Transfusion Day

We saw first hand today how the shortage of blood donors can lead to panic. Thankfully, only that! The hospital informed me that the delay was because Toledo is short on platelets so we had to wait. (Thank you, dear Sherri for letting Shayla go to your house after school and for taking her swimming. She had a ball!) As always, Christi took everything in stride and was her upbeat, joke-telling old self! She is feeling quite well and she is a hoot! (The picture was taken in 2004 at a blood drive Christi sponsored. She's holding her current teacher- Mrs. Smith's hand. I LOVE this picture! And I'll never forget how nervous Caroline was!! hee hee!)

It’s hard to believe the big day is coming in just one week. Some have asked what Christi would like for her 9th birthday, so I asked her at he hospital today. She told me, “Nothing. I received the three things I wanted: a Siamese cat, the American Girl Horse Styling Accessories kit, and I think Aunt Tina will give me a note to spend a week at her house when she comes up for my birthday.” (I think she’s right!) So there you have it, she’s in great shape! Thank you, Christi supporters – just keep the prayers coming; that’s all the little birthday girl needs!

Tomorrow will find us getting the girls’ dance pictures for Dance Unlimited taken and then Christi and I’ll head out. Now that Shayla is also wearing size 10/12, Christi and I are going to do a little clothes shopping before Sarah’s birthday party in Findlay. And since Shayla told me last night that Grandma Nee Nee buys her ice cream every day after school when I’m in Philly, I know why the girls are only three pounds apart now and are wearing the same clothes, despite Christi not being very happy about it. “Shayla, that’s my shirt. You can wear it, but don’t spill anything on it.” Sisters!!

It appears that Dr. Maris pulled it off!! The BSO/LPAM trial information came; it's nearly one hundred pages, but I've nearly skimmed it all. She won't be on the study, but Dr. Maris will be following it closely with Christi. I wasn't very pleased to learn of the 30 patients (mostly from the west coast) who tried it and lived, less than 30% had a response of some sort. CHOP has all of her pre-treatment visits scheduled for one crazy day. (THANKS, CHOP! It's important to us that Christi be in school as much as possible.) We will fy out at 5:30 AM on Thursday, May 18th and hopefully be back for what will be Christi's last day of 4th grade on Friday, May 19th. Christi will do this treatment at CHOP and Dr. Maris did not want her to do it until he would be there to check on her every day; therefore, it was tentatively set up for June 6th; however, I explained that her dance recital was June 10th and I asked if could it be done before or after that so that she could dance. Waiting with that much disease circulating your body isn't a good idea so I'm thankful that Dr. Maris arranged some things and now has her scheduled to begin the treatment on May 22nd, have her stem cells transplanted back in her on May 26th and with a lot of luck and a lot of prayers, we should return home on June 2nd - although that may be optimistic.