Transplant Update

So…the transplant is on hold.  We went to the Mayo Clinic today to do Derek’s final doctor consultation before he goes in tomorrow for the transplant.  The doctor told us that Derek still has too much cancer to do the transplant.  If Derek did the transplant it would most likely not work and his chances for a cure are lessened greatly.  There is a new drug that was approved last summer that is specifically for Derek’s cancer so the doctor wants him to start doing that.  Hopefully this drug will put Derek into remission and then into transplant.  The less cancer he has or even (hopefully) remission increases his chances of being cured by a bone marrow transplant.  Happily, Derek will get to do all his treatments at the Mayo Clinic.  We love the Mayo Clinic and we are happy that everything (blood draw, scans, doctor) are under one roof rather than the millions of different places we have had to deal with.  We are upset because we have been preparing for this moment for a long time and to be told the day before that the transplant was off was a little bit to take in.  However, we are happy that the doctor knows what is most likely to get Derek into a cure.  We have mixed feelings but we are content to do whatever has the most chance of getting Derek into remission.  Thanks for all the love and support you all have given us, we do not take it lightly.  In the mean time, look at this face.  It makes everything better: