T - 2 or maybe 3 (Sunday, September 7)

T-2 or maybe 3 days and counting. Because Derek's new graft stem cells are coming from Europe, they will take a while to get here, so we are not sure if Derek will get them on September 9 or 10. But tomorrow, somewhere in Europe, the donor will go to
a collection center where he will be hooked up to a machine for up to six hours to harvest the stem cells. I hope someday we get to meet him. I want to hear his story and tell him how grateful we are that he is giving Derek another chance at a healthy life. Genetically, he will now be a part of our family.

The cells will be transported by plane in the possession of a courier to Orange County where they will be prepared for Derek. Then they will be transported here. They expect the stem cells will arrive here during the night on Tuesday or early morning on Wednesday. Then they will be infused intravenously into his port.

Derek completed three days of total body radiation on Thursday and three days of chemotherapy. The last two days he has been quite lethargic and nauseated. Yesterday he began three days of a medication to suppress his immune system and destroy his remaining T-cells so his body doesn't reject the graft cells. This six-hour infusion has made him quite sick.  Last night, he had nausea and vomiting from about 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. when they were finally able to get it under control. It is so hard to watch him go through this and be unable to stop it.  Today he has had no appetite, I think somewhat from fear he would throw up some more. He slept much of the day. Thankfully, tonight he did a bit better, but he hasn't eaten anything since breakfast and they started anti-nausea medications before he had symptoms hoping to prevent them. Tomorrow will be the last dose of that infusion, thankfully.

I am so very thankful for family and friends who are carrying us through these difficult days. They are the arms and hands of God to us and the evidence of His care.