The Last Few Days

Kepi here…

The last few days have been rough going for Karen.  The effects of the ATG have started to kick in, night-sweats, hives, nausea, lack of energy and the occasional fever.  I have been monitoring Karen's temperature and making sure she is well hydrated and is eating.

Yesterday was her full-body irradiation.  This was done, basically, to prepare her bones to receive the new bone marrow.  The Radiation Tech said that she wouldn't feel anything, but I swear that she did.  She could feel the radiation going through her and tracking along her body.  She had a couple reactions to this treatment, more nausea and what she said felt like a sunburn.

Tomorrow is transplant day, day zero.  This has been a long awaited day and we are anxious and a little scared to proceed.  We know the transplant has been what we have been waiting for and looking forward to, but now that it is here, it has really become reality.

The bone marrow will be done via her Hickman port in IPOP (Inpatient/Outpatient) and should take about 4-hours.  We just want to take a quick moment want to say again how thankful we are for her donor, though we don't know who he/she - he/she is a God-sent.

Post-transplant we will have a couple days of rest, where we will go to IPOP for routine blood tests, these are days 1 & 2.  They will provide Karen with platelets, blood and whatever else she needs during that time depending on what her blood counts are and any reactions she has to receiving her new bone marrow. On day 3 & 4 she will receive more chemo to help her new bone marrow become engrafted.