Day "0"
This morning at 1:36 AM, John's nurse sang the best rendition of "Happy Birthday" I will ever hear, as she connected the first of two bags of bone marrow stem cells to John's IV line. It took a long time for all the tests on the 400 CCs of dark red fluid in the bags, but they were done and his transplant is now, as well. What's more, John is doing well.
I'm told that the day of a bone marrow transplant is called "Day Zero" and you count your new life from there in days, weeks, months and years until your reach the point that your chance of relapse is statistically no more than that of anyone else. The word "cure" is not a medical term they use, but in that sense, all of us are mortal, so I hope to be able to make and exception for John.
It has been a long 180 days and it was a long night, but it is a crisp, cloudless morning here in Seattle and a new day to appreciate. We are headed over to meet the doctor during rounds soon and I will report any news we receive, though I expect to be told that we now wait and see if the transplant takes over the next week or two.
All our thanks again for the thoughts, care and prayers.
I'm told that the day of a bone marrow transplant is called "Day Zero" and you count your new life from there in days, weeks, months and years until your reach the point that your chance of relapse is statistically no more than that of anyone else. The word "cure" is not a medical term they use, but in that sense, all of us are mortal, so I hope to be able to make and exception for John.
It has been a long 180 days and it was a long night, but it is a crisp, cloudless morning here in Seattle and a new day to appreciate. We are headed over to meet the doctor during rounds soon and I will report any news we receive, though I expect to be told that we now wait and see if the transplant takes over the next week or two.
All our thanks again for the thoughts, care and prayers.
