Stem Cell Transplant #1

We returned to Little Rock last Sunday, Feb. 21 only to find that our refrigerator had quit working while we were gone. A call on Monday got us a new refrigerator.
On Monday Carla had:

• Blood Tests

• Pulmonary Function Test

• EKG

• Echo heart test

Today, Tuesday, she:

• Met with one of the research data staff members

• Had a 2-hour full-body MRI

Tomorrow we

• Meet with a research nurse

• Meet with Dr. Barlogie, and hopefully

• Get her Central Venous Line implanted again

• Start Dexamethasone pills which she will take for four days.

On Thursday she will get her high dose of mephalan.  For information about this drug see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melphalan

and on Friday she will get her stem cells implanted. The stem cell transplant should take about four hours.

After her stem cell transplant it will just be a time of waiting for her body to recover. During this time, Carla will have to go to the lab for daily blood tests and any meds or IV's deemed necessary based on these test results.