Going dancing

Wow it has been a BUSY week.  I got all 12 of my appointments completed.  This morning I met with my nurse coordinator, a social worker, and a psychologist for my pre-transplant psych eval.  (Aced it)...just kidding.  I think it threw the psychologist off a bit when she asked me my highest level of education and I told her. (Apparently she hadn't looked at any of my paperwork in my chart and had just rushed over from the hospital to meet with me).  She was without her usual forms and was just doing her eval from memory but having another clinician in the room with her, she seemed a little rattled and kept apologizing for looking unprepared.  No judgment from me...I have shown up a few times to do an intake and not had the right form...ya just make do (when ya do it everyday ya pretty much know the form by heart) :). She was super nice and has a baby just a month older than Scotty so we had a good connection and built rapport around that :)

Met with my oncologist, Dr.  Liel, this morning and she said that my bone marrow biopsy results from Wednesday looked ok.  I have a few blasts (premature cells) in my marrow, but she does not think are leukemia cells and she thinks they are related to my marrow regenerating itself after my last round of chemo.  The spinal chemo that I did earlier this week showed a scary cell (just one) in my CSF, so Dr. Nash (my transplant doc) wants me to do another spinal chemo next week (to check my CSF again and to also give me another dose of medicine just in case, to knockout any other "cells that might be hiding in there."). In addition to spinal chemo next week I also have my consult with the radiation oncologist about my total body radiation and "consent" (final appt) with Dr. Nash before I admit to the hospital for transplant.

I got my calendar today from the transplant team.  I will admit to the hospital on Monday the 15th early in the morning.  I have to get a new central line placed because I currently have a "double Hickman" and I need a "triple Hickman" for transplant.  Unfortunately it's not something they can just add to the one I already have, so that means another surgery to remove my current one and place the triple Hickman.  Bummer, but I want them to have exactly what they need to get the job done! :).   I will have total body radiation treatment 2x/day starting on the 16th and ending on the 19th.  On the 20th and 21st I will get SUPER high dose chemotherapy.  Then I get a "rest day" from chemo on the 22nd (but I start my anti rejection meds) and on the 23rd I will get Kyle's stem cells.   The days and weeks following the transplant will be some more chemo, anti rejection meds and more spinal chemo.  And then we wait... :)

It is SO exciting that we have a calendar and a plan!  I can't believe that exactly 2 months after my initial diagnosis I will be admitting to the hospital for my transplant.  The folks at Kaiser and CBCI have been  awesome with getting things moving and coordinated so quickly!!  Things have gone so smoothly so far with my counts, Kyle being my perfect match, and minimal side effects from chemo.  Thank you for all of your prayers so far and as we move forward in the transplant process.  The support we have and continue to receive from family, friends, and coworkers is absolutely AMAZING!  You all have made this so much easier to get through so far.  Now it's time for the "big dance". :)

-Chellie