Sabine's sister, Barbara, and husband, Ken, arrived yesterday to help us through the stem cell transplant. Barbara is looking forward to helping me be Sabine's "patient advocate" during her three weeks in the hospital.
Tomorrow morning (Tuesday, April 28) we will get up around 4 a.m. and complete our dialysis before heading to University Hospital for a 10 a.m. "check-in." Sabine will receive the chemotherapy and two days later receive back the stem cells which were harvested from her in March.
We are looking at a three week hospital stay while the cells take "root." When Sabine is released we will be headquartering at the cottage in Mazomanie (a more sterile environment than the farm) for at least the next 100 days.
I think we are all prepared for the coming ordeal. One one hand it is very scary just thinking about all that she will have to go through and how crappy she will feel during this time. I am feeling -- crisis! On the other hand, the transplant is a great opportunity (I have heard that the Chinese character for "crisis" consist of the characters for "danger" and "opportunity") for her to get a better quality of life and she could even be chemotherapy-free for up to a couple of years.
So, I enter into this feeling strong and positive. Sabine has prepared for this through daily exercise, good nutrition, and her ever-present happy outlook on life! (That's why I love her, so!!)
Stay tuned for my blogs from the bowels of the hospital...
