Next steps // overview

Hey so I wanted to give you all some more information about the next steps that are going to happen before I get admitted for my stem cell transplant. I still find it hard to believe that I have a date set for it - It's amazing, scary and wild! EEK so hopefully this will help every understand what is going on.

Basically its a lot of TESTS! like a whole week and a half of testing. I am not sure exactly what all the tests are but there are going to be a lot of them. I know I will be having another bone marrow biopsy (not fun! and like my billionth - ok more like 8th) ,  lots of blood draws, most likely a chest x-ray.  I will also meet with the doctor to go over the whole procedure/everything that is going down!

2 days before I am admitted I will receive a PICC line / port  - this is something that they put into chest/neck or upper arm that feeds a tube directly into an artery so they can draw your blood, give you IV's, get the stem cell infusion and you don't have to get jabbed each time . I am not looking forward to this day.

The day after that I have a big full day test where they give me a drug , busulfan, and then test my blood every 45 minutes for 10 hours. I am thankful at this time that I will have my PICC line so they don't have to attempt to find a vein every 45 minutes - but this will be a long boring day.

And then the very next day, May 6th, the semi-big day, I will be admitted into the hospital. And there I will be for the next month. During that month I will receive a super supper strong Chemo that will help destroy my stem cells, and break down my immune system so that my body will accept the donors stem cells and not attack them.  I will receive that Chemo for about 6 days and then once I am done with the chemo I will have my stem cell transplant - right now it is planned for may 13th or 14th !!! And that's when the real struggle begins towards ENGRAFMENT : this is when the new stem cells make their way into my bone marrow and start making it their home. aka they start to produce blood cells like they are supposed too.

Upon walking around the hospital on thursday while we had time between appointments I found this little info graphic on a  bulletin board and thought it was very useful so I wanted to share it with y'all


I feel like this was a totally amazing and appropriate way to explain the whole process - it's not always perfect, sometimes you slide down and sometimes you may make a giant leap up a ladder to a better day!

I hope you guys found this post a little informative - I will keep trying to have posts that keep you all in the loop and explain things a little more.