2nd Bone Marrow Transplant, 2005

It was around September 2005, I had had a couple of rounds of chemotherapy, and it was time to be admitted for my second bone marrow transplant. Prior to that, the doctors and the technicians in the lab had completed and studied a lot of my bloodwork and bone marrow. The knowledge the doctors had gained in the two-year period was unbelievable. The research and advancements that had been made were amazing. They had learned ways to identify markers within the donor and recipient to find a better match. Through the lab work, doctors learned that I had the same type of Leukemia that I had in 2003. I also had the same translocation of the number 6 and 11 chromosomes indicating I had to have another unrelated donor. The donor search began, but a match could not be found in the United States. The team had to search internationally, and thankfully a match was found. The donor was a 20-year-old female from Germany. We were not supposed to know she was from Germany, but she sent me a ceramic angel prior to transplant. The angel was sent to the hospital and it was wrapped in a German newspaper in the box. One year later, with her consent, we were able to contact each other. We became close friends and chatted frequently through the internet. Sabine is from Hochstadt An Der Donau, Germany which is in the Bavarian region. My mom and I were able to travel to meet her several years later. She is a blessing!

After learning that I needed another bone marrow transplant, the doctor informed me that I needed radiation as well. They did not want to give me radiation the first time, but since I relapsed it was necessary the second time. When I was admitted for my bone marrow transplant, I had another week of chemotherapy plus three days of total body radiation. The chemotherapy before transplant is very strong and works differently than with other treatments. The doctors wanted to kill all of my cells and marrow so that it would not return. When certain values got to zero, they would give me the donors bone marrow to regenerate in the place of mine. With other chemotherapy treatments it is not as they want your cells to return. With bone marrow transplant the doctors are replacing your marrow with someone else’s marrow. The doctor does not want my marrow to start regenerating with the chance of Leukemia cells returning.

Radiation was given in the Gravely Building located across the drive from the main hospital. That building was old and scary. UNC demolished it a few years ago. On the three days I had radiation, the transport person would take me in a wheelchair. I would wrap up in a blanket because it was always cold rolling through those long halls. The transporter would take me down to the basement then through a tunnel under the driveway to reach the Gravely Building. He would roll me to the door of the room where I received the radiation and leave me until the technician was ready. That is how they did for any kind of test or scan you needed. Sometimes I would sit in a hall for a couple of minutes or half an hour, and it was always cold and uncomfortable. When they were ready to do my radiation, the technician would role me into a small room with a stretcher positioned against the wall and a radiation machine. I would sit on the middle of the stretcher with one of my sides against the wall. The person would place me in a small footprint of a space. My feet were pulled as close to my body as possible with my arms on top of my knees and my head bent down. Basically, I was balled up in a sitting position. The technician would go out of the room, and start the radiation. After 3 minutes the technician would return, turn the stretcher around, and do the same thing again on the other side. It was total body radiation so they had to position me just right so that all of my body was exposed, and do it on both sides. I had to be positioned in a small area to fit the machines small range.

Not only was this building old and scary, but the room I had my treatment in was really scary. Hanging on the walls all around the room were face masks. I do not know if it was for people who had brain tumors or what, but it was creepy. They were made of some type of dark meshy material and molded to fit a person’s face. The walls were white and those darker color faces were hanging all around the room, up, down, and around. Plus, the dim lighting casted shadows across the walls. It looked like faces floating around the room staring at me. I only had to do this for three days and I was glad when it was over.

One or two weeks after chemo and radiation my body was ready for my donor’s marrow. Bone marrow transplant is not a surgical procedure like an organ transplant. When it was time, the cells were hung in a bag just like any other IV medication. The nurse attached them to the line in my chest. After the nurse programmed the IV pump and hit start, the transplant began. Pre meds were given because allergic reactions were possible, but I did fine.

My first donor was a male two years older than me from Saginaw, Michigan. The marrow was sent to UNC fresh and ready to transplant immediately. My second donor was a female two years younger than me from Germany. Since the marrow was coming from another country It took longer to receive, so preservatives were used to keep it fresh. You always knew when someone was getting a bone marrow transplant with preservatives because it smelled just like canned cream corn. Creamed corn may smell delicious cooking at home, but in a hospital setting not so much. It wasn’t until years later that mom and I could smell or eat canned cream corn. Now every time we smell it, we both think of bone marrow transplant.

In 2003, my bone marrow transplant was scheduled for October 20th. The bone marrow was coming straight after the donor donated it, there was a small delay, and I actually received it a few hours after midnight on October 21st. In 2005, my bone marrow transplant was also scheduled for October 20th, and on October 20, 2005, I had my second bone marrow transplant. So, I was diagnosed and relapsed with Leukemia almost exactly 2 years apart, and I had transplant one and two almost exactly two years apart too. Thank you so much Sabine for doing such a kind, life saving, good deed for a complete stranger. Good deed is not even the correct term for this. It is so much more. You will never know how grateful my family and I are for you! God worked another miracle in my life and I am so thankful and blessed. Faith over Fear!