Yarden is 2 years and 7months old and has pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma, stage 3, with the tumor found (and removed) in his right lung. (Date of diagnosis: 12 June 1996). He is now going through chemotherapy treatment and his doctors say he has excellent chances of being cured once the treatment is over. The protocal is 47 weeks of VAC chemo. Yarden has gotten through about 25 weeks so far. Half way there!
Latest update - 22 Feb 1997
What's New with Yarden?
22 Feb 1997
Yarden seems to be getting quite anxious as my due date approaches. He is very needy - which could also be due to his low blood counts and cough - and wants his "mommy" to "be with me" all the time. It's a little hard on me as I am half way through my 39th week, and very ready to give birth already! The trip to the Moshav proved not such a great idea, in retrospect, since Yarden and I both caught colds. Mine went away, but poor Yarden has been coughing ever since! Despite not having excellent health, Yarden continues to make us all smile at his terrific sense of humor, his amazing memory for stories and songs and his pretend games. On the downside, as he gets older, he is harder to take in for treatment and both cries and tries delay tactics each morning that we have to go. Naturally this too makes me quite sad. Once at the hospital, he is fine, though - just loves all the attention he gets!
10 Jan 1997
Hair update - my darling is bald again! The smoothest head in the Middle East! He is gorgeous as ever, and still has some eyelashes and eyebrows and that devilish look in his eyes. We just came back from spending the day at a Moshav (in the country) and Yarden got to see real live cows and calves and rough around with other kids his age. This coming week is the next VAC treatment and we are hoping that the amounts of chemo will be slightly reduced so he can deal with the chemo without reaching rock bottom blood counts again.
15 Dec. 1996
Yarden's hair is still growing back! I'm amazed that the last chemo bomb didn't get rid of it (yet?). He is feeling terrific, although a little lonely being cooped up at home all the time. I guess that's why going to the hospital gives him mixed feelings - good that he's meet all his friends and get a lot of attention - bad that he has to get treatment when he goes! Yarden still thinks it's Hannukah and is collecting dreidals and pretends to light the Hannukah candles.
9 Dec. 1996
It's Hannukah, and Yarden got some more videos - (his favorite pastime) and a recorder, a cute remote control car (for mommy & daddy) and tickets to a couple of children's shows. He is feeling good enough to go to the shows and is starting to understand the 'real' meaning of Hannukah (presents! chocolate! fun!)
Health Update
22 Feb. 1997
It is 3:30 a.m and Yarden is finally sleeping soundly after waking, and rewaking with pains in his legs from the GCSF as well as being woken by a persistent cough. His blood count is very low, and he has been receiving what seem to me to be very large doses of GCSF after each treatment. To avoid hospitalization, he usually starts the GCSF immediately following treatment, for about 3 days and then gets a day or two respite - then back to the GCSF for another 4 - 5 days. Usually Yarden gets a fever the week after treatment and we have to monitor this extremely carefully - and often he receives antibiotics. This time we were lucky. He had a mild fever for only one day. Still, his blood counts are very low. Dr. Borstein prefered not to give him a blood transfusion so far, although his hemoglobin is also very low (6.8).
Today we had to take Yarden to the ER because of his persistant cough, but after an x-ray proved that his one lung is clean - they let us go home, and didn't even prescribe antibiotics!
10 Jan. 1997
Yarden has had 2 VAC treatments since the break, and last time had a very low blood count and fever for 2 days and had to be hospitalized for 3 days. However, the GCSF shots he got to get the blood count back up combined with a blood infusion helped boost him back to health again and we had a terrific week! The only low points after the hospitalization were a blooding nose which just wouldn't stop for over 1/2 an hour and one night of serious leg pains from the Vincristin and/or GCSF.
15 Dec. '96
Yarden seems to have gotten though the last VAC with almost flying colors! He had to receive GCSF, due to low blood counts, but as of today they are already much higher - and rising! Amazingly, he kept his appetite the whole time, and seems to have gained some weight. I know I shouldn't talk until the second VAC dose next week - as the effect tends to build up - but today, we're feeling optomistic!
9 Dec. '96
Yarden just got back on his VAC protocal, after almost a 2 month break. He is doing terrific, eating well (!), jumping around with extra energy and generally enjoying life. His blood count went down, as expected, but so far, so good - it's still at a reasonable level. Further good news: after extensive evaluation (X-rays, CAT scan and histology) - no malignant cells have been found!!!
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