send to the lab. There were two jars; one with two pieces of bone that had been removed for biopsy and the other with a red jelly-like, spongy substance which was the marrow. There were also about a dozen microscope slides with the red jelly smeared on them.

The jars were sent to pathology and to ARUP for testing and when the results do come in lots of different doctors will put their two-cents in and weigh on the situation before anyone will tell me anything. We have another appointment with oncology on Tuesday to discuss what they find out. But the slides, our dr did look at those today while Ben was in recovery and then we went back up to her office and she gave us one piece of good news. She still doesn't know what is the problem, but she found out two things that aren't the problem, so that's good.

I didn't know that much about bone marrow, but I am learning it's basically where blood (red cells, white cells, and platelets) are "made" and mature until they are ready to go out and do their job in your body. So one reason to check the bone marrow is to tell how well your body is making these. So if the white cells and platelets were terribly low in the marrow, that would mean his body is having trouble making them. One cause could be Leukemia but there are several other conditions that inhibit the marrow's ability to make enough of these cells. But Ben had what our doctor thought, just by looking at the slides in the microscope which isn't an official count but is still promising, that he is indeed still making enough of white cells and platelets. That means that something is killing them as they move throughout his body. Probably a virus of some sort she suspects. The most likely culprit is the EBV virus (his cancer-causing virus), because we already know he has it and especially because we already know his levels are on the rise. What the level is from yesterday's test I still don't know yet.

On Monday we're heading to Riverton, ugh, to meet with Ben's ENT who did his sinus/adenoid surgery because our oncologist thinks maybe his adenoids could be growing back with the cancer in them and wants the ENT to check it out. Also oncology will consult w/ gastroenterology to see if they would be willing to try that endoscopy/colonoscopy/biopsy they had planned a few weeks ago to see if the PTLD is hiding out there. We can also try another CT scan to see if that shows anything new.

So see, we really don't know anything conclusive. We don't know what's really the problem or what to do from here yet, but I hope with so many people on the case we'll figure it out soon. As of right now I think the immediate concern is the fact that the platelets are dropping so quickly so bleeding is a big worry. Internally and externally. He is bruising all over and is really dizzy, he loses his balance and falls over every time he stands up so it's not really safe for him to be up and about a lot and his doctor said absolutely no stairs. Before we left the hospital today, his doctor saw him wobbling around and said she was almost positive he'd be admitted through the ER this weekend. She's usually an eternal optimist, but today she actually said she doesn't want to be an unrealistic optimist when the situation is serious. I guess so when she says they'll admit him for a nosebleed for example. More info to come in the next few days. Thanks for all the prayers everyone!!!