News Flash - change of schedule

We got a phone call today from Vicki, the transplant coordinator. Doug's schedule has been accelerated. We still leave this Wed to be at the clinic early Thursday morning to sign consents. But instead of going to Denver for two separate trips, now we go for just one 30 day stay. This is good; if all goes according to plan, we might get to come home as early as April 6.

The reason for this acceleration is that Doug has been approved to get a new drug called Mozobil -- this will greatly speed the mobilization and collection of his stem cells.

Mozobil was just approved by the FDA in December 2008 and currently has orphan drug status. We (with the help of the transplant team) had to jump through several hoops to get this drug.

Here is a quote from Genzyme, maker of Mozobil:
"Mozobil is designed to mobilize hematopoietic stem cells from the bone marrow into the bloodstream where they can be collected, making it more likely for patients with certain types of cancers to proceed to transplant. Currently, before a transplant can take place, patients may receive a prescribed dose of chemotherapy and/or other drugs called growth factors to help mobilize their hematopoietic stem cells into the bloodstream. Once the cells are released into the bloodstream, they are collected in preparation for a transplant.
In order for the transplant to take place, a minimum number of approximately 2 million stem cells per kilogram of body weight must be collected. For many patients, this process can take three or four hours over multiple days to complete."

So we are on the fast track now -- speeding along but trying to stay calm and focused. Doug is better at that than I am. I had thought that we had a two week stay and then would come back home before the actual high dose chemo and stem cell transplant. Now the complete process will be done in one trip, and Doug will come home with low immunity.

Need to kick the house cleaning into high gear, so he can have a safe environment when we get back home.