July 21, 2012
Day -2 (2 days until the transplant)

Once again, I had the opportunity to rest at home.  This first week is a bit of an adjustment period but the idea will be that Jess and I alternate days.
This will help make it easier for both of us and ensure that we are in top shape to care for our daughter.


Yesterday, a new drug was given to kill her lymphocytes.  The job of the lymphocytes is to kill off any foreign things in our bodies.  We need to make sure that when the donor stem cells are given, her body will not destroy them because if they do, the transplant will not work.
In order to kill her lymphocytes, the lymphocytes of rabbits are injected into her bloodstream.
In a matter of three days, her body will no longer have lymphocytes and should allow the transplant to happen with mimimal risk.

The only drawback is that she really does not have any defence against bacteria and viruses.  This is why we are in an isolation room which is positively pressured to prevent stuff from entering into the room.
This is why we need to wear the gown and the mask and make sure that we wash our hands very carefully.