We're grateful that things went smoothly this week in the harvesting of my Sister's Bone Marrow and the infusion of the Stem Cells to me.
The minimum number of cells for a transplant is 2.0 (some unit in the 1,000's) but they like to have 5 just for the extra numbers. They were able to give me 2.8 on Wednesday and 3.7 on Thursday so I should have a sufficient number for them to take over producing all my future cells.
Since my blood count numbers are low and will continue to drop from the recent Chemo, I'm in Isolation for several days until her Marrow kicks in to raise the numbers and my ability to fight off infections. (Usually 10 days or so but every individual is different)
They will be monitoring me closely for anti-rejections as well as combating any fever, infections, etc.
Hopefully all will continue to go smoothly/successfully and I'll be able to be home again before July 15th. :-)
We're grateful that so many things have come together to have this much of the adventure behind us and look forward to finishing the regimen and to good days ahead.
Thanks for your thoughts, prayers and encouragement.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Saturday, 6/23/07 Bone Marrow Transplant Process Has Begun
I feel that the Transplant process has now really started with my sister arriving in Indy Friday and with the harvest of initial "T-Cells" that will be frozen and used as possible future booster injections, if needed, to maintain her minimum 95 to 5% ration in my future blood make-up.
It was a pretty grueling day for her primarily due to a back up and delay at the Heart Institute in installing a Fistula cather in her chest The Fistula is similar to the Hickman devise I had installed Monday but with larger diameter ports to handle larger amounts of blood for the dialysis type harvesting to begin on Wednesday.
She will be getting daily injections of Neupogen to increase her production of white cells between now and Wednesday
I entered the Oncology Unit at 7:00 Tuesday AM to begin receiving an IV's to supress/reduce my own Blood Marrow making room for her Transplant materials and to aid in Anti-Rejection.
It was my 1st time that I've experienced EITHER vomiting OR chills from any of the prior dosages of Chemo but encountered BOTH with the initial Campath IV. They were able to get them under control in short order with Demerol and fortunately I've have had no further reactions during the week.
I'm also on a additional Fludara Chemo treatment for 3 more days, Melphalan Chemo for 1 day with rest on Tuesday before the harvesting and transplant scheduled on Wednesday, 6/27. I'll begin taking Cyclosporine, an Anti-Rejection infusion, which will continue in pill form for an extended time even after I get home.
With my blood counts suppressed prior to the Transplant, and the fact it takes the Donor's Bone Marrow several days to rebuild, I'll probably be at the lowest level and will be in Isolation for 10 days or so until the blood counts increase again. (Time varies with each individual and situation).
So they've prepared me there may be some 'rocky road' during the process.
Hopefully all will go smoothly/successfully and I'll be able to be home again before July 15th. :-)
Lots of future out patient monitoring will follow for several weeks after the Transplant.
Thanks for continuing to keep us in your thoughts and prayers
It was a pretty grueling day for her primarily due to a back up and delay at the Heart Institute in installing a Fistula cather in her chest The Fistula is similar to the Hickman devise I had installed Monday but with larger diameter ports to handle larger amounts of blood for the dialysis type harvesting to begin on Wednesday.
She will be getting daily injections of Neupogen to increase her production of white cells between now and Wednesday
I entered the Oncology Unit at 7:00 Tuesday AM to begin receiving an IV's to supress/reduce my own Blood Marrow making room for her Transplant materials and to aid in Anti-Rejection.
It was my 1st time that I've experienced EITHER vomiting OR chills from any of the prior dosages of Chemo but encountered BOTH with the initial Campath IV. They were able to get them under control in short order with Demerol and fortunately I've have had no further reactions during the week.
I'm also on a additional Fludara Chemo treatment for 3 more days, Melphalan Chemo for 1 day with rest on Tuesday before the harvesting and transplant scheduled on Wednesday, 6/27. I'll begin taking Cyclosporine, an Anti-Rejection infusion, which will continue in pill form for an extended time even after I get home.
With my blood counts suppressed prior to the Transplant, and the fact it takes the Donor's Bone Marrow several days to rebuild, I'll probably be at the lowest level and will be in Isolation for 10 days or so until the blood counts increase again. (Time varies with each individual and situation).
So they've prepared me there may be some 'rocky road' during the process.
Hopefully all will go smoothly/successfully and I'll be able to be home again before July 15th. :-)
Lots of future out patient monitoring will follow for several weeks after the Transplant.
Thanks for continuing to keep us in your thoughts and prayers
Friday, June 15, 2007
Friday, 6/15/07--Medical exams Preliminarily OK'd to begin Bone Marrow Transplant
This has been a week for my sister and I to have some pretty complete physical exams to make sure each of us can go through our respective Bone Marrow Transplant procedures.
