03/19/2015:

I meet with Dr. Safah.  She is not happy with the results at all.  She said that the Lymphoma appears to have relapsed.  There are new small spots showing, and the abdomen where the Shingles were, has only continue to grow bigger with an SUV over 10.  She said it is time to start preparing for Transplant #2.  This time it will be an allogenic transplant, rather than an autologous transplant.  This means that the stem cells will come from someone else.  My sisters will be worked up to see if they are a match, if they are, they will need to go through everything that I went through last time, in preparation and harvesting of their stem cells, the constant shots to increase the number of stemcells in the blood stream, and then the pheresis process to collect the stem cells pulling blood from them pulling out just the stem cells and then putting the blood back into their body.  Anyways she orders bloodwork, and swabs.  I will be meeting with a Dr. Weaver on Tuesday to discuss how the biopsy will be done to obtain access to the lymphnodes in question.  It will most probably happen via Mediastinoscopy.  Once the biopsy is in and if it confirms the progression of the disease, then brentuximab for 3 or so cycles, then Transplant #2.  Transplant #2 includes additional risk, as now I am getting someone elses’s cells.  Graft-versus-host disease is the main concern as the transplanted cells may start to attack me, which is wanted to cure the cancer, but not completely as then greater life threatening risk come into play.  Dr. Safah assures me this can usually be kept in control with blood test and open communication about anything and everything with me and her.  The fun has just begun.

I step out of the room where my blood is drawn and two swabs of one side of my mouth, and then two swabs of the other side of my mouth for matching me for the most compatible donor.

Then off I am sent.

My parents and I visit a few St. Joseph Day altars, then head home.  Still sinking in.  I got work to do, ahh, time for work to become a distraction all over again, but also time to start keeping my blog up to date again with the happenings and my progress and what is done and my journey with everything.

Time to get #2 over with!