New immune system anyone?

Well, it's finally happened! The transplant has landed. Troy received his cleaned stem cells on Wednesday, and is feeling good. So far, he has no medical side effects, but one of the side effects is that the solution that the stem cells are delivered in smells like garlic and that smell seeps through the patient's pores. I don't think that Troy will have to worry about vampires anytime soon. Don't worry; the odour de garlique will go away.

In other good news, the doctors have found a perfect match for the next transplant. 10 of 10 markers. That will be in three to four months, so keep sending those warm and fuzzy thoughts his way.

All I can say is, "Whoo-hoo!"

March 27, 2008 - Lock and Load

They got the remainder of Troy's stem cells Wednesday morning - something like 4.5 million. So he has plenty of stem cells for two transplants if needed!

The next step is to knock out his immune system with a high dose of chemo on Monday and then infuse his stem cells on Wednesday! The recovery is underway and he is EXCITED about moving on to the next level - getting that MM out of his body!

Thank you Easter Bunny! Bawk Bawk!

It's harvesting time!

I hope that you have overalls and a pitchfork, because it's time to harvest! Okay, maybe that would be more appropriate for, say, corn or soybeans, but instead we're harvesting stem cells. The Neupogen worked wonderfully and stimulated lots and lots of cells. The wonderful staff at Northside started harvesting today around 9 A.M. and collected over half of what Troy will need for his transplants. His collection goal is 10 million cells total, and today they collected 6.09 million. (I bet Troy busted many a curve in school. Overachiever. ) There will be more collecting tomorrow out of his "udder" (as he calls his port) and then it's on to another round of chemotherapy, after which, the collected cells will be infused back into his system. Troy sounds upbeat and positive, and it definitely looking forward to tomorrow.

If you haven't made your travel plans for spring break, I know a great place to visit! All of the cool kids aren't going to St. Barts or Daytona or Gulf Shores; instead, the place to be and be seen is the donation room at Atlanta Blood Services! I'm signing up for my movie and cookies, and I'll report back to let you know how easy and painless it is.

Feb. 27 - Blood and Platelet Donation

Hey Everyone,

First a little update: Troy took his initial steps toward his first autogolous stem cell transplant (his own stem cells) last Thursday. They gave him a high dose of chemo to knock down the myeloma and when his white count comes back up, they will harvest his stem cells. (This is probably happen next week).

After they collect the cells and freeze them, they will then give him an even stronger dose of chemo that will essentially wipe out his immune system. The following day, they will "infuse" his stem cells back into his body and they will begin to build a new immune system - hopefully without any of those pesky plasma cells!

This will of course take a long time and Troy will be in a very "delicate" state - in terms of his immune system. He will also need blood and platelets at this time. Which brings me to my next point...

GIVE BLOOD AND PLATELETS!

Atlanta Blood Services will be providing Troy these much needed fluids throughout his treatment. They are experiencing a shortage at this time, and it would be great if you could donate to this life-giving cause.

I am told the process takes about 2 hours, but they have movies for you to watch while you wait! The great thing about giving platelets is that ANYONE can use them regardless of your blood type - including Troy! There are some guidelines for eligible donors - click here to learn more.

It would be great if those of you who have organized people at your school or church in the past could spread the word and rally the troops! (please consult the eligibility information before you sign people up)

You can contact ABS by clicking the link above or by calling (404)459-8744 and asking for a donor coordinator.

I know Troy, and many others in similar or worse conditions, would appreciate your support!

Feb. 14 - A Little Lovin'

The transplant doctors at Northside gave Troy some good news today.

His plasma cell count in his bone marrow is down from 90% to 5% since October! Another way to think about this is that 90% of the "stuff" that made up his bone marrow was cancerous plasma cells - quite a dramatic improvement!

Many other levels are down as well, but I'm not going to go into them because it gets a little bit technical. Needless to say, most of them are either "normal" or slightly elevated - and some of them are the lowest we have seen since this summer!

I actually heard the doctor say that Troy's disease is in partial remission and that they hope to get it to complete remission after the transplant!

There are still a few concerns - mainly an elevated heart rate, a passing infection in his colon, and less than perfect kidney function. The doctors want to get Troy as healthy and strong as possible before his first transplant, which will hopefully begin in the coming weeks.

I hope this good news finds you all well on this Valentine's Day - make sure to tell someone you love them!