I came out to our parked vehicle in the basement of SCCA to drop off some unwanted Shann baggage and found on the windshield two red berries still attached to the stems.  It somehow seemed significant to me, as upstairs on the first floor radiology for Shann, and the 5th floor infusions for Mariya, two of my red and rare and beautiful berries were doing their respective work to join forces on yet another new trail—–stem cell transplant.

Mariya has been going through daily neupogen shots to ‘goose’ her body into overproduction of new blood cells—-so much so, that her large bones are actually aching as they ooze out the cells through the porous bone as she is now quadrupled her output in 6 days.  Meanwhile back at the ranch, Shann has  submitted her precious and fragile body to 5 days worth of chemo infusions and just now TBI (total body irradiation), as her old cells are killed off and her body prepared as best they know how, to receive Mariya’s stem cells tomorrow (August 21) which will henceforth be referred to as day 0.
On day + 3 and 4 (or more, depending on how Shann does) we will be up at U.W. Medical Center on the 7th floor as she will be given heavy doses of chemo to still Mariya’s cells, so that they aren’t being too aggressive in their battle with Shann’s cells.  And so will begin the watch for a grafting of the two bodies cells, and a hoped for minimum of harm, due to the dreaded GVHD (graft vs. host disease).  We have a drug regime in place,  that in some cases brings us out to day +180.  But for now its this next couple of weeks that we will be focused on, and will from time to time report out to you about.  Shann’s system will be significantly compromised and exposure to germs/fungus/virus’s —everything the world at large has to offer, will need be kept at ‘arms length’ .  Visits will most likely not be allowed for awhile.  As Shann feels fit, she will be reading notes of encouragement and humor and responding with her wonderful prose—mostly on  this blog site.

If you have business or general queries feel free to contact me.   Good cheer et al, use this blog or our joint email.

Onward and Upward!    Steve

Ps  For what its worth Shann tells me the sun is in Leo and the moon  is in Acquarius and there is a full moon tonight.