Test Results / Inpatient Admission for Immunotherapy

Today we received the test results from Caroline's recent bone marrow biopsy and scans.  The results showed essentially no change in the Neuroblastoma, which was last tested in May.  We are disappointed, as we were hoping for a "no evidence of disease" report today.

Since that test in May, Caroline has endured 2 month-long stays for high-dose chemo, 2 stem cell transplants, and 20 Proton Radiation treatments.  It appears that all the treatment hasn't helped reduce the cancer in her little body.  The positive that we're trying to hang onto: her cancer didn't get worse, and there aren't any new areas of concern.

Caroline's oncology team is confident that we should remain "on the course," so she was admitted for Round 1 (of 6 total) of Immunotherapy late this afternoon.  We're expecting this round to keep us inpatient through Saturday.  The next 6 months will be the final phase of the standard Neuroblastoma treatment protocol, and we are hopeful that these rounds will kill off the remaining cancer cells in her body.

Immunotherapy is a type of medicine that helps a patient's immune system recognize and destroy cancer cells.   There are many different types of Immunotherapy...Caroline will be receiving infusions that are tailored to High-Risk Neuroblastoma.  We've been told (and have witnessed from the sidelines) that this phase of treatment is often the hardest part of the entire treatment protocol, for both the patient and family.  We will (again) be in and out of the hospital over the next 6 months - separated as a family and witnessing Caroline's body battle this monster.  The potential side effects are immediate and severe; they include: high fever, rash, excruciating nerve pain, potential organ complications, low blood pressure, rapid heart rate, swelling, breathing complications, allergic reactions, diarrhea, infection and vomiting.  It's going to be a really tough experience, but her medical team at Vanderbilt are preparing to do their best to stay in front of the pain and other side effects.  Caroline already started taking nerve pain medication a few days ago, in preparation of the Immunotherapy infusion, and will also be on a PCA Dilaudid pump while she is inpatient (among other things).

Many have asked about meals (thank you!), but we will not be doing a meal train delivery for this round...we plan to spend as much time as possible together as a family at the hospital.  For those that wish to help with meals, please click here for the Grub Hub gift card link (they can be emailed to margaretlantz@gmail.com).

We can't express enough how thankful we are to have such a supportive group of people around us.  Thank you for following along on our journey; many times your prayers are what's holding us up and pushing us through.

Holding onto hope,
The Lantz Family
#carolinestrong
#ftgf

Nurse Kate's last day...so sad to see her go, but we're excited for her new adventure!

So excited to have Aunt Joanna and Aunt Lauren here for 24 hours!

Back on Oncology Floor

Caroline was moved back to 6A from the ICU at 5pm today!  Her blood pressure is stable, she isn't requiring oxygen, and she is currently resting with IV fluids and pain control medication. She will start NG tube feeds tonight and hopefully start drinking water or juice again soon.  She will be tested daily via blood cultures to make sure the bacterial infection is exiting her system, which is the first step to being considered for discharge next week.

Although she's made great progress, another issue popped up right before we were being transferred out of the ICU: one side of her double lumen hickman line (central line) is clogged and not flushing at all.  We are awaiting the surgical team to assess and see if it can be fixed bedside (or magically clear up!).  We're told that these types of clogs typically are related to bacteria clinging to the inside of the line, or possibly a blood type clot/obstruction in the line.  We will keep this blog updated when we find out the actual cause and resolution.  Please pray that this can be resolved without having to replace the entire line, which would require sedation and surgery.

We are all completely zapped...mentally and physically...and need a little stretch without any more surgeries, setbacks or surprises.

Lantz Family
#carolinestrong
#ftgf

ICU

Caroline was moved to the ICU last night for very low blood pressure and oxygen numbers.  Her body is having a tough time fighting off multiple viral and bacterial infections.  She has a fever and pain all over her body, but mostly is complaining about her back, legs and stomach (probably from infections and counts recovering).  She is not allowed to eat or drink until her she is no longer on IV blood pressure medication (Norepinephrine). She is currently stable but not very comfortable.

We will keep everyone updated on this blog as we get more information.  Thank you in advance for the continued prayers and positive thoughts!

Team Lantz

#carolinestrong

#ftgf

Proton Radiation...in Cincinnati, OH...uggh

We had our radiation consult today at Vanderbilt.  The overall goal of radiation is to kill any remaining, or hard-to-see, cancerous cells in the main origination areas of a solid tumor.  Due to the location and complicated nature of Caroline's tumor, she requires a newer form of radiation called "proton radiation therapy."  Proton radiation therapy is a more targeted form of radiation, compared to the more common "photon radiation."  Proton radiation will also be safer for Caroline, hopefully causing fewer long-term side effects.

