Remission

Remission is a word that’s nearly as powerful as “cancer” itself, a term that’s almost exclusively used in context of a celebration that cancer’s butt has been kicked.

Wes is officially in remission, and that is cause to celebrate, but as we’ve come to learn so much in the past month or so, nothing with cancer is really quite so simple. Remission isn’t cure, and it’s not even the end of treatment. At least for Wes’ leukemia, it’s really just the beginning.

When he was first diagnosed, his bone marrow was replete with signs of leukemia. Suspect cells could easily be counted by microscope, and more advanced tests show that much – maybe even a large majority – of his marrow cells were afflicted. After treatment that began at the beginning of the month and just ended late last week, they didn’t see one leukemia cell or other markers in his labs. This is exactly what they expected to see – anything else would be worrisome – so it’s good news for sure. He’s responding to treatment so we stick to the plan.

The plan, as we realize more each time we go over it in greater detail, is daunting. We have four phases to go, following the now-completed Induction phase.

Consolidation, Interim Maintenance , Delayed Intensification, and Maintenance.

Over the next six months or so Wes will go through the first three, from Consolidation through Intensification. Starting Friday, and ending sometime in the spring, he’ll be at the clinic a couple of times a week on average, receiving an ever-varying cocktail of medications, some attacking the cancer and others to counteract the effects of the former. The intensity of the treatments will increase, and at some point he’ll start having regular in-patient visits to Philadelphia typically lasting four days every two weeks for a few months. It’s almost impossibly daunting to see and hear it all laid out but going through this program is his best – only – chance to live a long, healthy life, and while he’s already in remission the hardest part in every way is finishing the job. The best bet is this massive, prolonged bombing campaign, a scorched earth plan of overkill against an elusive disease until it’s been killed and every hiding place sterilized.

Out past six months, after the end of intensification, if everything is still on track then he moves into maintenance. Maintenance is the longest, but least intense, treatment period. He’ll be taking a pill or two a day, with monthly checkups, for two or three years, but will otherwise be back to a relatively normal life just hoping the leukemia never returns.

At some point the maintenance will end and everything that can and will be done has been done. After ten years of remission, starting now – no return of leukemia – and we can say he’s cured.