Ron's Allogeneic Blood and Marrow Transplant

Today we had our pre-admission education.
In less than 2 weeks from now, he will need to get his work-up... could include chest x-ray, stress MUGA, pulmonary functioning testing, bone marrow test... yuck, and signing consents.
Then, they are hoping to admit him by the end of the month if everything goes well with the cords and all. This is considered a clinical trial that he is undergoing.
He will then have to have another central venous catheter placed, then begin the gruelling treatments. There was some confusion today whether he was receiving a non-myeloblative preparative regimen or a myeloblative... I believe it is the former.
Here is what I understand is to happen. He is to begin treatments six days before his double umbilical cord blood (UCB) transplant. He will begin taking a drug called fludarabine, by IV once a day for five days. Then, cyclophosphamide on the sixth day before tranplant. On the day before transplantion, he is to receive a low dose of total body irradiation (TBI). Then comes the transplant. Three days before the transplant, he should be given cyclosporine twice a day and Mycophenolate mofetil three times a day to prevent his body from rejecting the donor's stem cells and to help decrease the risk of devoloping a complication called graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD) which can be mild or severe, even life-threatening.
The side effects of these chemotherapies and other medications are not a game... some are life threatening... some serious ones are very rare, like pneumonia, brain injury, rupturing of spleen, bloody vomit, confusion, fast heartrate, etc. Some are common... hair loss, decreased WBC, decreased platelets, anemia, tiredness, nausea, vomiting, tremors, mouth sores, and stuff like that... most are treatable.
We continue to covet your prayers. We also found out that the recovery period is long, and he will likely need a caregiver (me) 24 hours a day for at least 2 months afterward... a fever can come upon him quickly and it can be quite dangerous... and, graft-versus-host may appear even after that and could be chronic. His immune system could take a long time to recover.
Would it be any surprise to you if I told you I am having problems again with anxiety attacks?!

I have a couple of nieces staying all night and the girls are having a little slumber party... they are hoping that I write about them on here... they are having a blast... Sierra wants me to tell you all that she is dressed up with a bunny hat... they are having a tea party and have children's Christian choruses blasting and are dancing around. Ron is not home right now, he went out to witness to an old friend, fix an issue with one our vans, and went to his office to prepare for Sunday's sermon. So, the riot is on at our house! Party complete with pizza that Mimi bought for them earlier today... now there is a fight going on about a stuffed animal! Hope is putting on little dress up shoes.... nothing much cuter than a baby with nothing than a diaper and heeled dress-up shoes on.

This Sunday is the last of the series of "Child of the King: Pure Royalty" Children's Church series at our church, then the Beatty family takes over for a few weeks, at least. I really felt God's help last week, and we have been having various folks tell the Bible stories. I love being in charge of Children's Church, but I am looking forward to the break.

We didn't have school today... Faith is ahead and it will not hurt her to have the day off... since Ron and I had to be in Columbus... and, Aunt Shenna watched the girls. Unfortunately, I have not been diligent in Faith's piano practicing the last couple of weeks, and have cancelled lessons two weeks in a row... aren't I getting off tract early?!

I had a neighbor show up at my door this week with a little bit of an emergency... his wife couldn't breath well (she has been in the hospital alot lately), and, though I did not realize it, the husband seems to have been having a diabetic attack! They wanted me to come right over and pray right away for them... I threw on my flip-flops and told my children to stay in the house while I ran next door. I prayed with her while rubbing her frail back... prayer and back rubs are a powerful combination in calming a panicked person, then I brought over some food (cause the husband indicated that they had no food prepared and was in need), and they calmed down, and soon felt better. Then, he went grocery shopping when he could think clearly again. They are a really sweet elderly couple next door and I felt sooo honored that they would have me come over like that... It really is better to give than to receive!!!

Charity is either fighting a cold or allergies... nice sniffles, and took a really big nap today... Hope seems to be having allergy problems, too, only hers came in a form of a slight rash across the face while playing outside. They were playing in the dirt and weeds at the park after we went on a bike ride together the other day, when I discovered the apparent allergy... under her eyes were pink, too... not sure what is causing it. It is not serious, but, I would like to know what it is.

I AM NOT A NURSE, FOLKS!!! I used to dream of being one, and now, without the license, I seem to be in active duty!!! Maybe I SHOULD have gotten my license, after all!

Got off tract on my diet today, I had lost about 10 lbs, and now what have I done?!

Life is complicated here, and some of us are a bit edgy... we continue to keep busy... sometimes stuffing our pain deep in our hearts and sometimes crying our painful hearts out...
But, we press on!