You know, the reality is, we spend so much of our time talking about Brad's BMT, that sometimes we forget others haven't been planning for this event like we have for the past 4+ years. If you haven't followed our blog from the beginning when Brad was diagnosed in 2009, he had extensive cancer throughout his body, similar to what we're seeing now. Dr. Fintel was pretty confident we would see the cancer in his bone marrow and that we would likely be moving forward with a transplant (which we soon discovered other treatment options would be tried first). In preparation for a possible transplant, Brad's 3 brothers were tested to see if they were a match. It turns out that Brad's fraternal twin brother Chad was (is) a match, which wasn't a guarantee since they're not identical twins. It has been a HUGE blessing for us that we have known for the past several years, that when God's timing was right, we had a donor on the sidelines, unlike so many others who have to agonize whether a match exists for their loved one.
Brad will be having what's called a myeloablative allogeneic transplant. The "myeloablative" word refers to the hospitalized chemotherapy and/or radiation combination Brad will receive when he first arrives to Duke, completely eliminating his body's ability to make any blood cells. The "allogeneic" word is the type of transplant, which in this case indicates that Brad has a donor and is not using his own harvested cells in hopes of becoming cancer free. I keep telling Brad he needs to send Chad a big roll of bubble wrap to protect himself up until transplant!!
For Chad, the donation process, while time intensive for him, is an outpatient procedure. A couple weeks prior to transplant, Chad will travel to Duke for a day of tests and blood donation. Two weeks later, he'll return for a one week stay and he'll have daily visits to the transplant center where they'll be harvesting his blood cells in preparation for Brad to receive them. We need to think of a really phenomenal way to say thank you to Chad and his family! Really, how many times can somebody say they've saved a life?? Chad, you have NO idea how thankful we are to you and Lisa and this truly wonderful gift you are providing.
For Brad on the other hand, this is where many of his/our life changes begin. At the point Brad is hospitalized to begin the intense chemo and radiation, he'll be hospitalized in an ICU environment for approximately 30 days. Because the chemo is so intense and as indicated above, completely wipes out Brad's ability to make its own blood cells, Brad will have zero immune system. The slightest cough, germs, anything of the sort, can be deadly to him, which is why his environment and his visitors will be so restricted. It's strange to think about, but Brad's immune system will be likened to that of a newborn baby. Brad will even have to have his childhood vaccinations all over again, once his transplant oncologist indicates it's time to do so. The actual bone marrow transplant and the placement of cells into Brad is a quite simple process. Once Chad's cells are placed into Brad's body, they'll get settled into the marrow areas (where the good and bad cells were killed from the chemo) and begin to regenerate themselves. Is the transplant a guarantee that Brad's cancer will be gone? No, there's no guarantee, but this is the only hope we have that it could be and we're banking on that to pull us through!
Once Brad is released from in patient care, we'll continue to live at Duke for a couple of months so Brad can have tests and blood drawn daily. Brad has to be within 5 miles of the hospital for any potential emergency that could arise, which can happen easily since his immune system will be severely weakened. Although the first full year after a transplant is challenging for most, the first 100 days are the most critical for transplant patients and Brad will be monitored closely and tested often.
We know that there are lots of tests and procedures coming before we continue to move forward and we couldn't be more blessed with our cheering section of family and friends lifting us up. You know, the reality of all of this is that right now, as I sit here today and in this moment, I'm more excited for this process, than afraid. I'm excited about the opportunity for a new beginning. I'm excited about the potential for our family to live cancer free. I'm excited for my husband to start his life "over" and for us to move beyond cancer. Lately, it seems like everywhere I turn I'm seeing the exact same bible verse (no less than 5 times this past week - it's like it's hitting me in the head!) and I want to share it with you:
Isaiah 41:10
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
It's amazing how the right words, can make an impact at the right time. Here's hoping you hear the words you're looking for this week!!
Love,
Sandy
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