Tomorrow is "Day Zero"

Hi, folks.

First off, some details for today. Kristina now has an answering machine, so the vast power of the internet has demonstrated itself again. Also, as a reminder, she is in room #8214 and would love visitors. Call ahead to be sure it’s a good time; the phone number there is 206-598-3906.

Fundraiser Shaping Up

Plans are coming together nicely for a fundraiser concert in Seattle on Dec. 19. It will be at the Tractor Tavern in Ballard, with bands and a raffle and lots of fun and friends. Doors open at 8 p.m., and we’ll have more details and a flyer soon. Oh, and it’s being called Kristina’s Bone Marrow Bash.

And speaking of that whole fundraising thing, please take a moment right now and make a donation to her Transplant Fund. Lots of bills to pay.

Transplant Time

Well, Kristina is done with chemotherapy, and tomorrow is “Day Zero.” That means that tomorrow Kristina gets her bone marrow transplant. She told me today it’s actually something of a “non-event.” Basically, they put some material into her IV, and over the course of an hour it enters her body via a catheter in her chest. She might experience a little fatigue and some aches, but that’s it.

It’s more rightly called a Stem Cell Transfusion, since they no longer actually transplant bone marrow. The stem cells from her anonymous donor will be flown into Seattle tomorrow, checked out in a couple of labs, and then given to her, probably tomorrow evening.

What Then?

Then we wait for something called engrafment; this is when the stem cells from the donor make their way into Kristina’s bone marrow and start making blood cells. Typically, this takes 10 to 14 days, during which time Kristina will probably experience something called mucousitis, which is inflammation of the mucous membranes, both in the mouth and intestine.

The bigger potential problem during this time is Graft-Versus-Host-Disease (GVHD). I looked this up on the Web, and I found this page at Marrow.org, which is loaded with information. Here’s their quick definition: “In GVHD, the immune cells from the donated marrow or cord blood (the graft) attack the body of the transplant patient (the host). GVHD can affect many different parts of the body. The skin, eyes, stomach and intestines are affected most often. GVHD can range from mild to life-threatening.”

There are also possible kidney, liver, and eyesight complications – clearly, this is why she’s in the hospital and needs so much caregiving to recover when she gets out.

Latest Numbers

Her blood numbers are going down (as they’re supposed to), but not much. She tells me it’s a delayed reaction to the chemo. Last time around she didn’t get really sick for a couple of weeks after the chemo, but this time she expects it within the week.

Here are the numbers for Sunday and Monday:

Sunday: WBC 3.16, HCT 31, ANC 2.52, PLT 67

Monday: WBC 3.65, HCT 29, ANC 3.23, PLT 65

She’s still doing laps around the ward and would still love some visitors – just call ahead.