Nancy and her husband, Albert, left Corydon in Southern Indiana at 5:00 AM on Monday for an 8:00 AM appointment at St. Vincent's Oncology Out Patient Unit for extensive blood work and an EKG. They met with another Blood Marrow Doctor at 3:00 PM for a thorough physical.
I met them in the Oncology Out Patient Unit on Monday for the same tests and then had chest, sinus and teeth X-rays. I also had a Muga Heart Scan with a radioactive substance injected into the arm that measures the heart pumping capacity more accurately than a echocardiogram. Apparently some of the Chemo I'll receive prior to receiving the Transplant is more toxic than I've had before and it is necessary to monitor my heart more closely.
Tuesday, I had a Pulmonary breathing test that took almost 2 hours, returned the urine sample that was collected during the previous 24 hours and did the paper work so that I can be automatically checked into the Oncology unit on Tuesday, June 19th at 7:00 AM.
Nancy & I felt pretty confident that we were both in good physical shape and had high hopes that there would be no glitches from any of the medical tests.
However we received a call from Amy, the Bone Marrow Transplant Coordinator, on Wednesday afternoon that the EKG results on BOTH of us showed some abnormalities and it looked like the Transplant process would probably have to be delayed until each of us had been seen and cleared by a Cardiologist.
The good news is that Amy was quick and thorough in making arrangements for my sister to be able to see a Cardiologist in New Albany (without having to drive back to Indianapolis for Thursday afternoon)---her 2nd EKG also showed an irregularity.
Fortunately she was able to schedule other heart tests on Friday that indicates that she should be OK to proceed as a Blood Marrow donor.
Amy scheduled a Friday morning appointment with a Cardiologist for me and my 2nd EKG also showed some kind of abnormality. Fortunately they were able to schedule a Stress-Echo exam that confirmed that everything was OK for me to also proceed with the Transplant process.
So as it stands now, I'll begin the process on Monday, June 18th by having a Hickman catheter installed as an out patient. If nothing changes, I'll return to the Oncology Unit at 7:00 AM Tuesday for 8 days of anti-rejection medications and further Chemo preparing for the Transplant on about June 27th or 28th. (Nancy will return to Indy on Friday 6/22/07 to begin getting injections to produce more white cells & blood marrow with harvesting to begin on Wednesday, 6/27/07)
They project another 10-17 days of hospitalization monitoring for possible rejections and for my blood count numbers to return with my sister's new Bone Marrow.
As Paul Harvey might say: "That's the story of Bob's Acute Leukemia treatment up to now" .
Thanks for continuing to pray for my sister, Nancy, Sharon & I as we go through the next procedures.
P.S. After Sharon's garage sale, several trips to Goodwill & lots of extra stuff for the trash service, we do seem to have more shelving space. :-)
Nancy and her husband, Albert, left Corydon in Southern Indiana at 5:00 AM on Monday for an 8:00 AM appointment at St. Vincent's Oncology Out Patient Unit for extensive blood work and an EKG. They met with another Blood Marrow Doctor at 3:00 PM for a thorough physical.
I met them in the Oncology Out Patient Unit on Monday for the same tests and then had chest, sinus and teeth X-rays. I also had a Muga Heart Scan with a radioactive substance injected into the arm that measures the heart pumping capacity more accurately than a echocardiogram. Apparently some of the Chemo I'll receive prior to receiving the Transplant is more toxic than I've had before and it is necessary to monitor my heart more closely.
Tuesday, I had a Pulmonary breathing test that took almost 2 hours, returned the urine sample that was collected during the previous 24 hours and did the paper work so that I can be automatically checked into the Oncology unit on Tuesday, June 19th at 7:00 AM.
Nancy & I felt pretty confident that we were both in good physical shape and had high hopes that there would be no glitches from any of the medical tests.
However we received a call from Amy, the Bone Marrow Transplant Coordinator, on Wednesday afternoon that the EKG results on BOTH of us showed some abnormalities and it looked like the Transplant process would probably have to be delayed until each of us had been seen and cleared by a Cardiologist.
The good news is that Amy was quick and thorough in making arrangements for my sister to be able to see a Cardiologist in New Albany (without having to drive back to Indianapolis for Thursday afternoon)---her 2nd EKG also showed an irregularity.
Fortunately she was able to schedule other heart tests on Friday that indicates that she should be OK to proceed as a Blood Marrow donor.
Amy scheduled a Friday morning appointment with a Cardiologist for me and my 2nd EKG also showed some kind of abnormality. Fortunately they were able to schedule a Stress-Echo exam that confirmed that everything was OK for me to also proceed with the Transplant process.
