Day 0: Transplant Day!

Dad Stats:

Most recent temperature: 

Most recent blood pressure: 

Today's white blood cell count: 7.13

The day we have all been counting down to has finally arrived--TRANSPLANT DAY!!! This special post is brought to you by both Eva and Vic. Here is Eva's part:

Liquid nitrogen container
housing Dad's stem cells!

Today started out pretty much like the last few days. Dad is still a little nauseated and generally doesn't feel very peppy, but he managed to eat a little bit of breakfast and go on a walk (more than 5 laps!). We initially were told that the transplant would start early in the morning. The night nurse made sure that the warm water bath (for thawing the stem cells) was set up bright and early, but they ended up not bringing the cells in until around 9am. It was pretty dramatic; the two day nurses (Treasure and Kinley) wheeled a rather large liquid nitrogen container into the room, with Dad's stem cells safely frozen inside. Dad and I stared at it for a while, and then the nurses came back around 10am to start pre-medicating Dad with Benadryl and Demerol (to prevent any kind of reaction to the transfusion). Those drugs made Dad quite sleepy, and so he wasn't paying much attention to the rest of the process. It was actually very intricate, and took a while to set up. Once the cells were mostly thawed they hooked Dad up to them and the transfusion began. 


At that time Vic arrived. I'll let her take it from here...

Dad with Treasure and Kinley, the
nurses who oversaw his transplant

Scrapbook Vic made
 for Dad!

When I arrived at the hospital a little after noon today Dad's stem cell transplant was almost complete. It only took and hour and a half. Dad was a bit drowsy because they gave him Benadryl and Demerol to help prevent an allergic reaction to the preservatives used to store the stem cells. A reaction is apparently very uncommon. The nurses overseeing the transplant, Kinley and Treasure, stayed in the room the whole time to monitor Dad just in case he did have a reaction. The transplant went very smoothly. 


After the transplant Dad and I took several walks around the BMT unit. I think we walked a total of over 10 laps! The nurses told us where all the movies are stashed and we watched The Illusionist and Men in Black 2, both of which Dad enjoyed. We also read several chapters out of a James Harriot book, and I gave Dad a scrapbook that I made for him. 

Dad eating cake
from the BMTU staff

Transplant Day poster made for
Dad by the BMTU staff!

Dad seemed to feel moderately well today other than an upset tummy, blurred vision, and having to pee a lot. He ate all of his meals today and he still seems to have a pretty good amount of energy.

Right before bedtime several nurses burst into Dad's room with a cake and a big poster with a rocket on it that said "Blast off to recovery" (I told them he was a rocket scientist), to congratulate him on his transplant! Dad seemed to enjoy and appreciate all the attention and excitement.