Trying To Get To Transplant

Hello everybody. Thanks for visiting the blog and checking up on me.

We had a delay in the bone marrow stem cell transplant. It was originally suppose to occur on August 17. But the doctor noticed a couple of spots in my lungs when he examined the CAT scan and was concerned it might be a small infection. As he said, a small problem now becomes a major problem during transplant. So he had a bronchoscopy performed to get a sample of the stuff in my lungs to see if it is indeed an infection. The bronchoscopy is a procedure where they run a tube down your throat and into your lungs. They then squirt a little saline solution into the lung and suck it back out and then put the sample in a petri dish to see if it will grow anything. And, yes, thankfully, they do knock you out to do the bronchoscopy.

They want to give the sample a couple of weeks to grow something. Those two weeks are up on August 21. They have me scheduled to begin the process again on August 22 with a transplant date of September 2. Unfortunately September 2 is when Tech plays Notre Dame. But it is a night game and if I can get them to give me the stem cells early in the day, then I can still catch the game. We have to keep our priorities in order you know. I hope they don't mind a little yelling and screaming in the hospital. My prediction is 35 to 7 ND, unfortunately.

I am back at home this week of August 14 until they give me the green light on the 21st. If they don't proceed then that will mean several weeks of antibiotics to clear up whatever they find in the lungs. That will push things way back easily into 2007. There is a minimum stay in Houston of 100 days post transplant, so any further delay and I am definitely wishing for a white Christmas in Houston.

Many thanks to Pete English for setting up this blog for me. He's a long time friend and fellow TEC group member. For a UGA grad he ain't half bad. LOL

I'll keep you posted on the progress.