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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Lupus / October 2003stem cells collected
Hi all: I am out of the hospital for a week. This month I had a new chemo (Ara-C) and then took drugs to stimulate my stem cell growth. After a bit of a scare, I finally grew enough cells to harvest and spent two days hooked to a machine giving them up. In Nov. I have the "lethal chemo" that is supposed to kill all my cancer and with it the bone marrow. It will be a rough time....then I get my cells back and the long recovery starts.. My leg is still a bit weak. My arm which was practically useless, is getting stronger and my fingers have regained some movement but it's a long way from workable fine motor skills. Thank you for your care and support. God bless you, Grace. 403-262-7891 Hi Grace! Bless your heart. We've been so worried about all you're going through. Thank you for giving us an update. I had wondered about the stem cells. Whether they'd take your's or donated ones for the transplant. What a wonderful thing this will be if it works correctly. I read an article about it here recently. They're studying how it helps those with Lupus etc.. One girl was near death with her Lupus & they did the transplant & it had wonderful results! I'm not trying to downplay what you'll have to go through to get there. I know it's gonna be terrible, Grace. You & your family are my continued thoughts & prayers. Maggie > Bless your heart. We've been so worried about all you're going through. > Thank you for giving us an update. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > You & your family are my continued thoughts & prayers. I echo your sentiments and thoughts Marg, Grace is taking it Ara-C for CNS Lymphoma. (is my understanding) (just to be clear so other posters/readers don't ask if it's a new therapy for Lupus). Ara-C (Cytarabine) Ara-C is one of the older chemotherapy drugs which has been around and in use for many decades. http://www.tirgan.com/arac.htm Best wishes to you both, Hugs J Hi Grace, Not a day goes by without thoughts of you. I was so glad to see you post. I will be praying for you as you go through the next stages of this long process. Blessings to you and your family. BJ-Sk. Canada > Hi all: > [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > 403-262-7891 It is so good to hear from you, Grace. I had been reading some about the stem cell transplants. I had never heard the word "autologous" used in the donor sense. But that is what they had done in the patient I read about... and no risk of rejection. I know how painful it is getting to the bone marrow, and you are bearing up so well. How long does it take after they put your bone marrow in, until you are "safe" from infections, etc. do you know how long that will take. My best wishes for your healing Mair > Hi all: > [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > 403-262-7891 Hi Mair! Yes, I'm having an autologous transplant, so I get my cells back when my bone marrow is incidentally killed by the serious chemo. It is not painful as in the older method of transplant when they actually dug in the bone! They give injections that increase stem cell production, and they're ejected into the blood stream where they're collected by an apheresis (sorta like dialysis) machine. The injections can cause pain in the bone marrow though. I have the chemo for a week then I get the cells back. Patients are often released after two more weeks, but I don't know when the "counts" start coming up... Grace. Grace, Yes, I was thinking of a bone marrow biopsy type of collection. You've had enough already. My ex used to work at City of Hope Cancer Research Center in Duarte, California. They do a lot of radical stuff there, and I would always hear about it. I don't quite understand how they can use your own marrow without risking that it would have lupus, too. But I'll read and try to figure that out. Obviously it works, and you sure don't want to risk Graft Versus Host reaction. If you don't know what that is, don't trouble yourself because it ain't gonna happen to you. You are in my deepest thoughts, Mair > Hi Mair! > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Grace. Hi Mair: Well, first of all they aren't making any promises about the lupus, this is treatimg the cancer... but the idea is that I'll be starting with a brand new immune system, which is why I have to get all my childhood shots again! I didn't always have lupus so hopefully I can miss this time whatever triggered it... I will keep you informed...I'm sure the possibilities are interesting to all of us... Grace. > I don't quite understand how they can use your own > marrow without risking that it would have lupus, too. > Well, first of all they aren't making any promises about the lupus, this is > treatimg the cancer... but the idea is that I'll be starting with a brand new [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > I will keep you informed...I'm sure the possibilities are interesting to all of > us... So nice to have you posting again Grace, I missed ya :-) So sorry about the thumbs. Hugs J |
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