← Return to Acute myeloid leukemia (AML): What can I expect?

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@loribmt

Wow, @kristenwhittle, Your mom is a force!! She’s in the hospital where she’ll be watched closely while undergoing the chemo treatments. I’m so happy to hear she’s giving this a go…because to do nothing would not have a positive outcome. AML, once started, progresses rapidly. So for your mom, this is an opportunity to get into remission!

You might find this discussion by @ccleschats encouraging with her accounting of her 75 year old husband with AML on the same meds as your mom.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/acute-myeloid-leukemia-aml-treatment-of-75-year-old-is-working/
It’s early in the game yet for reactions, those tend to come in the next couple of weeks with fatigue, possible nausea and a little weakness.
These are normal side effects as the treatment works to destroy the quickly replicating cells called blasts. They’re the immature white blood cells which are overcrowding her red blood cells at this point. She will go through a very low period where all her blood counts are down. But they will regenerate and she should start feeling stronger after that. It’s important to avoid illness at this time. She may be given antibiotics as a precaution to avoid infections.

The Venetoclax is more of a targeted drug to keep the cancer cells from reproducing.

Your mom, with her health history and obvious spirit of endurance should do well with treatment. Encourage her to keep active if she can. I walked miles daily in the hospital bed tower while pushing my chemo IV with me. It worked to keep me healthy and energized.

Say hi to your mom for me. I’m so encouraged by her story! Keep me posted, ok?

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Replies to "Wow, @kristenwhittle, Your mom is a force!! She’s in the hospital where she’ll be watched closely..."

Thanks so much for your reply. She has been walking daily around the hospital. She is indeed a force. They said she will likely need a blood transfusion at some point if her numbers get below certain thresholds. One of the questions I have is that even if she achieves remission my understanding is that she will need treatments monthly for the remainder of her life to keep the cancerous cells from taking over again. Is that true for everyone with AML? I know they said that because of her advanced age they will not make her treatments as long or as strong as they would with a younger person. And if she has treatments of some sort every 28 days, will her blood counts drop very low everytime? I will be clarifying with her MD as well. Just wondering what "living with AML" looks like.

@loribmt My husband is on Vidaza IV not Decitibine IV. His is currently off Venetoclax (took for approx. 5 weeks) and now taking TIBSOVO which better targets his IDH1 mutation.