Day 1 - Post Transplant

I'm sitting in my little kitchen, it's 3:30pm on Thurs. Oct. 21. I'm at home because I'm bruised and tired, yesterday was a very long day, yesterday was 'Day 0' - transplant day. Lex got through the day well, at one point after a pretty difficult procedure she was still groggy from sedation but could hear us discussing lunch, well for those of you who know her this probably won't surprise you but we were planning our lunch when suddenly a very sleepy voice joined in the discussion "I'll have a tuna sandwich on whole wheat with extra pickles, some cinnamon twists and a nana tea" she said, we all looked at her stunned that she could even talk let alone eat and then smiled and added her order to our list, when the food arrived she ate with gusto! Lex is a survivor, "one tough cookie!"

Engraftment is the next major step which will take about 2 nerve wracking weeks. Lex will have no immune system at all until engraftment and therefore will be very vulnerable to infection, any exposure is potentially deadly during this time so her doctors have decided to keep her in hospital in isolation until she engrafts to protect her and also provide her with any antibiotics she may need. There are so many risks involved each step is a potential land mine that Lex needs to avoid in order to survive, but with my very angry (K cells) 'killer' cells running around in her blood attacking the leukemia maybe we have a chance!

As I sit here I can't help but reflect on the significance of Alexis receiving my stem cells, I gave her life 27 years ago and now I am trying to help her keep her life. We have come full circle, in so many ways, the original donor cells have now been obliterated by my cells a circle, the relapse dates 6 years apart but the same date each time is a circle, is our coming to Israel a circle too? I think maybe it is. Whatever happens I know this was the right decision, I will never regret that we came to Israel.