Had our meeting with Dr Shafey and the nursing team at the Tom Baker Bone Marrow transplant centre today. Things moving along fast now. They have two excellent (?) allogenic (non-related genetically) donors lined up and will be ready to start the preparations by beginning August now. This means too that in the ensuing 7-8 weeks there is going to be a huge list of tests, investigations and meetings with specialists as I get a thorough medical and health/fitness overhaul before any procedures begin. We (Anne and I) still plan to take our road trip through B. C. and holiday on Vancouver Island with Melody and Mike and the boys - visiting with family in Vancouver as the natural book ends to this mini Summer vacation. So much will yet have to be crammed into what remains of June and early July as well as that last week in July before I get voluntarily hospitalised for the month to 6 weeks involved in preparation for and early recovery from the transplant. Then there will be at least two months living in close proximity to the TBCC afterwards while I will still need pretty intensive monitoring and care. We have some good friends who have offered their condo to us while we go through this period.
The simple probabilities are a 20% liklihood of dying from collateral damage done by the preparations themselves - but the flip side is that there is an 80% chance of surviving these harsh chemotherapy and total body radiation sessions! I'll have to take those odds! There is also about a 33% + chance of developing a severe Graft versus Host rejection reaction afterwards - with all the long term complications ensuing from the immuno-suppressant drugs entailed therein to fight that rejection.
I had less than a 50% chance of getting put into remission from the Hodgkins itself but so far it seems I have faced that Bear and been able to walk away unscathed and in remission - thanks to incredible help and attention from the medical teams that worked on my behalf - but both it and the even Grizzlier Bear of the CLL will return (and return with a vengeance) if left untreated - and there is no cure for either through further chemotherapy - other than this Bone Marrow Stem Cell transplant procedure. This is Plan B - there is no Plan C afterwards...
Wish me - and especially my family - luck as both I and my immediate family enter the emotional and physical maelstrom once more... Thanks again too everyone for all the selfless support given and offered - you have no idea just how much it all means to everyone here!