Day +22 & 100% engraftment day!

We had great news today, Jesse's bone marrow has engrafted 100%! This means that there is none of his old marrow left, there is only the new marrow. This should mean that the transplant has been a success, so long as the old marrow doesn't come back (unlikely now). Of course he still has to battle with GVHD and not succumb to any infections, but basically we have got what we came here to do.

Today has been so much better on so many levels. We had the great engraftment news. Bernie, Derek and my blood counts came back as super healthy (we still are waiting for the blood films but so far so good). And to top it all Jesse has been on significantly improved form (until just now...) He was happier when he woke, had very bad belly ache followed bye a short sleep, laughed and smiled at Basil Brush at lunchtime (something I haven't seen for a long time), and then at 2.30 this afternoon got off the bed. I, almost as a reflex, pulled a bedpan out. He said scornfully "No, not that. I want to get out of here!" I suggested the play room but he wasn't impressed, when I explained it was that or nothing (he was hooked up to 3 IV lines at the time) he shrugged his shoulders and went meekly. We played on the game cube for nearly 2 hours. To see him yesterday you wouldn't have thought that possible for a few weeks at least. He came back for a bath and by 5.30m he was tucked up safely in bed and fast asleep.

The consultant, Paul Veys, is going to double Jesse's steroids (although he was only on a half dose before) and is fairly confident that they will be able to get the GVHD under control. I really hope he can...

Derek and I managed a night out thanks to Maggie's kind offer to babysit. We had a very tasty, if expensive, Thai meal in Lambs Conduit Street. We got back to the house early (10.30pm) but as I was taking my coat off the phone rang. Fox Ward asking me to come back, Jesse had been sick but was telling all the nurses to leave the room with hand signals! I sorted him out but then he had very, very bad belly ache, it was very hard to watch, he was in a great deal of pain. He wasn't due any more IV anti spasmodic medicine for a couple of hours and it was the codeine that he'd thrown up, he didn't keep a second dose down either. So there wasn't much that could be done to help him.

It was a shame this happened, after been such a relatively good day. This is how Chloe put it in a email today (in response to the engraftment news)
"Derek has just told me the fantastic news And that Jesse is in the playroom today - almost unbelievable. Yesterday, while I was with him, he had his head in his hands! I could have wept for him. It seems so unfair but this good news makes it worthwhile."

Albie and Stan are coming to visit tomorrow. I can't wait, I haven't seen them for almost five weeks. And sadly Lily is going back to Glasgow. I will miss her, even though I only saw her once. She has been an enormous rock. I'm glad she is going back to her studies and I hope she continues to enjoy them. With some luck we will be back from here by the time she is home for Easter...

Must go, it is late and I am tired. Much love to you all,
Claudia
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