Friday, May 18

No post since Wednesday.. and I know everyone has been looking and waiting. This will be a long one.. and I will do my best to try to get all the information correct and explain it as easily as I can.

Kerrie had a new Pic line installed in her arm today, so that she would have more ports available for her IV’s. They kept having to put in perifial IV’s ( what I call normal IV’s) in her arms and hand, and her veins just can’t take this. So.. another Pic line with more access ports.

Although there are still more “finalized” reports to come for the Bone Marrow Biopsy, the initial reports show their is no sign of Leukemia cells. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the biopsy shows there are Myeloidisplatic cells.. this was the original blood cancer Kerrie was diagnosed with and was her original need for a bone marrow transplant. The original transplant had to be postponed, because she had progressed to AML and she had to be brought into remission first. Right now they do not now how many of the the bone marrow cells are hers.. and how many are mine. This is still one of the things they will need to determine with the finalized tests.

She had been taking Prograf, to keep her (my) immune system repressed… so that it could “grow” nice and slowly and give my immune system time to adjust to her body.. and not want to fight off her entire body. She is now being taken completely off the Prograf, so my cells can be given an opportunity to take over and fight off the Myeloidisplastic cells. This will put Kerrie at great risk for GVHD.

For anyone who doesn’t remember, GVHD ( Graft Vs. Host Disease) is when the new immune system tries to fight off the “host” body… essentially attacking the liver, kindeys, gall bladder… major organs. The GVHD could be very severe… but maybe not. It all depends on how much of  “her” has converted to “me” already.. if that makes any sense?

Within the next week, or so, they will determine whether her cells are “more Jenn” or “more Kerrie” and if “Kerrie” is winning this fight they will attempt another bone marrow transplant. There will be no chemo with this transplant. Kerrie couldn’t withstand it.. and in her words to Mom and Dr. Jana “I’m not starting all over again.” I’m a little “iffy” on how they can do another transplant without using chemo, and knocking out all her bad cells, but that’s what they say they will do if they have to.

At this point, it doesn’t look like I will need to donate again. As someone once told me, I’m an over acheiver, and I gave enough cells the first time for an almost complete second transplant. If I need to.. I am ready, but their plan is to go down into the Henry Ford Basement and get the “Jenn Popsicle” out of the freezer.  This will only be done if it is determined that my cells are not the primary cells right now.

Infectious Disease is discussing the Biopsy on her face with the BMT Team. The hope is that they will be able to do this through the sinuses, but they believe they may need to go through the brain. This would involve another craniotomy. With her platellets so low, she’s a high bleed risk so we don’t know what will happen right now.

Kerrie has stated that “whatever needs to be done.. be done..” but if they feel it has to be done through a craniotomy I think there will be more discussion on this first.

I was supposed to head home tonight, and then back to Ohio tomorrow night, but was not able to make it home.  As Kerrie was telling me it was OK that I not come in, even though it would mean two weeks before I would have another chance, I was in tears.. but she just kept trying to make ME feel better..

“Jenn, we’ll think about you every day… talk about you every day… you can talk to me every day… I have two weeks.. I can wait two weeks…I’ll be here in two weeks..  ”

I swear to you Kerrie.. I will make it home before then.

Please, please, please.. pray for my sister, my Mom, my Dad, my brother.. and me.

Kerrie is the most giving, loving, wonderful person in the world. She has never done anyone harm and has always looked out for other people. She doesn’t deserve any of this….

None of us do.