Here we are at "Day-Plus-Eighty", which leaves us twenty days left in the arbitrary one-hundred days. Jody's friend Linda just left. Her ten-day visit was a blessing to both of us. I was able to get away a couple of days; out on my own, even got in eighteen holes of golf (played lousy, but had a good time) and have a few beers at the club. It was good for both us, I am sure Jody was getting tired of me. She got to be scolded by her friend for doing things she is not supposed to do instead of me. (Not that Jody would ever try to do anything she is not supposed to do.) We ventured out for a lunch and a dinner. (The doctors told us we could, as long as we were careful and went at a slow time.)
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| Jody and Linda having a toast on the patio... |
I also want everyone to note... Jody is toasting Linda with a beer. She is no longer drinking her Seagram's and Soda. She now loves beer! Her favorite so far is a wheat beer, "Blue Moon". She has not gone to a dark beer or lager yet.
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| Jody and Linda... notice the garden |
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| Linda admiring Jody's new "doo"... |
She was complaining her head was getting cold, so Linda nuzzled Jody to her chest. Jody is known as her "Little Buddy". I think we can all agree...
Great News!
This past Friday we got the news... (I will get back to the news in a minute.) When Linda arrived on October the fifth, Jody and I had gone to the clinic for one of our scheduled twice-weekly visits. During the visit we were informed that Jody's HCT had dropped below twenty-five and that she needed to have a blood transfusion immediately. Linda was due to land one o'clock and it was just eleven-thirty so we decided to walk across the street to the hospital and get things started. I would then go the airport and pick Linda up and return with her to the hospital. After some confusion at the hospital, Jody and I finally ended up in the infusion center.
Linda called... I told her she should have a "bite-to-eat" at the airport, while I checked Jody in to the hospital for a blood transfusion. "OH NO!"
The last time Linda visited Jody was back in May. Jody had gone into the hospital (see week Four, Five and Six) and during her visit went into intensive care. "No worry, Linda... we have been expecting this for awhile... Jody's HCT had been low for several weeks." I slipped Jody a Xanax to keep her from going completely "Berkowitz" on the nurses (You all know this is totally out of character for Jody, she loves it when things do not happen the way they are supposed to. RIGHT?). The hospital was in transition... A long story short... On October one Rocky Mountain Bone Marrow merged their clinic with Presbyterian Saint Luke hospital. All of the transfusions were now being done at the hospital.... new records, new people, short staff, you name it, things were not going smooth.
Jody began to mellow out (brought on by the drugs I provided) and the nurse had begun the "cross-match" and "blood typing". I told Jody I would go and pick up Linda at the airport.
Linda and I arrived back at the hospital around four o'clock to find out Jody is still waiting for her blood to arrive. Our morning had begun about 4:30... We had to wake up and begin to warm her IV fluids (The IV fluid stays refrigerated until I hook her up. It usually takes a couple of hours to warm up.) The IV fluids had to be connected by seven o'clock in order for them to be done prior to our clinic visit, which was at eleven (they can not draw blood with her IV connected). Jody was grinning from ear-to-ear (I immediately thought she had gotten more drugs.). She announced to Linda and me that her blood type had changed. Jody's blood type had gone from O-Negative to AB-Positive (see Day Plus-One). Jody's blood type was O-Negative and her donors blood type was AB-Positive. Jody has changed to her donor's blood type. The hospital hematologist told us that if he had not known she had a transplant he would never have known she was O-Negative. " Stay with me now... this is not the BIG news..." In other words the hematologist saw no AB antigens in her blood.
The term Antigen comes from antibody generator the term refers to any molecule that can be bound by a major histocompatiblity complex and presented to a T-cell receptor. "Self" antigens are usually tolerated by the immune system; whereas "Non-self" antigens are identified as intruders and attacked by the immune system.Blah, blah, blah... In other words Jody's immune system is now her donors immune system and is no longer hers. The Infusion center was all a buzz. Jody finally was hooked up for infusion about five o'clock. The infusion typically takes five-hours. Jody, Linda, and I crawled into bed about eleven o'clock.
The following day (10/06) we needed to be back at the hospital by one-thirty for Jody bone marrow biopsy. Our morning began again around five o'clock, because of the IV fluids, etc.
Linda was allowed to observe the bone marrow biopsy with me... this was my third observation her first. Things went a little difficult this time for the Physician Assistant (Trudy). She had a difficult time getting enough aspirant (bone marrow) out of Jody's hip. It took her several tries to get enough sample for the doctors to analyze. Linda was beginning to squirm in her seat each time they went back in to try again. I am not sure Linda wants to watch again, but she did well. Jody came home pretty sore and stiff for a couple of days.
The rest of the week was pretty normal until Friday. We went to the clinic for our twice weekly appointments. This time we were scheduled to meet with her BMT team doctor, Dr. Mark Brunvand. We could see the excitement in his face as he entered the room. After exchanging pleasantries Dr. Brunvand announced to us the results of the bone marrow biopsy.
"This is the really BIG news we all have been waiting for..."
Jody has 100% engrafted her donor's stem cells into her marrow. She no longer has any of her own (defective) stem cells left in her... not 94%... not 97%... 100%. He went on to caution us... "I am telling you, you have a very strong graft and I am excited for your longevity prospects. You should do well. But I want to caution you... You have a very young immune system seventy-nine days old, which is still being developed in you. It is like a truck going down the highway with a heavy load, as long as the road is flat things will run smooth with some ups and downs. You will have hills to climb and since your engine is weak, you will struggle getting up the hills and we will from time to time have to help you. But all things being considered... we would gladly accept some GVHD (Graft vs Host Disease) for the alternative, Leukemia. We have to continue to build your immune system, strengthen your engine and avoid getting sick." The scarred bone marrow is still in Jody and the disease is still present. Jody's new stem cells will get stronger and will mount a defense as well as an offense to block any future damage, repair some of the scarring in her marrow, and help prevent her from getting sick from something else.
I am sorry for such a long post. I am very excited to share the GREAT news with everyone. We have another bone marrow biopsy scheduled for November the fifth. Dr. Brunvand indicated this may or may not happen. From here on out it is pretty much twice a week to the clinic to monitor her CBC. I will keep you posted and let you know if there is any change.
We love you all! .... Please call, write or email... Jody loves to hear from you...
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