I'm reminded I haven't updated lately on my folks, although I check in here daily to keep up with the rest of you and yours, so here goes:
My Dad is doing great, he even went to work a few days this week... lucky him, his office is ONE block from home, so no driving necessary. And yesterday we got lots of info on Mama. Her white counts have been steadily rising, but this week she got a terrible rash. Now we know that it's a rash resulting from ending one of her drugs, not a sign of Graft vs. Host Disease. GVH can actually be a good thing (in small qty) b/c it means the body recognizes something foreign. Turns out that's not the case b/c Mama's white cells are 95% her own, only 5% from my brother, so essentially the transplant didn't take. That sounds horrible, but the fact that her own are growing back makes this almost like an autologous transplant, which can work as well. We don't know what any of this means in terms of her long-term prognosis, but short-term it means she'll likely be home in a few weeks, b/c she won't have to be monitored so closely for signs of rejection. Her spirits remain strong. Having the 2 of them back together should do them BOTH some good, I know this separation has been tough, and my sister is anxious to be home as well. Here, it'll be easier to share the load, and less load altogether. Modern medicine is a gift from God!
Thank you all for your prayers and concern, you've expanded my sisterhood! Florence
