Bone Marrow Donation and Transplant Day

IV in and ready to go

Today was very long and very emotional! Brooklin's procedure took three hours, but she came out all smiles. After collecting 1200ml of bone marrow, the doctors sent the blood to be processed at another facility. Brooklin received a transfusion of her own blood that she donated for herself during her time in the operating room. She is pretty sore now, but has some medication to lessen her pain. She surprised the doctors by getting up and walking (very slowly) around Caleb's room just hours after having her procedure.

Dressed and ready for her procedure

     

Screenshot from my facebook feed.

Out of surgery and in recovery.

Eating an otter pop in recovery

She felt much better after having lunch!

Caleb's procedure took a little over an hour. The first bag and a half (of three bags) of bone marrow for the transplant were the hardest. Caleb's blood pressure spiked to 175/100 and he had a massive headache. (all "normal" reactions that the doctors were prepared to address). He was sobbing and grabbing his head it hurt so bad. His muscles were also making him twitch and jerk uncontrollably. I tried really hard not to let him see me crying...and I just kept rubbing his hands and wiping the tears off his face. I am so grateful that Brooklin was sleeping through the first part of the transplant and didn't see him in so much pain. She had such an amazing spirit through all of this today! 





After they gave him some medication to lower his blood pressure, he calmed down and went to sleep. The last half of the transplant went fairly smoothly. He even got up and stumbled to the bathroom twice during the procedure...which is just like a blood transfusion. They just hook the bag of bone marrow up to his IV and let it flow in.  

On a side note...Caleb had been watching Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith before the transplant started.  As his blood pressure was spiking and he was having the hardest time, there was ultra-dramatic music playing in the background.  It was at the part of in movie where Anikin is fighting Obi-Wan in the lava and loosing his limbs and then becoming Darth Vader.  It was kind of weird and crazy that it happened that way.

Tray full of medications for anything that could go wrong...

So proud of these two for making it through all this!!

They were watching Star Wars throughout the transplant

Resting during transplant

Dr. Wada, Dr. Glaser, Carol, and 2 nurses

Seriously high blood pressure!

Brooklin's IVs

One of three bags of bone marrow

The most touching part of this day was when we were leaving to take Brooklin home, Caleb got up and hugged me and then my sister...and then he gave his sister the sweetest hug I have ever seen. They were both in pain and really tired, and that hug just made my tears flow freely. I love my children and am grateful they all love each other so much. I am also grateful that God and his angels were there with us today helping us make it through, and that I have such amazing friends who cared for my other children today!

At home resting with baby sister.