Weekend Update
Mood:  special
Now Playing: Bone Marrow Transplant
Topic: Update
They started putting the stem cells from Warren into Dad on Friday night and finished up on Saturday. Not much to now except wait. The mix of anti-rejection drugs, chemo and radiation usually takes its toll on recipients, but so far the doctors are optimistically surprised at Dad's lack of major side-effects and told him that, barring any set-backs, he could be released sooner rather than later. The nurses told him the record for shortest stay was 3 weeks - I think he's out to break it!

He's got a bit of reflux, tight abdomen, a lack of appetite and less energy, but said he didn't feel any different after the transplant. Kelly and Verna kidded him a bit, saying that he's starting to look, talk and act more like his twin brother...

The next few days should be uneventful, we hope. The biggest challenges with a BMT are outright rejection, Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD), and infections. We've been told that GVHD symptoms wouldn't appear for 7-10 days. Rejection could happen anytime up to 30 days. Infections could happen any time, but they are taking precautions and seem to know what they are doing. No straight-razors to shave with, only soft bristled toothbrushes, and no flossing are only a few the the precautions on the list.

What happens when they "suppress" the immune system for a BMT is that the three components of a person's blood all drop to dangerous levels. The white blood cells (which fight infection) are virtually non-existent, opening the chance of a minor cold turning into untreatable pneumonia. The platelets (which provide clotting) aren't able to do their job, so even an unnoticed mouth scratch could go undetected and cause a patient to bleed out internally. The red blood cells (which bring oxygen and nutrients throughout the body) are even hampered in their ability, so the nurses closely monitor every aspect of vital signs and blood hematology.

Leukemia is a cancer that affects a person's bone marrow from making the correct components in their blood, and the hope is that Dad's body will accept Warren's bone-marrow/stem-cell transfusion and these new cells will take hold in Dad's bone marrow, kick out the bad Leukemia cells, and start producing the correct blood components.

He's keeping a daily journal of his stay there, writing a bit in it each night. His penmanship has gotten sloppier as the days progress, but not sure if that's from lack of enthusiasm, needing new bifocals, or some other physical side-effect.

The girls and I visited him this afternoon. We scrubbed up, disinfected, checked in at the nurses station, put on masks, gloves, and gowns. It was slightly comical, but necessary as Dad's immune system is at its absolute lowest for the next week or so. He seems fine, almost jovial, given he's been confined to one room for 10 days. I can tell he's tired, but appreciated the visit.

Remember, if you do plan to visit him within the next couple of weeks, call ahead to the nurses station to get pre-approval. And if you try calling him and don't get an answer, he's either in the bathroom or trying to rest.

Or he's hooked up with the strolling hall-walker from Merit Care and they've escaped together, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's's Nest-style...