Hi Waterbabe,   Such a horrid thing to watch others go through the emotions of cancer.   My daughter had 2 years treatment for ALL so not an easy journey ahead.   Lots of  backwards and forwards and time spent at the hosp, we had a 50 mile trip.  Practical help,  (shopping/washing, cooking etc)  as time becomes an issue to get ordinary day to day things done, especially if your friend has other children.  Maybe some company at the hosp,  and just generaly being they for her. 

It is normal to start treatment immediately.  My daughter had a blood test in the morning, ran back to the playground at lunchime, resuslts frome G.P. at our house in the eve, hosp and 1st chemo by 1 o'clock the next day.  She is fine now and a young adult.   Treatment has also been improved since as well.  Still a very steep learning curve so maybe a lisening ear/company at the hospital,  consultation time if she is a single Mum.     The first few weeks are very intense so any help you can give will help  and be a re-assureance.

I hope all goes well   -     most  childhood Leukeamias have a very good outcomes.

Take care, gardenlady.

Ta

thanks for your reply, really appreciated. Have been thinking I could offer to clean their house or something so that it's one less thing to worry about when she gets home. They have one other child (4yo) who they haven't ever left before so it might be a struggle to watch him but I suppose I could be there at hospital to entertain him whilst they focussed on their sick son.

Is 2 years pretty standard for Leukemia? (It seems as though the stories I've read have been all around that length). Will he be at hospital 24/7 ro do you go in for 2-3 days and then home foe soem time and then back again?

Thanks once again

x waterbabe

Hi Waterbabe,   Yes strandard treatment is 2 years, I think boys can be longer.  The proptocol for treatment will depend on the results showing the strain of Leukeamia your friends son has so its a bit early to say . The parents will then be given. hopefully in hardcopy, the treatment plan he will be on.  The aim of the first few weeks is to obtain remission, the remainder of the the treatment is to ensure it does not return, which it will if treatment is not continued.

They are lots of blood tests to check the Leukeamia cells are reducing, which can be difficult in a six year old. Once a line is put in for the the taking of blood and administrations of chemo things become a lot easier.

It is likely that treatment will require some overnight stay for the intensive rounds of chemo and many day paitient visits. Its really humbleing and uplifting to see how children carry on, playing as normal as poss -  with trips attached and treatment in-between games.  When in bed we found that colouring,  jigsaws etc were good, a big diary (its a very steep learning curve),  and a good book for Mum!  Childrens wards are happy sup ported places and generally upbeat, little brother should be made welcome and  be reassureing that the hosp is helping big  brother get better and there are toys!  He can maybe also have his only adventure staying in a different bed some nights  at a friends if needs be?  Its not very easy for siblings to understand why lots of attention is being given to one child and I think they can feel side-lined. 

I hope things are going o.k. and your friends holding up, its good that she has you, caring and supportting, it will be a great help.

How are you doing?  This is a shock for you also. Just wondering are you in the U.K. or just up early? 

take care, gardenlady.

Hi gardenlady,

I'm in NZ so more likely up late rather than up early . Thanks for your response. I'll let Helen know. I burst into tears when I found out, it was quite a shock for me and he's not even my son. I can only imagine just how much they must be reeling from the shock of it all. And trying to absorb as much information as they can about it so that they can support Ethan and make educated decisions. Chemo starts for him tomorrow - he's already completely fed up from the tests.

Thanks heaps for your reply, it means a lot.

x waterbabe

Hi Waterbabe,

Sorry to hear that you have had to join our club - but there is lots of lovely support here.

We have a toddler with leukaemia - but he has the myeloid type (AML) and this will partly drive how long the treatment is.  Here in the UK I believe that lymphoblastic leukaemia ALL is generally three years of treatment for boys (2 years for girls) - but once the child is in remission, there is alot of time at home.  With AML the treatment is short but sharp - five or so cycles of heavy duty chemo and we spent most of 8 months as an in-patient in hospital, but this is longer than normal as he took so long to recover from his first cycle.

