Let the fun begin

We went back to LDS last Friday to check in with the doctors. They had Josh get blood work done to see where his platelets were at. They had went from 51 to 57 in our week wait. The eight doctors all meet before we got there and had decided that they couldn't, and shouldn't, wait any longer to get started with the stem cell transplant, since it has been 2 months since his last treatment. They know that his cancer is responsive to treatment and the point of getting the 2 treatments before this was to shrink as much  of the disease as they could. They are worried about the tumors growing in the time since his last treatment. They went ahead and started the shot that boosts his white blood cells. Today when we went in, his platelets were up to 63....they're moving in the right direction, just very slowly. Josh had his central line placed in his chest  this afternoon and we went back tonight to get a different shot that pulls his blood from his bones out into his blood stream. We go in bright an early tomorrow morning to start the collection process. He will be hooked up to the machine for 5 hours. The lab will count the cells sometime in the afternoon and then they'll let us know if they have enough or if we need to go back. We were told that it usually takes up to 3 days to collect enough cells. I worry because 1) he has a very low platelet count and 2) they have to collect enough cells for two transplants. If they don't collect enough cells by Saturday, they will freeze what they have, Josh will have to take a two week break and we will start this process over. When they collect the cells it drops the platelet count (this is why they want the number over 100) so Josh may have to have a transfusion if they drop to low.

Stay tuned, I'll let ya know when we're all done with this step and what they say the plan is moving forward. Thanks again for the bottom of our hearts for the thoughts and prayers!!!!