Countdown to Day-Zero!

We met with the transplant team again, this past Wednesday, and Kerrie and I underwent more tests.

After meeting with her Dentist, and OB-GYN, to ensure there are no other problems that need to be addressed, she will meet with the transplant team again this upcoming Monday. At that time she’ll undergo more testing and, if all goes well and no other infections materialize in the near future, we are looking at the following schedule for our Countdown to Day- Zero ( this is what they call the actual day Kerrie will receive the transplant).

Beginning approximately August 6th, Kerrie will start taking medication that will prevent her from having seizures from the chemo. I can’t remember the name of the actual drug, but perhaps Mom will chime in later with all the technical names… Something in the drugs Kerrie will be given during her Chemo may cause seizures, so she needs to have another drug built up in her system that will prevent this. Kerrie will check in to the hospital on Sunday, August 13th and will have a catheter installed in her chest. Chemo will begin on Monday, August 14th

On Thursday, August 17th, I will begin receiving two shots a day that will cause my body to produce more bone marrow ( again.. can’t remember the name of the drug… but I am sure Mom will come the rescue on this one too). By Saturday, August 19th these shots should make me feel sick, my bones will ache and I will be very cranky ( hmm.. my normal self?) Because the person who would normally administer these shots will not be working on Saturday and Sunday, MY MOTHER will have the great pleasure of administering these shots. I am sure years of frustration, from having to deal with me as a daughter, will not come in to play and she will do this in the most professional manner, as she would any of her patients.. or perhaps she will just “Point and shoot” to get back at me for pain in the neck I was growing up!

DAY- ZERO !!! – On Monday, August 21st, I will report to the hospital and we will begin the process of withdrawing the stem cells from my blood. The doctors agree that my veins are somewhat small for this procedure, so it looks like they will do this by inserting a catheter in the groin. Isabella, one of Kerrie’s doctors, has been GREAT about my fear of needles and has assured me I will be able to relax and sleep through most of this procedure (with the help of drugs of course).

Between August 13th and August 21st, Kerrie will have been receiving daily doses of Chemo to kill off all the cancerous blood cells/bone marrow and will be completely without an immune system by Monday, August 21st.

Kerrie and I will be in rooms near each other and as the blood stem cells are taken from me they will be “walked down the hall” and given directly to her through an IV.

The entire process should take between 4 -5 hours. If enough stem-cells were not obtained on that day the process will be repeated again on Tuesday, August 22nd.

Kerrie will then have 2-3 weeks time, in the hospital, where we will wait to see if the process worked and she begins to build a new immune system.

There is a lot that needs to happen between now and then and a lot that will need to be done before Kerrie’s returns home ( not only at the hospital.. but to the house as well).

We’ll be sure to keep you updated as we get closer to Day-Zero and beyond!

Jenn