So one you know the specific type of leukaemia he has - you will have a treatment plan and can start to plan your lives a bit better around this.The first goal will be getting him into remission and at least with leukaemia, you will know quite quickly - generally withing 3 to 4 weeks or so whether it is working as the bone marrow will show a decline in the leukaemia cells.

  Best wishes Dalton (Joanne)

Hi Waterbabe

Thanks for your posting.I was sorry to hear that your friend¿s son has been diagnosed with leukaemia and can appreciate your need for further information.

Childhood leukaemia is a fast-growing disease and it is very important to receive effective treatment as soon as possible after diagnosis. Fortunately, most children respond very well to treatment and survival rates are generally very high. You can read our information on leukaemia  here.

Another reliable cancer charity Macmillan Cancer Support has some information on the most common type of childhood leukaemia here.

Generally, the treatment may last up to three years depending on the type of leukaemia he has, but a lot of this time will be spent at home. Once your friend¿s son has completed all his tests, the hospital will discuss the treatment protocol with her, and she will have a much better idea about what to expect.

People often want to know if there is anything more they can do to help. Everyone is different in this, but we know that  talking and listening  and offering help when you can with chores, shopping or babysitting is generally what  people seem to find most useful.

I hope this helps.

Take Care

Celene

Hi Waterbabe,

I have just discovered Cancer Chat myself, after recently being diagnosed with lung cancer. I just wanted to let you know that I too am a survivor of ALL, I was diagnosed when I had just turned 16 in September 1984. I have 4 brothers, one of them was a bone marrow match and I underwent a bone marrow transplant in March 1985. I was back at school later that year, thanks to fantastic doctors & nurses at St James's Hospital in Leeds and amazing support from family and friends. Obviously every patient is different and all this happened 28 years ago but I have enjoyed good health for many years. Having just started chemotherapy for something else, I have been very impressed by the anti-sickness meds this time around, I certainly felt the side effects all those years ago. I remember seeing young children around the ward where I was and it is heart breaking to think how they must be wondering what is going on. But the younger you are, the more resilient you are and the better the odds of successful treatment. I even have a son of my own now who is 10, who doctors told me I would never have and, despite this being well before they were able to do such wonderful things to help cancer patients preserve their fertility, I was able to conceive unaided after rather a wait.

Anyway, all the very best to you, lots of love and, although I am a bit of an 'old timer' when it comes to how long ago it was when I was diagnosed, if you ever need to ask me any questions, please don't hesitate,

Mozzarella xx

Being diagnosed with cancer is the hardest thing ever, for that person and more so the ones who are around them. Openly, I am fighting acute myeloid leukaemia, which i was in a matter of fact firstly diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia, but the results came back reading it was far more progressed. I also have a hole in my heart, and if I didn't have the hole in my heart, the things I have had to endure the things my mum and dad as well as everyone else who love and care for me have had to watch me go through, wouldnt be as bad. I found out I had the hole in my heart when my line wasn't working properly. Living with cancer is big roller coaster, sometimes it goes up, but others it goes down. I have been fighting cancer for 2 years now. And what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger is a quote I use more than often. I was near to my coffin before I was diagnosed, and now I am hopefully getting the qualifications I need to have to be some kind of nurse, if that is allowed. I always say, that cancer begins with the word can because it can be beaten.

Hi Kate,  I do like your attitude especially having so much treatment.  I watched and lived 2 years treatment with my daughter between the ages of 10 and 12 years.   As you say, such a roll-a-coaster and it does make all involved stronger. You also discover what is important in life. My daughter, while too ill to be out of bed and spending days at time in hospital, found she was very good at Art, something she had not explored as she was allways busy with, football, dancing, cycleling etc.  We as a family, because of time constraints of treatment, got rid of the trivia, we also found out who our true friends were!

My daughter managed uni despite missing about a year and a half of school, we are so proud of her and her sister.  I do wish you well with your ambitions,  take care, gardenlady.