Back in Little Rock

Wow!  The four-week break flew by and we are back in Little Rock for Carla's second stem cell transplant.  The drive down was beautiful.  The red bud and dogwood trees put on quite a display for us.  I didn't stop to take pictures but I will post some pictures from our yard in Springfield.

Carla started today off with a 7:00 a.m. MRI that took 2 1/2 hours.  This was followed by a full body bone density test, and a blood and urine test.  We also met with the data manager concerning the research protocol. 

Tomorrow Carla is schedule for to for that dreaded bone marrow procedure at 7:45 a.m.  This is where they go in through the pelvis in the lower back and extract a sample of bone marrow.  A gene and chromosome analysis is performed on this bone marrow sample.  At 11:00, Carla's breathing is checked.  At 12:00 we are scheduled to meet with a research nurse.  At 12:45 her heart is checked.  We get a break to come back to the apartment before getting a 90 minute PET scan performed at 6:00 p.m.

The PET scan requires a six hour fast before it and Carla can't eat many carbs after tonight.  This has trigger severe migraines for Carla is the past.  Hopefully we can prepare by taking meds prior to this procedure.  It is also difficult for Carla to lie on her back for this 90 and 120 minute procedures.

The doctor should have the results of these two-days of test when we meet with him on Wednesday.  If she is deemed ready for the stem cell transplant, she will get the tri-Lumen catheter implanted on Wednesday afternoon, get the high dose of melphalan on Thursday followed by her stem cells on Friday.

Here are some pictures of our backyard.