....that will do my stem cell transplant if I do it locally. I feel really good about the procedure and the odds he is giving - about 60% of first relapse patients can achieve cure with an autologous stem cell transplant. It is neat that he said right up front that the protocol he follows was developed by Dr. Moscowitz at Sloan Kettering. That is who I am going to see next week!!
This treatment process will take a few months if all goes well. The actual transplant process is almost done completely on an outpatient basis these days. It blows my mind that they will wipe out all of my bone marrow and with it my total immune system, then send me home to my house - does he know how poorly I clean!!?? And that we have two little germ carriers??!! Actually, it sounds pretty nice to be able to rest at home so long as there is no sign of fever. There are actually worse bugs at the hospital, and they see you daily for antiobiotic injections and blood counts. The actual transplant process will take about 3 weeks, but I will do a couple of chemo cycles before I get to the transplant step.
So we are all set to head up to Sloan Kettering next Wed/Thurs to meet with Dr. Moscowitz. I am so thankful to be able to get his opinion on my case and see if there is some reason I should follow a different protocol than the one proposed down here in Virginia. He claims there has been much learned in the last 13 years about Hodgkins, and he has a clinical trial ongoing. Plus, it will be great for Brant and I to have a quick trip up to New York. I am looking forward to walking in Central Park.
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