So as it stands now, I'll begin the process on Monday, June 18th by having a Hickman catheter installed as an out patient. If nothing changes, I'll return to the Oncology Unit at 7:00 AM Tuesday for 8 days of anti-rejection medications and further Chemo preparing for the Transplant on about June 27th or 28th. (Nancy will return to Indy on Friday 6/22/07 to begin getting injections to produce more white cells & blood marrow with harvesting to begin on Wednesday, 6/27/07)
They project another 10-17 days of hospitalization monitoring for possible rejections and for my blood count numbers to return with my sister's new Bone Marrow.
As Paul Harvey might say: "That's the story of Bob's Acute Leukemia treatment up to now" .
Thanks for continuing to pray for my sister, Nancy, Sharon & I as we go through the next procedures.
P.S. After Sharon's garage sale, several trips to Goodwill & lots of extra stuff for the trash service, we do seem to have more shelving space. :-)
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Saturday, 6-9-07-Proceeding with Add'l Tests for Bone Marrow Transplant
The results of Tuesday's Bone Marrow Biopsy indicated that I am currently in remission.
I kiddingly asked Dr. Birhiray, the Bone Marrow Specialist, if that meant that I was cured and we could suspend further treatment?
He said I was ''pulling his leg" in that it meant that we could now 'forge ahead' toward a hopeful total cure with a Bone Marrow Transplant with my sister, Nancy who is a near 'perfect match'.
But only after lots of further testing to make sure that the timing and physical condition of both my sister and myself are up to the actual procedure.
We both are meeting at the Hospital Oncology Out Patient facility 8:00 AM on Monday 6-11-07 for further extensive blood testing.
She will be meeting with another Doctor for a complete physical on Monday afternoon before heading back South to her home in Corydon, IN.
I have appointments on Monday for an extensive heart scan and X-rays of my chest, sinus and teeth.
On Tuesday, I have an appointment for an extensive breathing test, hospital papers to complete for a hopeful hospital self admission to the Transplant Unit at 7:00 AM on Tuesday, June 19th. (There is an 8 day period that I'll receive anti-rejection drugs and additional chemo in preparation & prior to receiving my sister's Bone Marrow.
If everything continues to check out OK, my sister will be back in Indy on Friday, June 22nd to begin her preparation for Bone Marrow harvesting with the actual Transplant occurring on Wednesday, June 27 and Thursday June 28
.
They anticipate that I'll be in the hospital for 10-17 days after the Transplant as they daily monitor possible rejections, infections, etc. (a portion of the time in total isolation).
After release from the hospital, monitoring will be done on a diminishing basis as an Out Patient for another 90 days.
We've seen lots of positive things come together to make this next step possible but there's lots of items to all come together for a completely successful Transplant.
Appreciate your keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.
P.S. It was great to be home and have Steve's family from Alabama with us during the week of my birthday, our 50th wedding anniversary and Sharon's big garage sale. (got rid of 'lots of our stuff' that should expand our closet space). :-)
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I kiddingly asked Dr. Birhiray, the Bone Marrow Specialist, if that meant that I was cured and we could suspend further treatment?
He said I was ''pulling his leg" in that it meant that we could now 'forge ahead' toward a hopeful total cure with a Bone Marrow Transplant with my sister, Nancy who is a near 'perfect match'.
But only after lots of further testing to make sure that the timing and physical condition of both my sister and myself are up to the actual procedure.
We both are meeting at the Hospital Oncology Out Patient facility 8:00 AM on Monday 6-11-07 for further extensive blood testing.
She will be meeting with another Doctor for a complete physical on Monday afternoon before heading back South to her home in Corydon, IN.
I have appointments on Monday for an extensive heart scan and X-rays of my chest, sinus and teeth.
On Tuesday, I have an appointment for an extensive breathing test, hospital papers to complete for a hopeful hospital self admission to the Transplant Unit at 7:00 AM on Tuesday, June 19th. (There is an 8 day period that I'll receive anti-rejection drugs and additional chemo in preparation & prior to receiving my sister's Bone Marrow.
If everything continues to check out OK, my sister will be back in Indy on Friday, June 22nd to begin her preparation for Bone Marrow harvesting with the actual Transplant occurring on Wednesday, June 27 and Thursday June 28
.
They anticipate that I'll be in the hospital for 10-17 days after the Transplant as they daily monitor possible rejections, infections, etc. (a portion of the time in total isolation).
After release from the hospital, monitoring will be done on a diminishing basis as an Out Patient for another 90 days.
We've seen lots of positive things come together to make this next step possible but there's lots of items to all come together for a completely successful Transplant.
Appreciate your keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.
P.S. It was great to be home and have Steve's family from Alabama with us during the week of my birthday, our 50th wedding anniversary and Sharon's big garage sale. (got rid of 'lots of our stuff' that should expand our closet space). :-)
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