Cancer Sucks/ We Luv Chris

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28TH, 2020 Sorry for the delay everyone. We had been waiting a long time for the test results of the MRD blood test. The results came approximately 2 weeks after the initial projected date, so the wait was certainly a tough one, but it was worth it. Chris' test came back negative after examining over 650,000 blood cells. There was no evidence of a DNA sequence matching the original cancer detected. This means that there will be no bone marrow transplant right now, and the percentage of relapse is hopefully much smaller than previously anticipated. The plan now is to continue scans every three months and regular blood tests approximately every two weeks. We've been enjoying our time as a family since the news came in, and are hoping we've seen the last of this horrible disease. Thank you everyone for all of your support, thoughts and prayers! Love, The Berges

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17th, 2019 Chris had his follow up PET scan today...and it showed that he is now in complete remission!! The two areas that previously showed small amounts of cancer activity now have no activity.  There was only one lymph node in Chris's lung that was abnormal, but it was just inflamed.  They believe it is a result of Chris having pneumonia.  As a result, Chris was started on two new antibiotics today.  Chris being in complete remission, although great news, puts us in a tough position.  As is stands right now, Chris still has a 60% chance of relapsing within the next two years (40% chance that he's cured).  So now the decision is whether or not Chris should get an allogeneic bone marrow transplant.  Dr. Shah went over several scenarios with us to help us make a more informed decision: Patients who are in complete remission 60 days post CAR-T Cell Therapy have a 40% chance of being cured; leaving a 60% chance of relapse.  Of those 60% of patients that r

Hello all, this is Chris. I'm doing well, aside from a cold that won't go away and possible ear infection. Cancer wise though I have no pain and no changes I've noticed so we're happy about that, hoping it's a good sign for the next PETscan. The reason I'm writing however is not for an update on me, but rather for Veronica. We went to the ER today around noon because she was having stomach pains for the last week or so. After some tests and a CT, we found out she had appendicitis! It was weird being in such a familiar setting as the hospital but not in the bed... She just had surgery and everything went well. I spoke with the surgeon and she said the appendix was very swollen but removed just fine and thankfully not burst yet. Right now she's resting and we're working on pain management but she should be able to go home tomorrow with minimal restrictions. Just thought we'd let everyone know... This year can't end soon enough! Love to all, Chris

TUESDAY, NOVEMEBER 12th, 2019 Well, we have good news! Chris had his PET scan yesterday morning.  We met with Dr. Shah this morning to get the results and overall, we had fantastic news: Chris's PET scan was almost completely clean! He only had a small area of activity in two lymph nodes.  Dr. Shah called CAR-T a success.  It is the first treatment that Chris has had that has put him so close to remission.  Unfortunately, the fact that it was not completely clean puts us (and Dr. Shah) in a bit of a predicament.  Dr. Shah explained that two things could happen from here: 1: The CAR-T cells could still be working and the remaining lymph nodes could convert, putting Chris into full and complete remission. 2: The activity in the lymph nodes could progress.  If the remaining cancer is left to progress too much, getting Chris back to near remission could be extremely difficult. There is no way to predict what will happen. As a result, Dr. Shah is making preparations for a bo

THHURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7th, 2019 Chris has been doing really well, overall, since being home.  He is working on getting his strength back by walking and doing the stairs several times during the day.  He has also been helping more with Stellan (who is quite a bit to handle these days). Chris has still had some difficulties adjusting to being home, which is to be expected after being in the hospital for so long; one of those difficulties has been trying to taper his pain meds safely and effectively so he has minimal side effects from withdrawals now that he no longer needs the meds. This process has gone pretty well, overall, but he has still been experiencing some minor side effects.  Aside from that, Chris is pain free! He will have a PET scan to determine if he is in remission or not next Monday 11/11.  It sounds like a bone marrow transplant might be on the table eventually, even if he is in remission, but we will cross that bridge after getting the PET results. Please keep the

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27th, 2019 Finally some great news to report! Chris will be coming home tomorrow; a month exactly from the day he went into the cancer clinic and was admitted into the hospital. Chris's chills and sweats are still occurring, but to a much smaller degree than previously.  And although he has been experiencing these symptoms the last few days, he has not had a temperature above 100.4 (which is what the hospital considers a fever).  Additionally, Chris's headaches seem to be manageable with just Tylenol.  All of this, combined with the fact that his IV fluids were discontinued yesterday means there is no real reason to keep Chris in the hospital anymore! Although we are both a little anxious about Chris coming home after being in the hospital for such an extended period, we are all so incredibly happy that it is finally happening. V