Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Stem Cell Collection - SUCCESS

Caroline's surgery for her vascular catheter on Tuesday was successful (once again, she walked back to surgery!).  She spent most of Tuesday afternoon recovering from the procedure and waiting for the apheresis machine to become available...it was being used by another little girl (baby) with the EXACT same birthday (different year) as Caroline, who was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, on the EXACT same day that Caroline was diagnosed; we're on the exact same treatment protocol and timeline.  We are now praying daily for her, and her family, to receive excellent results and perfect healing!

There were some complications in getting the machine for Caroline on Tuesday, so we spent the night in the hospital.  The hardest part of spending the night was for Caroline - she had to keep her leg stick-straight, and lay flat from the time the catheter was inserted, until it was removed...hard for a kid.  We were admitted to our usual floor (6A), where Nurse Katie welcomed us back with some sweet notes!  We appreciate all of the folks at Vandy - they truly make a difference in helping us get through this!  Caroline was able to give back to them a little, too...pic below is her looking to hand out "nurse pendant watches" to her caretakers.

To pass the time on Tuesday, Caroline had a visit with Music Therapy.  She had a great time, and they were able to distract her yesterday afternoon while she waited for the machine...cheered her up when she wasn't able to have the procedure on Tuesday, and they were there for her on Wednesday morning when she was (finally!) getting connected.  I had a hard time keeping it together when they were singing "Get Back Up Again," one of Caroline's favorite songs from the movie Trolls; listen to the chorus - it's incredibly appropriate for her week, and her situation in general.

The apheresis machine was rolled in around 9am.  It took about an hour to "prime," and then they started the collection, which took about 3.5 hours, followed by the lab picking up the collection in an old-school cooler, so they could do counts and confirm they had what they needed.  About an hour later, we got the best news we could hear for this step: her counts were EXCEPTIONALLY high, and they were able to collect TRIPLE what they had hoped to collect.  This means that she will have everything she needs for the upcoming stem cell transplants for this protocol, but also for the future "just in case" scenarios.  After this was confirmed, they were able to remove the venous catheter at her bedside, which was a very hard thing to watch...I can't even imagine what it felt like for her.

We're resting at home now, and plan on being able to stay home until Monday or Tuesday, when her next round of chemo (#4) begins.

We've included more pictures than we usually post, since this is hard process to explain...







Thank you for the continued prayers and support.  We feel the love!

The Lantz Family
#carolinestrong
#ftgf

10 comments:

  1. Every time we read another update, our family is constantly AMAZED by the strength of not only Caroline and your entire family, Margaret. What a fighter and strong girl she is! That picture with the nurses gifts is precious, they must have loved their gifts. Praise the lord that her counts were so high. Sending love and continued prayers.

    ReplyDelete
  2. So wonderful to hear that small miracles are happening daily, Our prayers continue to be with Caroline and you all. Give Caroline a BIG hug from us and let her know that she is the strongest person in the world! We love you all!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Margaret, this is wonderful news! We are praying for Caroline’s healing and your family’s continued strength. Please tell Caroline she’s such a strong young lady with a beautiful smile and amazing personality. Continued prayers for healing!
    Melinda

    ReplyDelete
  4. This gives me happy tears. Such a great result of the day. She was so strong and I LOVE her super hero wardrobe!! I'm thinking about all of you more than you know.

    ReplyDelete
  5. So wonderful to hear such good news. Caroline is such an inspiration to me. Me and my girls pray for Caroline every nite. God bless you all as He continues to guide the Doctors and heal Caroline.




    ReplyDelete
  6. There are some disease which are improve by stem cell therapy. Patients who need a stem cell transplant first receive high-dose chemotherapy and radiation to destroy blood-forming cells. Find therapy and stem cell therapy

    ReplyDelete
  7. While an official announcement is still pending, essential information on the Date Sheet 2022 is now available. Other crucial information, such as offline exams, Datesheet 2022 same-day evaluation processes, and so on, are also available depending on the board's discussions with individual schools. Updates can be found below.

    ReplyDelete
  8. A nephrologist's clinic is a specialty in internal medicine, specializing in kidney disease. Although most patients who come to the nephrologist's clinic have more serious illnesses, a general nephrology clinic can provide patients with the follow-up care needed to treat a kidney condition. Although there are different types of kidney conditions, most people can lead a healthy life. This article provides a brief overview of general conditions and what a nephrologist can do for you. For more information on nephrologist medicine, read on.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Bike prices in Bangladesh are determined based on factors such as brand, model, engine capacity, government policies, import duties, other charges and financial conditions. Look for recommendations from legitimate manufacturers' websites or local retailers for the right price. Here at Motorcycle price in bd.

    ReplyDelete