Day -7

Day -7 means that we are 7 days away from transplant. The days will count down to 0, which is the actual transplant day, and from then on, his days will be counted as +1, +2, and so on. This is the lingo used in the world of BMTs.

We are still scheduled to be admitted tomorrow at 8:00am. We will begin treosulfan and fludarabine as soon as is it prepared. These two drugs typically infuse without any problems. In fact, with older patients, they are infused on an out patient basis. They like to admit the little ones because they can't communicate problems as easily, so it's better to have the medical staff monitoring them closely. Sunday, will be the same two drugs. After that, things become more risky when he receives rabbit ATG for three days straight. Almost every patient has some type of severe reaction to it. ATG is necessary to prevent graft versus host disease (GVHD), where the new cells attack Jacob's tissues, seeing it as something foreign. It is important to suppress the immune system dramatically in order for the new cells to get settled and comfortable in their new home without attacking their new host.

This week has been difficult emotionally. Of course no one would want to put their child through this, especially twice, but we don't have a choice. I have to trust that our Heavenly Father is in control and trust in his plan for Jacob's life. I hope that Jacob will be able to be a living testament of our Father's love, mercy, and power.

A big thank you to everyone who is praying for Jacob and our family and submitting his name to temple prayer rolls. He continues to be infection free, his blood counts look great, and as far as I know, our donor is 100% on board to donate on April 6th. We give thanks for this wonderful woman and pray that her procedure will go smoothly.