Unfortunately, there are no pediatric proton radiation therapy locations in the Nashville area (ironically though, there is one opening 2 miles from our house later this year, but because Neuroblastoma is so aggressive, she needs to start radiation asap).  The closest (and best!) proton therapy center for the type of radiation needed/area of her body is located in a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio.  Cincinnati Children's Hospital is currently ranked #1 in the nation for pediatric oncology!  We do not have all the details yet, but within a few weeks, we will have to travel to Cincinnati, OH for the radiation phase.  Caroline will be receiving 20 radiation treatments, which are administered Monday - Friday (4 weeks, unless something unexpected were to happen).  Prior to the proton therapy, she will have to get planning scans and a mat that is sculpted to hold her body, so she can lay in the exact same position each day.  The radiation is performed under sedation, and is about a 2 hour-a-day process, start to finish, and is considered an outpatient treatment.  We are in the process of finding a clean, safe, isolated hotel/condo/airbnb for her to rest and recover each day.  All in all, we anticipate being in Ohio for about 5 weeks.   As mentioned, we don't have all the details at this point, but we will share those as they progress later this week.

This will be another unexpected and challenging balancing act for our family.  Andrew goes back to school this coming Friday (8/10/18), and Fall baseball is also starting up this weekend.  We will now have to plan to be separated again, without the option of quick visits to the hospital (like we've been doing, to try and keep some semblance of family togetherness).  Just like we've been able to do so far, we will figure it all out somehow, but this is certainly very mentally and emotionally draining...especially coming off the heels of her recent high-dose chemo/stem cell transplant inpatient stay. 

We appreciate all the kind messages of support, the calls and texts, etc.  For those that continue to ask how they can help, please see the donation link below.  In addition to the never-ending medical bills and expenses, we will now be adding travel, lodging and meal costs for the 5 weeks in Ohio to our list of unexpected expenditures.  We appreciate any and all support.  Thank you all!

Lantz Family

#carolinestrong

#ftgf

If you would like to donate, click here: https://www.paypal.com/pools/c/80FGIeu7k1

Waiting, waiting, waiting...

Caroline's little friend Molly's last radiation treatment at Vandy was today, and she brought in cupcakes to celebrate!  We were so excited for her! #mollystrong

"Sneak-a-peek" at school tonight...can't believe he's in 5th grade!

Carpool line pass has Caroline listed as a Kindergartner - wish she could be there with Andrew this year, instead of doing homebound instruction :-( 

HOME!!!

Caroline was discharged today after 21 straight nights in the hospital!  This is earlier than we expected, so we are EXTRA thankful to be sleeping in the comfort of our own beds again!  She came home with a couple medications that still need to be tapered off, as well as NG tube feeds...but as she feels more like herself, we're hoping everything falls back into place. 

We should have another update tomorrow about the next step (radiation) in this very long and grueling process.  Caroline has been a superstar so far - we're truly blessed!

Much appreciation for all the love, prayers and support!!!

Lantz Family
#carolinestrong
#ftgf

Peace Out!

Bottoming Out / Pre-School Graduation Day

As we often mention, the community support we've received during the last 8 months has been a perpetual source of love and gratitude.  Today, we would like to give a very special thank you to The Academy of McKay's Mill.  The Class of 2018 is graduating tonight, and we really wish Caroline could be there in her little cap and gown, just like her friends, and just like her brother, when he graduated from The Academy in 2013.  The Academy is where Caroline spent every working weekday since she was 16 weeks old...it was her home away from home, and she loved her teachers and friends just like they were her family.  Other than telling Caroline she had cancer, telling her she couldn't go back to school and see her friends/teachers was the hardest conversation we've had with her.  Although Caroline never went back to school after she was diagnosed, we've never felt like she actually "left."  Our Academy family has been steadfast in their inclusion and support for Caroline - always checking on her, sending cards, videos and even homework!  We were also included in the formal graduation photos, and then were surprised with a special insert for Caroline within the graduation program, which literally brought us to tears.  Despite the fact that Caroline won't be able to formally graduate with her friends, having a picture of her in a little cap and gown, from a place that helped raise her, is truly priceless.  Thank you, Academy of McKay's Mill - we love you all!     

Hospital Update:
Right now, Caroline is having her most difficult stretch since starting the treatment protocol back in November.  She has extreme mucositis through her entire GI tract (worse than during her last transplant), which is causing her to struggle with getting enough oxygen.  She is now on a nasal cannula, which is giving her the oxygen assistance she needs.  The other major issue she's having is blood and intestinal tissue in her stool, also as a result of her GI tract being stripped raw from the high-dose chemo.  Needless to say, it is VERY painful for her; she is on continuous Dilaudid/pain medication (already more than the last transplant), as well as a patient-controlled button, which she needs to use frequently.  The mucositis has also moved into her throat, which causes her so much discomfort that she doesn't want to talk; she is mostly using hand motions and a bell to get our attention.  We expect her to struggle like this -- or worse -- for the next 5-7 days.  She received both red blood and platelet transfusions today to help get her numbers up before we head into [what we expect to be] a very challenging weekend.  Please continue to pray for her comfort and a speedy recovery.

