Monday, October 13, 2008

Transplant

My dad had his second stem-cell transplant on Friday at the Huntsman Center in SLC. I got to be there this time and it was really neat. Due to a fever spike the week before and the day of we weren't sure if he was going to stay on schedule. But they gave the okay.

In the waiting room.

My sister Jana, Noel (Amy's boyfriend), sister Amy and my mom.

BMT Clinic at Huntsman


He was so sick from the chemo and he slept through most of the transplant


Pulling out the frozen stem-cells. I think they were at a minus 320 degrees.


Dr. Tricot gives the okay for the transplant. He is such a wonderful man.



They gave my dad lollipops to suck on during the transplant. The DMSO (preservative that they combine with his stem-cells so that they don't break down) is quite powerful. It not only smells bad but puts a horrid taste in my dad's mouth. So they combat that with some sugary goodness!




My dad's stem-cells


These little guys have been on ice since they were harvested from my dad back in June. They originally collected 30+ million stem-cells. He received 4 million stem-cells for his first transplant in July. This time he is getting two bags for a total of 7 million stem-cells.


Getting things hooked up


If you looked close you could see clumps of the stem-cells through the IV. It was really neat. I tried to get a close-up, but the camera had a hard time focusing on the IV tube. So this is the best I could do.



This was a really neat experience... It is amazing to me what these doctors and nurses do to save the lives of their patients. I am so grateful to them for their knowledge and compassion. It is hard to watch my dad be so sick - but he and my mom have such positive attitudes. I'm so very proud to be their daughter!

2 comments:

The Marlin's said...

I was getting worried with no blog updates. I glad things are as good as they can be. Take care and tell your Dad he is in our prayers.

Unknown said...

The transplant is indeed amazing! I hope he will be feeling better soon. I hope to see you next week.