The day is almost here. Today some stranger went under general anesthesia and had a huge needle jabbed into his hip so that he could help save a random person's life. All we know about him is that he is an 18 year old male with O+ blood and the same HLA typing as Clara. I don't even think that he knows that he is saving the life of a baby girl or anything about her. In a year we can try to thank him as they will deliver a letter from us to him at that point.
Transplant is set for tomorrow at 12:30 pacific time and should take about three hours. The whole process is relatively anti-climactic. The transplant is given through her blood as a simple transfusion (just like red blood cells or platelets). Afterward it will take a few weeks before the engraftment takes place (when the donor marrow starts to grow and generate blood cells in Clara's bones). Infection is the biggest risk up until that point. Hopefully her fungal infection will stay at bay.
Brooke is making a lot of felt and cellophane butterflies to celebrate the occasion of Clara's "rebirth" in her bone marrow. She is going to put them around our room as well as give some to nurses as a Clara token. While this is a major step in the process though, there is still a hard road ahead with many risks.
Clara is acting very tired during the day. Last night she spent a few hours in my arms refusing to sleep elsewhere. I was finally able to get her down to her bed where she slept pretty solid the whole night. The delay in getting her to bed may have been exacerbated by the national championship game... Tonight she is already in bed and asleep at 7:30. She has had sporadic doses of dilaudid to help with some apparent throat pain. Last night this led to her being active but today she has been pretty relaxed all day. Her blood pressure was also up last night but seems to have come down today. Apparently one of the anti-rejection meds causes this and most patients end up on a blood pressure medication.
4 comments:
We're following along and praying for a wonderful result.
Arlene & Milt (cruising friends of your parents)
Seems like I must've remembered in my sleep that today's the day, and have been thinking about you all intermittently all night. You know our prayers are with you on this incredible day. I love the idea of giving to commemorate Clara's third birthday, and will work on what my own donation might be as the day goes on. Of course, a cruise with her grandparents might appeal to Clara and her parents too! Will eagerly check this website regularly to see how things are going, and will try to get across the street to give John and Carolyn a hug soon.
I've always been afraid of being "typed" for bone marrow, but your story has made me think twice about that. That might be something wonderful that comes out of Clara's struggle: what if a whole army of people became marrow donors?
(Matthew 25: 34-40)
Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.'
Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?
And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.'
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