January 26, 2012

here it comes

     My dad has an admission date for the stem cell transplant.  It's March 1st.  He'll actually start with getting all the preliminary stuff (echo for the heart, PET scan, lung function, dentist, etc) starting February 15th.  On February 24th, he'll receive his first chemotherapy in the form of Rituxan as an outpatient.  He's had that one before.  The first couple of times, he had a moderate reaction to it but the last three he was fine with it (had them give the steroid before).  Then on March 1st, he gets admitted to the hospital.  That's when the chemo really starts in earnest as they lay waste to his bone marrow.  On March 8th, he receives that (hopefully) life giving stem cell transplant that someone (thank you whomever you are) graciously decided to donate. 
     I'll take this moment to again plug that you, the reader, consider becoming a potential marrow donor.  Just go to bethematch.org and they'll tell you what to do.  It's an inconvenience to you but potentially life saving for the recipient.  Not a bad trade.

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