Allo transplant for MDS

Hi Louise A

That's great news it's all going well, really pleased for you. Let's hope it continues and you can get home very soon.

My wife's consultant has just called to say all her pre transplant tests including the MUGA and liver tests have all come back well and also her last biopsy has shown still in remission which is a great place to be in at this point. Sisters going into UCLH on Thursday for doner harvesting and my wife going in on 28th for conditioning and transplant on 4th August. Getting very close now and all becoming very real!!!

Best of luck to you, it all sound positive.

Nick. 

Hi Nick, good to hear things are on track…..it’s a nervous time but it will be here before you know it

Fantastic I’m glad everything is on track. I felt both nervous and excited at the point your wife is at. Please keep us updated

Very true, nervous and excited is exactly where she is right now.

We're both pretty much prepared as best we can but still anxious.

The conditioning is being done at an outpatient but UCLH have an ambulatory service which allows me to stay with her in their "HOTEL" which is only a 2 min walk from the Macmillan Cancer Centre. This allows her to come and go as she pleases in between daily conditioning, all sounds very odd as during previous regimes she was stuck in a ward and not allowed outside at all. She will remain in the hotel during her conditioning and transplant and only when her neuts get to zero or she gets sick they will transfer her into the isolation ward in the main Hospital.

That does make some sense, looking back at my blood results my neutrophils remained above 1 until the day of my transplant but I was in isolation the whole time. It’s nice that you can spend that time with her 

Hi All

Update

I took my wife's sister (doner) to UCLH yesterday following intensive health checks and 4 days of injections prior to harvesting.

Very long day, 7 hours of harvesting, I spent the day walking around Regents Park met my son, daughter in law and 10 month old grandaughter, must have walked 5 miles, absolutely  shattered and today still suffering. 

Anyway all worth it. The doner team were looking to harvest 5m stem cells on the day and if not successful return today for more harvesting.

Well what a result....they tested her donation and they have 8.2m cells and are over the moon with the results. Plenty of spare as back up for complications should they arrive.

My sister in law was so frightened and anxious re the donation process but I  kept her positive all the way through. Now she is buzzing, feels great, very little side effects apart from a little bone ache. I couldn't thank her enough for her help, the chance of giving someone the gift of life is priceless and should never be forgotten no matter what the outcome. The team stated that my wifegas has very good chance of a good outcome as not only a 10/10 match and also being a direct sibling and the fact she is still in remission,  everything is positive. Of course we are fully aware of the risks that still exist, but the hope is there, and we have to believe that when my wife is reborn on August 4th we can look forward with hope and prayers that all will be good.

Will keep you great guys posted.

Nick

All sounds great Nick and yes you both will be eternally grateful to her…..did I ever say that when my brother was going to get his cells harvested (not knowing enyrhing about SCT) I promised him £1 for every cell he gave me

I hope he still doesn't know....your either a very wealthy man Mike or living in complete and utter poverty.

He casts it up from time to time

You'll just have to put it down to chemo brain Mike.