Thursday, September 4, 2008

Update on the Cancer

Mom got her schedule yesterday for the transplant prep. She has a schload of tests September 30 to make sure she is a candidate for the transplant. In other words they do not want to do a transplant on someone who has other health issues and would not survive the procedure. The tests take about a week to come back and then she has to meet with a team of people who talk to her about everything from who pays for what to what she can eat.

After that she gets shots that promote healthy growth of her stem cells and then the harvest begins. Her Central Line will be placed in her October 13 and she will have this for a few months probably. Then the harvest begins.

For the harvest she goes into the hospital daily to have her levels checked and when they are good they take as many of her stem cells out as they can. Once they harvest enough for probably 3 transplants they stop and schedule her actual transplant.

Right before she moves into the hospital for her tranplant she has asked us to shave her head. The thing she really does not want is to be standing in the shower one day and have her hair fall out. The doctor has told her that it WILL happen. The girls went shopping for scarves to make for her before that. I am sad she will miss Halloween at home. She does love the holidays!!

So that is the update for now. Many ask for it, so I decided to give one every once and a while!

5 comments:

This Place is a Disaster! said...

she'll probably be in isolation huh? Too bad cause it woud be great if you could get everyone to go trick or treating to her at the hospital throughout the day!
What a way to klift the down-trodden!

Mandee Lue said...

Oh, Steph... I'm brought to tears knowing that your Mom is fighting such a hard battle. I truly hope it all goes well for the whole family. We all sure love you!! Thanks for sharing your strength!

Amy Maida Wadsworth said...

It really is miraculous that they know what to do to help your mom get better! It seems so complicated, so it amazes me! I assume she's going to the Huntsman Cancer Institute. It's a great, helpful place to be. May God bless you! You're both in my thoughts and prayers.

Steph said...

Actually Mom is working with the team at LDS Hospital. They are a little less aggressive than Huntsman, they follow more the workings of the Mayo Clinic. Mom is being treated by the Utah Cancer Specialist for her regular care and then LDS for the transplant.

I think we might find something special to do for her on Halloween. The only rules about visiting her is that no one is allowed if they are sick, and also the family has been told to get a flu shot. It is not really isolation so much, but just careful consideration of her general lack of immune system.

Great questions!! I love it!!

This Place is a Disaster! said...

I think you should all dress up in the absolute best costumes you could ever find, or the funniest things just to give your mom a rolling rocking good laugh!