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AML & Climbing - a random info thread. 28-Aug-2022 At 2:46:23 PM IdratherbeclimbingM9

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I'm currently between chemo cycles and have been allowed to 'recuperate' at 'home' in Leukaemia Foundation House Of Hope (across the road from Peter MacCallum Cancer Research Hospital), with my wife, and visits from our daughters.

We're still treating our circumstances as very much in isolation and avoiding interaction with the world as much as possible due my blood counts are the bare minimum to allow for such an escape.

Uninterrupted sleep has been great, as have also been a couple of short walks, which have confirmed what I suspected - the recovery road is going to be a long one.

The doctors at RMH Haematology are unreal. Even when not on duty I've received followup calls and emails from them, making sure all is okay with me...
I’m very humbled and find it hard to express the gratitude I feel for such dedication.

Escape will be short lived as my appointment agenda is full on for the near future, with monitoring of my blood samples continuing apace, and the next 21 day Cycle starting soon.

Chemotherapy treatment is broken up into sections known as;
Induction Cycle One
Induction Cycle Two
Consolidation
Maintenance

Induction Cycle One (lasting 21 days), for me consisted of three types of chemotherapy administered for specific periods of time.

Days 1-7 Cytarabine 100 mg/m2 via CIV
Days 1-3 Daunorubicin 60 mg/m2 via IV
Days 8-21 Gilteritinib tablets to target genetic mutation FLT3

I've been informed that Induction chemotherapy is the 'worst' of it, ... though I've also been told that the dosages are no less potent in Cycle 2, as long as they assess patients as being able to handle it.

The last week has been fairly ordinary, but if that's as bad as things get then I'm doing okay, and bring on Cycle 2, I say!

I’ve been accepted into an International Trial that may give me a better result for the treatment I’m receiving, and the Gilteritinib is specific to the Trial which differs from ‘normal’ usage of it a bit, in terms of amounts and duration.

I am stoked to be in the Trial because they follow up on participants for thirteen and a half years(!), which says something about their expectations of achieving Remission success.
:-)

I regard it as like having an insurance policy and the price of having bone and marrow biopsies etc ongoing is little enough compensation for the close monitoring that I’ll receive, ongoing.

The HO156/AMLM24 Trial is funded by The Leukaemia Foundation at $5,000 per patient for a period of four years, and the Gilteritinib involved is not on the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, and costs $27,000.

Less than 20% of Australians wanting to access a Clinical Trial are able to do so, so I am extremely fortunate within the confines of my affliction!
For an unexpected malady I reckon I’ve fallen on my feet.
:-)

So, like an adventure climb, I reckon I've now passed the psychological crux and just have the grunt work to go till topout.
:-)

I'm also working on my new disguise.
Instead of projecting the hoary old white bearded climber / biker image, I'm going for the ocean-going-clean-skin-tadpole look*, to confuse anyone stalking me!

*Hair loss (all over), is happening at a rate of knots!
;-)