Here is a bit more on Mitch, the boy battling leukemia:
Dear Friends,
As I write this, Mitchell is recovering beside me in his bed……..resting in relative comfort (which means minimal discomfort). All of the procedures we performed successfully today without incident. They drained 1/2 liter of fluid from his right lung! That is a ton of fluid for his body weight (roughly 2.5%) and certainly can be a cause of major pain. Unfortunately, that volume necessitated a larger chest tube than what we anticipated and we are praying that it doesn’t become a source for infection and caused no further pain. It certainly makes it more difficult for him to maneuver.
Sadly, we have made no real improvement in eradicating the leukemia cells from his bone marrow. We still have approximately 50% disease in his marrow. We have 1 option left regarding treatment………..another experimental drug that has shown some limited success in getting relapsed patients into remission. We should know in a few weeks if we are having success in fighting the leukemia and these horrible side effects. If not, then we will be planning a heartbreaking celebration.
Please continue to pray for Mitch and for his family.