Tiny update from Gib

There are lots of wonderful posts from Alicia, Charlie, and Michelle below, which provide a nice "weekend update." If you are a Cliff Notes person, it is established that Bonnie failed to engraft (e.g. the new stem cells did not "take"). (Bonnie is 1 of 3 people treated in MN with a cord-blood transplant who failed to engraft -- terrible luck.)

She will begin a treatment mid this week. I believe the drug is called AGT and is an immune suppressant designed to suppress any residual t-cells in Bonnie's system. If these lone remaining t-cells are not suppressed, they could "fight" the new stem cells that will arrive via the second cord-blood transplant. No additional radiation or chemotherapy is required as Bonnie currently has no immune system, and the assumption is that the leukemic cells were obliterated with the last round of chemotherapy and radiation five weeks ago.

Given Bonnie has no immune system, she will have constant infections which her doctors will fight via anti-biotics targetted towards whatever infection she has at the moment. Four weeks after the second cord-blood transplant is administered via I.V., she should have a new immune system which is capable of fighting infection itself. Cross your fingers.

If you are struggling with medical concepts or "what's really going on..", it might be a good time to read, or re-read Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Cord-Blood Transplants... (but were afraid to ask).