...Its Friday, January 26th 2007. The Stem Cell Transplant would begin at about 9pm and end at about 5am Saturday, January 27th. Some doctors, nurses and patients would say that January 27, 2007 is my new birthday. I was about to get an entire new immune system, DNA, Stem cells and blood type. My blood type was O+ and my sister was B+. My blood type is suppose to eventually change and become my sister Nellie's blood type. (B+).
...The doctors said i may also be getting many of her personal symptoms. I may get her same allergies, headaches and so on. I told the doctors: I just hope i do not get a menstrual cycle or need to buy some bra's ..lol.. We all laughed at that one. I always seemed to keep my sense of humor most of the time with the staff.
...The day of my Transplant i had my Mom, Dad, Isabel, my sister Nellie and her husband at the hospital. My sister Nellie had to take Nuprigen shots everyday the week before the Transplant and had pain in her bones. Nuprigen shots were give to increase her white blood cells. Its given to the donors the week before the transplant. Its known to cause bone pains.
... The procedure begins with my sister Nellie having to sit in a chair for about 6-7 hours and not move. They put a bigger than usual needle in her left arm and began to draw out blood and let in run through a machine. The machine would take all the Stem Cells it needed and then return the rest of her blood back into her right arm. Nellie was feeling weak and her lips began to shake. Her body was being depleted of calcium and they had to give her calcium pills. My sister felt very beat up and weak when she was done. Nellie started the procedure at about 10am and was done at about 5pm. The next day, Nellie felt fine... ( I'm happy about that ).
...I was just waiting nervously in my room upstairs. I was just hoping and praying my body would accept the transplant. Our bodies are all build with an immune system to naturally refuse foreign organs or stem cells. Whether it be a heart, kidney or stem cell transplant. That's why they had to destroy my immune system before my transplant. That is the best chance for my body to accept it. It doesn't guarantee acceptance, it just gives one a higher success rate.
...At about 9pm, the doctors and nurses came into my room and connected me to several IV's. There were several bags hanging on the pole with anti-biotics, bags of Stem Cells, IV fluids and a few other fluids/medications in those bags. During my 8 hours of getting my sister's Stem Cells, I had a bad case of the chills and fever. My entire body was also shaking for many hours. I was so cold, they had to put many blankets on me. I was up until about 5am that morning and was drained. I then fell asleep with a strong injection of Benadryl.
...My next post will talk about the next few days and about my room in isolation. They told me a cold or sore throat could lead to my death....
...Note: The above picture is a pole with the bags for Stem Cell Transplants...
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