Stem Cell Harvesting

I'm home today resting after 4 days as an outpatient at the hospital harvesting stem cells. And the good news is that the doctors got exactly what they wanted---19.5 million stem cells!! Woo-hoo!! Actually they were hoping for 20 million but they are happy with the total number harvested.

And the whole process makes me aware of how amazing our technology has become and, at the same time, how mundane it can be. Both are a blessing and I thank the Lord for the advances that have been made in treating my disease for they truly are unbelievable. Each day I showed up at the Blood Center, had my blood checked to set a target goal of stem cells, and then was hooked up to the machine that would siphon the stem cells out of my blood. While I was unable to see exactly how that was done, I was able to see the results of that technology in the stem cells collected.  Amazing! Four hours later I was disconnected from the machine and went home. Other than a sense of weariness when I got home there were no significant side-effects.

Next step: the transplant. I've got a week to rest before checking into the hospital for that on January 31. In the meantime, I'll be putting together a list of things to bring to pass the time while I'm there.