Waitng for Transplant - March13 - Update

Hello Friends and Family,

Whew...much has transpired this past week that we want you to know...here goes our best try to keep you up-to-date with praying for Trudy.

Trudy will be admitted to M. D. Anderson (MDA) Hospital on March 24, 2010...just three years and 10 days from the day she was admitted there for A.L.L. treatments. This time she will receive a Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant. The unrelated donor cells will come from the umbilical cord blood of a birthed infant. The "banked" cord blood is being transported to MDA and will be on-site by Trudy's admission date. This is so amazing and humbling...too much to comprehend for our feeble minds...that physically, Trudy will be sort of "born again" (ie, given new life) from the DNA cells of a baby. Forgive me a quote from the ancient Hebrew, but ... WOW!

The entire process will take some four months. First, is the hospitalization, which will be for four to five weeks. The utilization of the cord blood cells will require some extended time for the infant cells to learn their job and mature enough to "carry the mail" of building red, white, and platelet cells. Next, as the process of Trudy's bone marrow's acceptance and development of the new stem cells progress to the next stage, she will be discharged from in-patient to out-patient status. She will move to an apartment in the medical center area from which she will return to MDA daily for evaluation and treatments. She will grow progressively stronger during this time which could be up to three months. After she is deemed ready for discharge from out-patient status, she will return home to Louisiana where she will be followed by our local Oncologist.

We are very thankful that all the insurance approvals have come through, and the apartment arrangements are reserved. Trudy has her retirement plan approved and Robert has the gracious backing of the churches and trustees of his associational position. We simply but surely know that God has been very much active in all this. Again ... WOW!

Okay, I know this is too long to deal with...bless you for staying with this...but here is the immediate prayer issues. Trudy will undergo a single induction of chemo that will effectively take her bone marrow out. The donor stem cells will be then introduced. The supply of donor cells is relatively small and "inexperienced." Please pray that they will "take" and that they will systematically learn and accomplish their role of producing blood cells. There will be the inevitable and tense time between the loss of Trudy's own bone marrow production of cells and the onset of the donor cells ability to produce cells. Next, we pray that the side effects will be manageable and mild in these critical early days.

Thank you for your prayers...each one is needed, felt, and greatly appreciated. We will keep you posted.

Blessings,
Trudy and Robert