Hello Everyone!
I ended my last post advising I would relay the actual stem cell transplant in in my next entry so here it goes...
To remind you, the last step pre-transplant is the BEAM chemo that kills off my stem cells and bone marrow - once this is complete we are on to 'DAY ZERO'.
This is a most fantastic day - in the SCT world it is called my Re-Birthday! (yeah! Cake and Balloons for everyone!). On Day 0 (zero) I am re-infused with my previously frozen (and now mostly thawed) stem cells via an IV process. The stem cells "know" where they belong in the body. They move through my bloodstream to settle in my bones. This is where the cells will begin to grow and produce new red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. This is called engraftment.
The transplant process (not full engraftment, just the infusion) takes about a day and the next day I am a new person! (Haha) I am discharged on Day 1 and sent home for what is normally scheduled to be the weekend to rest. This part came as an enormous surprise to me! All my readings had indicated a period of isolation but if all goes well that is not the case! THAT really knocked my socks off -the thought of being isolated from my son was devastating but now it is not an inevitability. We are pulling Hayden from daycare to keep him as germ free as possible to mitigate any risks.
Now here is the tricky part - as I said I am able to go home on Day +1. The way Dr. Fraser has explained it to me is the big milestone date is Day +21.
Starting Day +3 I have to go to the hospital every day for blood work, perhaps transfusions and various follow ups and tests. Between Day +1 and Day +21 my doc advises that it is most likely a when and not an if that I will have to be admitted to the hospital. Some example reasons are fever/infection, IV pain medications due to GI tract infections, dehydration, etc. The determination of how long I will be hospitalized is when, on the way to Day +21, I land in the hospital. For example, if I end up in the hospital on Day +1, then I am there for the next 20 days but if I make it to Day +18 then I am only in the hospital for 3 days (barring anything crazy-major). So you can tell by my examples that once I am admitted to hospital they will not let me out until Day +21 - those are da' rules.
And what happens after day +21? It takes about six to 12 months after the actual transplant for recovery. Recovery? But you're cured? All better right? Well, yes & no. Hopefully and god willing I am cured but my physical being will be somewhat of an exhausted, depleted, immune deficient (but happy!) disaster as I recover my energy and health bit by bit. I am told to look for fantastic milestones like getting to and from the bathroom without 8 or more rests on the floor in between...or getting down the stairs without sitting down on each one, then every other one, than every 5th one...
All that being said (and with a knock on some real wood) I am made of pretty hearty stuff so I plan to meet each challenge with determination and success!
On another note, keeping to part 1 of my Plan -the 'Protect what I Have' bullet point (as the chemo's pre-SCT are unkind re: reproduction). After a couple of weeks of treatments on an ASAP basis yesterday, the 20th, we were successful in creating two potential embryos for the future. Not as good as the 6 anticipated but better than zero. Who's to say what will happen with my/our future but for now there are two small (very small) hopes that I can think about. Nice to know.
Currently, it has been a week since I had my hospital appt; "the meet & greet". Since then I have been waiting for them to book my new CT scans so they can have a proper baseline to compare against as I go through treatment to determine relative success. I am still WAITING for that scan appt to be booked. Once it is, a few days later, we should get this SHOW ON THE ROAD!
As I always say to Hayden - 'Let's Rock n' Roll Kiddo'.
With thanks to those reading this in support of me-
Carey
4 years ago
