The Apheresis

We were told we had to be in the hospital between 8 and 9, but when we arrived at 8.45 they called me by my name: "Mrs. Grünwald, we are waiting for you!" and then they took me directly to the Apheresis room.  Dr. Neben had asked if my veins were ok and I had told him that my right arm ones were stenosed due to many years having different treatments... So he said they would put me a neck IV line, that 10% of people had to have it like that. Anyway, the nurse checked and rechecked them... They put me a heating pad over my arm and waited 20 minutes.  She then managed to insert IV lines in both arms!!!!!! I was so happy!!! 

After an hour the nurse approached and said everything indicated that the stem cell account wouldn't be enough and she asked Nachita to pick up two more neupogen injections from the hematological department, that she didn't know yet if there were going to be one or even two more apheresis... Tomorrow is a public holiday here, but she said they would go to the hospital anyway... She said that was common and it was possibly because my bone marrow was very damaged due to the many treatments I've taken.

Everytime she approached and explained about the next apheresis I told her: "that is IF there are not enough..."  

Nachita and I made up our mind and were kind of given up... Everything happens for a reason...  

We were there almost four hours listening to mantras and cheer up music, until they finally took the stem cells to the lab... 

After twenty minutes the doctor called me on someone's mobile phone and she said that against all odds, I had 2.9 million stem cells per kilo, and that amount was great!!! I couldn't speak........ I was absolutely shocked...... I gave Nachita the phone and bursted into tears. I held the nurse (Beatrix) tightly... She was so sweet..  Later Nachita told me how impressed they were at the lab, because they thought I wouldn't have enough SC..

We have to call the hospital next Thursday to learn about the next step.
It was an exhausting and magic day...