We returned from the hospital with good news. The Stem Cell Collection for yesterday was 1,080,00 and this brings the grand total to 3,770,000. Today will be the last day for collection because Dr. Anderlini said adding today’s total to the total collection will bring the numbers to where we need them. Maybe not 5,000,000 but close enough.

They are very careful to make sure I get my own stem cells when they do the transplant. Two vials of blood are drawn before each collection and this is labeled, then the stem cells are labeled and shown to me after the collection, then a vial of the collection is drawn and labeled and this is where they get the numbers of stem cells for each day collection.

My other numbers are pretty bad and I have to go in the morning for a blood specimen and they will check the numbers and if they remain where they are today, decisions will have to be made. There is a good chance I will have to have transfusions. My hemoglobin is 8.5 and the norm is 12.0-16.0. My Magnesium is 1.6 the norm 1.8-2.0 and Magnesium was piggybacked to one of my lines today during the collection and return.

After giving the blood specimen, I will return to the Pheresis Clinic to have the catheter changed. This large line will be removed because it was installed and used in the stem cell collection. A smaller line will replace it and it will have three lumens because there will be so many medications administered to me during the transplant.

We have an appointment with Dr. Anderlini at 1:00 tomorrow and he will answer any questions we have and give us our upcoming schedule.

Well we continue to progress and will soon move to the next phase.