Post Transplant

Mireya's had a good week. Some days better than others, but everything is progressing as expected. Mireya continues to have issues with nausea and has not been eating. It is not uncommon for patients to lose their appetite, but nutrition following a transplant is essential for recovery. It helps the body to resist infection and repairs tissue damaged by chemotherapy. Reya has seemingly lost interest in eating consistently, and a result, she was placed on TPN (Total Parenteral Nutrition) this week.

Now we wait. We wait for the transplanted marrow to 'set up shop' in Mireya's bones and begin producing normal blood cells. This is called 'engrafting'. The next two to four weeks are very critical. Reya's immune system is suppressed and she is susceptible to infections and bleeding. In addition to the medication to help with her stomach, organs, mouth, throat, and fluid retention, she is also receiving anti-rejection, anti-fungal and steroids to help protect and boost her white cells count. During this time she will receive blood and platelet transfusions to prevent infection and excessive bleeding. There's a condition called Graft versus Host Disease (GVHD) where newly transplanted marrow attacks what it deems to be 'foreign' cells in Mireya's body. In other words "where I am I, get me outta here" and 'it's not going down without a fight'. Our prayers speak specifically to her body receiving and responding favorably to the bone marrow.

It is important that Mireya's exposure to bacterial and viral infections be minimized during this time. She cannot have fresh fruits or vegetables and plants and flowers are also forbidden due to fungal and bacterial growth. Blood cultures are done daily to ensure there are no infections present in her body and to monitor her organ function. At some point in the last few days she was exposed to some sort of infection which was found growing in her cultures. An additional antibiotic was added to her regimen and as of today that infection is gone. Praise God! Daddy is feeling better and has been allowed back on the floor. That has made her extremely happy. Reya's been feeling lousy most of the week. The 'blahs' coupled with nausea and vomiting has made it difficult to get her up and going. Her Drs. want her up and moving to eliminate any type of infections that could occur as a result of being sedentary for long periods of time while bed ridden. I was happy yesterday to see Reya up and out of the bed playing with her dolls and dollhouse.

Overall everything is on track. It remains a day to day journey and faith walk. We're standing on the word of God, and trusting the Lord through it all. We are reminded that God will give us all we need as we continue to serve him. Phillippians 4:19 You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus. (The Message/Remix)