January 22, 2007

Well this was to be the day I was to be admitted to OHSU to start my conditioning for the transplant. However, due to some logistics and donor size, I will be going in this Friday, January 26th, instead of today. However, the scheduled transplant date is only 1+ days later than previously scheduled.

The donor is a smaller female so my larger than normal size will require two consecutive days of collection of stem cells from her, instead of one day. Also, she is European and lives in an area where there are no departing flights available except in the mornings. Instead of shipping the product (product is the official name of collected stem cells in a bag) immediately after collection, the product will be couriered out on the first flight the next morning.

Those schedule changes for the donor have caused changes in my preparation regime. Typically I would have had 4 days of TBI (total body irradiation) before having 2 days of Cyclophosphamide chemotherapy. After the chemotherapy I would have “rested” one day to allow the chemotherapy levels in my body to drop so that the new stem cells would not be damaged by the chemotherapy drug. TBI must be done on 4 consecutive week days and is not done on weekends.

If I were administered this regime, then the timing of my European donor would have required me to “rest” for 3 days before the product arrived. Resting with no live cells is not the best. By delaying the start of my regime and reversing the regime I will receive 2 days of chemotherapy over the weekend first, followed directly by TBI, followed directly by the transplant. The “rest” time for chemotherapy will happen during TBI and no rest time is required after TBI before receiving the product.

I know this is a long explanation of why my admission date has been changed. By giving you more detail I am hoping that your disappointment is kept at a minimum. The delay is actually a blessing in that it cuts my hospital stay by 3 days while only delaying the transplant by one. Now I can be home to celebrate Barbara’s birthday this Thursday.

Thanks again for your prayers and support. We are getting there. I know it feels like one step forward and two steps back. However, I believe it is in God’s perfect timing. Although His timing is perfect; it requires that He is control, not us. I don’t always like that but it is best. ONLY GOD