Hip-Wives

This guy has been guiding us on this journey since August 2022.  He's very direct, calm, straightforward, and well-spoken.  He's super tall and Leila's favorite thing about him is that he sits down to talk with her eye-to-eye. https://uoflhealth.org/provider/robert-emmons/

Super Duper Stem Cell Producer         12-28-22 Apheresis Day 2       2.46 + 6.2 = 8.66 mil Fantabulous! Today got off to a fabulous start!!  Early morning labs looked good. Their focus is on the number of stem cells circulating in Leila's blood stream.  That's what leads to a good collection.  Last night they gave Leila a different growth factor shot to push the stem cells out of her bone marrow and send them running through her blood stream.  Kinda like squeezing a sponge I suppose.   And wowee!!  Those stem cells ran rampant today. Could it be from the ice cream? The minimum circulation goal for today was 20, just like yesterday. Yesterday morning’s calculation was 29. Today it’s 83!!!!!  Yippee!!  She got hooked up to the machine and everything flowed smoothly.  Michelle, the nurse who's been sitting with us every moment the past two days, was encouraging about it being a good day...

​ Apheresis Day #1 Upon arrival Leila checked into her suite for the day They took 8 vials of blood (good thing she’s got great veins), gave her the growth factor shot, then she was whisked off to radiology for placement of the permanent catheter. Not sure why they call it that since it’s only there temporarily (probably 6 weeks).   Then back up to her room for the day. Once she got hooked up to the apheresis machine, Leila was able to rest and relax.  Since she couldn’t eat anything this morning, because of the anesthesia to place the port, so we packed lots of good food for her to munch on today.  Blood test results indicated her numbers looked great for a very successful harvest of the stem cells. The key calculation number they were looking for was a minimum of 20, Leila scored 29. Yeah!!    You go girl!! The goal is to get 6 million stem cells in the next two days. Enough for 2 transplants. Fingers crossed and good energy flowing . . . This machine is ...

Today's Intention: If you'd like to join us in our daily intentions - not that they'll actually get posted daily, but I'll do my best. Here is today's focus: May Leila's body use the growth factor injections she is receiving, to produce millions and millions of healthy, robust, vibrant stem cells. May any side effects be minimal to non-existent.  

Leila gives an update on multiple myeloma and treatment:  After leaving work in September, thinking that a stem cell transplant (SCT) would happen almost immediately, it's been a series of waits. The cancer, described by my oncologist as "an active disease" has been a little stubborn in letting go. The term remission is not widely used in myeloma-speak since this blood cancer is currently not curable - it relapses sooner or later. We went on vacation at the end of September to NC, scooting back a little early, only to find out my "numbers" had gone up dramatically, so the first pause occurred. This cancer has to be fairly well in-check before moving to SCT.  Earlier this month, we learned that it is within the limits needed to proceed. Onward to transplant. Sure, delays are disappointing, but there has been so much good in the waiting. Kristin and I have been able to take care of lots of personal business that had been ignored for a long time. No, we did not get...