11:45 am
Amy and I are so busy chatting and running illegal lights that we get pulled over by the cops. I'm going to be late! Fortunately it's a female cop who's understanding of the fact that we're going to Hopkins and let's us go.
12:12 pm
Dr. Brodsky is waiting in the patient room already. I tell him we got stopped by the cops (excuse #1) and he pretends to be entertained. First words: So are you ready to do this? My reply: Absolutely! He notices I cut my hair, something he warned me about during our initial consult. During that consult I expressed to him quite passionately that I didn't care about losing my hair and actually, this meeting shows him how committed I am to this transplant. I don't have anything to prove to Dr. Brodsky but, light bulb moment, I immediately feel how empowering (on so many levels) it is that I cut my hair off a month before my procedure instead of waiting for it to fall out from the chemo. He says I look great. Thanks doc! We talk for about 30 minutes and he clarifies any questions I have:
Madge: Is this procedure really going to be outpatient?
Dr. B: Yes it is. We've had success with Allogeneic Mini BMT's performed on the outpatient level. If any problems arise, such as an elevation in temperature, we'll immediately admit you into the hospital. Otherwise it's okay to go home to your own bed every night.
Madge: Recovery? I've been saying 6 months. How long can I truly expect to go through recovery?
Dr. B: Two months of a difficult recovery and by 3 months we'll know if you are grafting the new marrow from your brother. By the fourth month you should be getting back to yourself again.
Madge: That is great news. I've applied to graduate school in London, I know your answer is dependent on so many things that can not be predicted, but realistically speaking, is it a possibility to begin a program in January if I can commit to come home every 2 months?
Dr. B: You're right it does depend on many things. If the bone marrow successfully grafts, which I think your experience will be successful and if you're recovering well, it's a possibility, with a commitment to return every 8 weeks maximum to be away. However, if you acquire GVHD (graft v. host disease) where the marrow does not regenerate or if there are other complications, I would say definitely not. It's really too early to speculate.
Madge: Can we re-visit this conversation in October?
Dr. B: That might be more realistic.
Madge: Okay Dr. Brodsky thank you so much for everything! I'll see you July 15!
12:45 pm
I rush to call Ira on her way back from teaching. She usually gets back around 12:30. Serendipity! She's 10 minutes away and I catch a ride back to Amy's with her. Young and the Restless (Gasp! Sharon is having Nicholas' baby, but tells Jack it's his even though Nick left his wife to get back together with her and she's telling Nick today.), bday leftovers for lunch, a chat with the homies about M.J.'s death, the brilliance of "Remember the Time" video and how the news in America sucks. 3:30, I'm off to Hopkins again.
3:40 pm
I get off the elevator and I see my brother sitting in the lobby chatting it up with a BMT patient, Wanda, and her 8 year old nephew and donor, Wayne. Ironically my bro is telling them to come to his barber shop and he'll give them haircuts. Huh? Can I, your sister get one please? I've been bugging him for 2 weeks now. He's embarrassed and rightfully so.
My brother was there because he just received an aspiration. It is an extremely painful process to obtain a patients bone marrow, somewhere between a root canal and a gunshot wound. I've included a youTube tutorial of the process:
I did not know my brother had to experience that today. Although I feel incredibly sympathetic for him, we all could not stop laughing. The way he tells the story of his experience is priceless. Guess you had to be there, but you know what they say, "Humor is the instinct for taking pain playfully."
I'm off to my 4:00 BMT review class where apparently, I was supposed to bring my 24/7 care provider. Didn't know that before 4:05 but thanks anyway Hopkins. I learned interesting facts:
Interesting fact #1. Sicklers struggle more with grafting their bone marrow because we've had so many blood transfusions in our lifetime.
Interesting fact #2. When receiving a BMT and your donor is an unidentified match, African-American or Asian populations only stand a 50% chance of receiving a match through the registry whereas Caucasians have a 93% chance and Japanese have a 99% chance. Why? Because they've found that African-Americans or Asians are rarely genetically linked. So when I call a brother "a brother", or a sister "a sister" they really aren't? Say it ain't so!
Interesting fact #3. Allogeneic Mini-BMT's usually take longer to graft, approximately 2.5-4 weeks. (Allogeneic means I have a donor and Mini dictates that it involves less chemo or just enough to suppress the immune system.)
Interesting fact #4. 100% matched patients and donors, like myself, have less chemotherapy related issues (ie. mouth/oral sores, hair loss or risk of organ damage), lower risk of infections but are more likely to acquire graft v. host disease.
Finally my day is over! I'll be back at Hopkins July 9 for a cardiology exam. Heart issues but hopefully nothing too serious. :0)
Thank you for reading.
Peace and Blessings,
Christina Madry
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