AWESOME NEWS

We arrived home last night from our visit to Rome. There was a phone message from the Nurse Coordinator at the University of Michigan. The message was short but very sweet. "It's a go! Doctors Mineishi and Bloom conferred and Terry will have her stem cell transplant as scheduled on December 1st". Now we enter the next phase of her road to subduing the cancer.

A few people have asked some questions of this disease and the ensuing treatment. FYI, the stem cell transplant has nothing to do with embryonic stem cells. Terry will be receiving her own cells which were harvested from her bone marrow a few months ago. They have been "on ice" and will be defrosted just before the transplant procedure.

When Terry goes into the hospital for the transplant, we are told the procedure is rather anti-climatic. The cells are thawed and she will be given them by I.V. However due to a high dose of chemo given the day preceding the transplant Terry will have no ability to fight infections and will have to be hospitalized for a least two weeks and in a controlled form of isolation. She will be able to have visitors but whenever she wants to leave her room she will wear a mask. Terry will not be able to have fresh flowers or plants as they carry molds, fungi and other things that could do her harm.

Our prayers have been answered for this news. We know that a lot of people have been praying for her too. Please don't stop praying for her yet as she now needs a successful transplant. Thank you all for what you have done. God bless you all.