Stem Cell Transplant Day-4

Hello again. Well I thought I'd tell you what's going to happen first on the 11th. First I'll be admitted in the early afternoon. Settle i the room and right away same day. Installation of a "Pic Line" A peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC or PIC line) is a form of intravenous access that can be used for a prolonged period of time (e.g. for long chemotherapy regimens, extended antibiotic therapy, or total parenteral nutrition).

After that it's Chemo time. 2 rounds of Melphalan to basically kill your bone marrow and then a little while after that, reintroduction of the stem cells. Then after it's a waiting game. Once the stem cells have migrated to the Marrow and your immune system comes back up...you go Home! But that can take quite a while and the time it takes for the Stem cells to migrate to the bone marrow and become whatever it decides. Stem cells can become pretty much anything. White or Red Blood Cells, Platelets, etc.....Pretty Amazing what these little cells can do! The average time spent in the "Sterile Room" is 4 to 6 weeks. But there are rare exceptions and I was one of the lucky ones on my first Stem Cell Transplant as I was only 11 days at the Hospital.  Believe that you too can be that exception and it will happen! So now I will do what the Doctor told me: Enjoy my weekend home!

Never Give Up!

Yvon