April 25th - Kristen's 21st birthday.
April 26th to 29th - In Houston at MD Anderson. Meet with transplant team and undergo pre admission tests.
May 10th - Move back to Houston for the summer.
May 11th - CVC moved to sub-clavicle (chest)
May 12th - Hospital admission to begin transplant process.
Concerns: That Kristen will remain in remission. Normally there would have been a consolidation phase with this long of a break. I believe that all will be okay, but I still worry a bit.
I received a call Monday letting us know that the protocol has been approved by the insurance company. The cords have been typed and matched and once again they are 9 of 10 matches which is very good. Kristen's dad will be the back up if for some reason we would need to move back to his stem cells. (I don't fully understand this right now. I put a lot of trust and faith in the doctor and staff!) As I detailed above, our timeline is for entering the hospital in mid-May. Going forward we need to keep in mind that this transplant is once again the best option for Kristen's long term survival. It is not a guarantee. We hear very encouraging things about the use of cord blood in transplant so we do have high hopes. Kristen should be hospitalized for approximately 3-4 weeks as she receives the pre-transplant chemo and then the stem cells. She will begin the 100 day count down on the day she actually receives the stem cells. I'm guessing that would give us the goal of August 26-27 as the end of the 100 days.
Many of you want to know how you can help. Most of all pray. This is completely outside of our human control. Only God can heal Kristen. The doctors and their staff and even the cord blood stem cells are tools that He may use. Once we have an address we love to hear from you so send cards or write. Of course we love emails and text messages but there is something exciting about snail mail! Finally, encouragement for Devin and I as caregivers. Besides the worry and concern for Kristen, the most trying part of this for me is being apart from Devin and Steven. Speaking to them on the phone and skyping are great but they are no substitute for hugs.
I want to thank you again for making this journey with us. It would be much harder with out the love and encouragement we receive from ALL of you. Whether you are friends, family, acquaintances, or strangers. Whether you send us notes of encouragement or just lift us in prayer. You are part of this team and Kristen's ultimate recovery.
I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers
2 Timothy 1:3
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