Transplant Date and Tentative Schedule

Charmaine is still feeling very good and enjoying her time at home getting prepared for her Stem Cell Transplant! She is ready to git-r-done, but dad is starting to get a little nervous and anxious...and as he says...this is normal. Of course we have been told by many people what to expect and what all could happen, but we know that everyone reacts to their transplants differently..so we are going into this part of the journey with a positive attitude and we have faith that she's going to be just fine!

Here is the schedule we are expecting:

Aug 25...Another picc line will be added to the 2 she already has because they need more ports to access for the transplant.

Aug 26...She will arrive at 6am to start her countdown week of "Conditioning" which are days -5 to -1 and will prepare her body for the new cells. She will have 3 days of full-body radiation twice a day, then 2 days of high-dose chemotherapy. The side effects from these could be nausea, vomitting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and possible skin irritations like a sunburn. She will also begin taking the immune suppressant meds to prevent rejection of the new cells (GVHD or Graft vs. Host Disease). Please pray that her side effects won't be severe.

Sept 1...This is called Day 0, and is the day she will receive the new stem cells! It will be like getting a bag of blood through an IV. She will then have an additional 2 days of more chemotherapy.

By the end of conditioning and into the first week of the transplant, her white blood cells (WBC) will disappear as well as her platelets and bone marrow, all to be replaced by the new cells when they start growing. When the new cells start growing it is called "engraftment" and this must happen before she can leave the hospital. She will probably be in the hospital for 3 to 4 weeks or until her WBC and platelets rise to the level the doctors require. During this time, her immune system will be non-existant so her environment and the food she eats will have to be extremely germ-free and almost sterile. The 8th floor at Emory is very effective at keeping everything protected and sterile. She will not be able to have visitors for quite a while, but please send her cards if you wish. She's been told how important it is for her to try to exercise everyday to retain her strength...from walking laps to just sitting up depending on how she feels!

Please pray that Charmaine will stay strong both mentally and physically throughout this whole process, and that her body will not reject the new stem cells. Also pray for her donor that he will remain safe and healthy, and that he will be blessed and rewarded for this selfless gift of life he's giving Charmaine.

Thank you all for everything you are doing for our family!

We will keep you updated.

Stefanie