It's harvest time!! UPDATE

This is the week we've pointed to for some time. And talk about a structured regimen. Here's what the week looks like from a schedule standpoint:

7:30 am - Arrive at Brown Cancer center; vitals measured

8:00am - Lab work

8:15am - Injection of growth stimulating factor (GSF), which is Neupogen 

8:30 am - Vitals measured again to be sure no negative reaction to the GSF injection

9:00 am - Stem cell harvest begins. The technical and medical name for this is known as Apherisis. This collection process basically goes all day, as in 9am - 4pm . . . kind of like a full time job, except you don't get paid . . . rather, we pay them. That's not a bad setup, huh?

So today is Day 1 of this regimen, and as of 11am, I am actually still waiting for lab work to return. Once it does and once the doctor has determined there are sufficient cells to harvest, they will take me down to the Vascular area of the Cancer center to insert a port, referred to as a "Shiley." That port will serve as the access point to remove and harvest the stem cells as well as the entry point when the blood is returned to my body. Think of this harvesting procedure similar to what a dialysis patient goes through.

And if all goes well, by Friday afternoon, we should have enough stem cells to do TWO possible autologous transplants. That's the objective here this week.   

So a lot of hurry up and wait so far. Thank goodness Wimbledon is going on right now . . . that's a very pleasant distraction from all these tubes, needles, and machines.   

Day 1 - Monday

Wouldn't you know it? Injections of the GSF the last 3 days have had no material impact on the quantity of stem cells available for harvest. Using the multiplier formula that the docs and nurses use, shows a final number of 2.85%. As Dr. Tse and Dr. Chao said, "We could hook you up, but it would probably be a waste of time and money." So Monday turned out to be more of a "failure to launch." At 6pm, I received an injection of mozubil, which is designed to mobilize and increase the stem cell harvest process. Today is now officially in the books.

Day 2- Tuesday

Arriving at 8am, I know for sure we are doing something today. By 9am, I am down in the lower level of the Brown Cancer Center, receiving this port, called a Shiley. A fun, little 20 minute procedure where a central line catheter is inserted at the base of my neck and will serve as the entry and exit points for the stem cells to be removed from the circulating blood and that blood returned back into my bloodstream.

This is the machine used to process and collect all the stem cells. My med tech, Helen Fields, and maybe Starship Enterprise navigator Mr. Sulu are the only ones capable of operating this rascal.

Lab work was completed and shows a WBC of 24.7, which is a good number. The med tech doing the procedure today is optimistic we will have a good day. That multiplier number that needs to be ideally above a 10, is actually standing at 29.2 so they have reason for optimism. 6  hours later, and after all the tubes have been unhooked and the sample stem cell vial tested, the doctors declare it a good day, harvesting more than 6 million stem cells, on our way to 10 million total, which would be sufficient for TWO auto transplants, just in case. A shot of mozubil at 6pm, and I am done for the day.

Day 3 - Wednesday

It's 9am, and blood work is already back. My WBC is now an astronomical 45.2. I have never had a WBC that high, so doctors again are encouraged that we will have a successful harvest again today. Amazing what the power of a couple of injections of mozubil will do. 

This is not a painful, nor uncomfortable procedure at all . . . just boring. The machine hums along pumping blood from the central line, where it's centrifuged and separated and the stem cells harvested. Then the blood is returned back to my circulating bloodstream.   At 2:30pm, the machine is unhooked and the tubes removed from these ports in my neck.    By 4pm, the results are back . . . an astonishing 8 million stem cells have been collected on this day, bringing the two day total to 14 million stem cells, far exceeding the 10 million the doctors had hoped for.   

So the harvest is now complete. No more mozubil, neupogen, or uncomfortable central line ports . . . at least for now.  

Dr. Tse and Dr. Chao are extremely pleased and confident. Not everybody has a good response to a collection procedure like this, so I am thankful for a great and encouraging outcome. Two days being hooked up to that device and we collected 40% more than expected.  I am elated, but frankly, we all know there is a higher power at work here. Thank you, Lord, for Your grace, care, and unconditional love as you continue your daily walk with me and give me the encouragement I need to beat this disease and be a testimony to your power and glory.