Failure to mobilise.

To say I'm a bit pissed off and frustrated would be an understatement.
My blood counts today are excellent as far as supporting life is concerned, however the CD34 stem cell count is pathetic. As a result the doctors have decided to give up on harvesting a new batch of stem cells and go with the ones already in storage.

Personally I'd have waited another couple of days. However Dr D'Souza tells me that he is totally convinced I won't mobilise any new stem cells.
This afternoon I return to the hospital for another unit of platelets and then my vas-cath line will be removed from my neck. I've never given up on anything in my entire life and to have someone else pull the plug is a big pill to swallow.

Treatment-wise it's still full speed ahead. The old stem cells will be fine, it will just take a little longer for them to engraft because of the slightly reduced size of that harvest too. It's about 3/4's of what would normally be used for a transplant. The end result is I will be in the 'at risk' period for longer, perhaps as much as an extra week.

It should all happen in the next couple of weeks. Meantime I will be getting as much exercise as I can and eating heaps to put some weight back on. I only weigh 70kg and I'll loose a heap more during the high dose, so it's important to try and cram some more weight on now. My ulcers have almost completely healed now, so I can eat proper food again!. Yay! No more soups.

Right! must go and get this line removed etc. (at least I will be able to sleep on my right side again)