Conditioning
Conditioning
As of yesterday, we have started the condition phase of treatment in preperation for the blood marrow transplant next week.
Steph was eligable to participate in a clinical study that replaces traditional high level doses of total body irradiation with an infusion of radiated moniclodal antibodies. This is designed to deliver radiation directly to the areas including the bone marrow that may be harboring leukima cells. Steph received her infusion yesterday afternoon and her only side effects where some chills and a short fever spike. We are currently cleared for discharge and should be heading home around 5pm this evening.
The radiation she recieved has a half-life of 7 hours, so a majority of the treatment has already come and gone, but we will need to limit contact for the next three days or so. Our conditioning schedule is a full one. We will be at the clinic every day starting tomorrow and through her transplant on Wednesday afternoon.
She will have chemotherapy treatments on Satuday, Sunday, and Monday. She will have a single lower dose total body irradiation on Wednesday morning and recieve her new stem cells on Wednesday afternoon.
The kids have been keeping cool in the pool and we are blessed to have functioning air conditioning at home, so the heatwave hasn't slowed us down too much.
Thank you all for the continued prayers as we move forward on this journey. We are thankful that things are progressing along as planned and are ready and excited for the full schedule this week! Today is day -6 as we look ahead to "Day 0" on Wednesday, August 3rd!