Team Lantz
#carolinestrong
#ftgf

Rough Weekend / Stem Cell Transplant

We've had a very difficult few days.  The side effects of the high-dose chemo kicked in much quicker this round, compared to the last.  Caroline has been dealing with:

• high fever
• diarrhea with blood in stool (result of colitis and mucositis, as determined by an unplanned X-Ray and CT Scan late Sunday night to confirm)
• colitis
• musocitis
• nausea/vomiting
• loss of appetite (she hasn't eaten since Thursday, and is getting all nutrition through an IV) 
• severe abdominal pain
• leg pain

Although the transplant/oncology team warned us that this transplant would be harder than the first, we were not really prepared for how badly it would get, and how quickly...and we haven't even seen the worst of it yet.  Caroline is already on a Dilaudid PCA, which is administering continuous pain medication, as well as countless other medications, scheduled around the clock.  Other than the actual diagnosis, these have been the hardest few days since November 2017, when she began her treatment protocol.  As of today, she officially does not have any white blood cells or ANC/neutrofils (immune system), which is why we expect her condition to worsen over the next 7-14 days, before it should begin to recover from this awful stretch.

Around noon today, Caroline received her 2nd stem cell transplant.  The stem cell transplant helps her body rescue itself from the high-dose chemo.  Without this rescue, she would not be able to recover from the high-dose chemo.  The process itself, as mentioned in the post about the 1st stem cell transplant back in May, is very anti-climactic...the frozen cells are brought to her room and thawed bedside, inserted into a syringe, and slowly pushed through her central line over about 15 minutes.  The process is not painful, but it does smell like creamed corn in the room for a couple days, which is weird.

As always, the hospital staff does an amazing job of explaining every process to Caroline, and is always looking for ways to make her comfortable and happy.  Transplant day is a very big deal around here, so they really do it up!  She got signs, toys, and music therapy during the whole process...it really made her smile, which always makes everything easier to watch.  Words do not do justice to the love and kindness that is shown to Caroline and our family every time we're at Vanderbilt; this place, and more importantly...the people, are truly amazing!

Thank you for your continued prayers, specifically for her comfort during the next week, and our family's emotional state.  This just plain old sucks.

Hanging in there,

The Lantz Family

#carolinestrong

#ftgf  

Rough weekend.

Full-service bed ride to CT Scan. 

CT Scan

Awesome door sign made by Child Life Services volunteers!

Caroline's own stem cells to the rescue!

Actual stem cell transplant.

Daddy and Caroline with one of her favorite gifts in the bag today...a blow-up Unicorn head...LOL!

Chemo Complete! (Hopefully FOREVER!)

Today was the last day of chemo for this round (and hopefully ever!)!!!

So far, Caroline has been in pretty good spirits...she is still eating and drinking a little bit, playing with slime, doing art, and even got out of bed to do some music therapy.  Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are currently her biggest side effects, so she is on a few medications to help with those.  We expect the next few days to get progressively worse, as her body continues to react to the high-dose chemo.  Although she is eating a little, the doctors have started Caroline on some nutritional supplements via an IV line and her NG tube.  The next big step is the stem cell transplant, which is scheduled for Monday, followed by approximately 3 weeks of inpatient recovery (again, due to the high-dose chemo side effects).

Andrew is currently enjoying 2 weeks of fun on vacation in Baltimore with family. Yesterday, thanks to a very generous friend, he got to attend Day 1 of Ravens Training Camp 2018.  He had a blast and got so many collectibles, which he said he wants to share with his little sister when he returns!

Mom and dad don't sleep very much these days...we're still struggling to deal with all of this mentally - the long and exhausting treatment protocol, what's still ahead, and being separated from each other constantly.  That being said, we cannot express enough how much we appreciate the visits, outreach, love and support from our friends and family.  We are very thankful we don't have to go through this alone...Caroline and her army of supporters are strong, so we must stay focused on that, even though it's easier said than done.

Team Lantz
#carolinestrong
#ftgf

Goofy time with music therapy.

 Training camp with Pop-Pop.

Cousin fun!

Thank you, MP, for always decorating Caroline's room every time we've been admitted...we love you!

Day 1: High-Dose Chemo

Today at 7am, we were admitted for Caroline's first day of high-dose chemo.  We had a very stressful and adventurous start to the day...to summarize:

1. Last night, we got a call that Friday's echo-cardiogram showed that her central line may have moved internally, and would require an early morning X-ray to confirm; if it had moved, it would require surgery to repair.  Caroline wasn't able to eat/drink after midnight last night, just in case.  We were extremely worried about her having to endure another surgical procedure right before high-dose chemo, which is already rough enough.  Thankfully, the X-ray showed that all is normal, and we were able to start chemo on time.
2. Unrelated to the scare above, during the first full hour of chemo, we noticed that Caroline's central line was leaking blood onto her bed.  We immediately called the nurses. ..they paused her chemo, and moved both chemos to one line.  They found a cut in her left-side line, and luckily, the surgery team was able to fix it bedside...fascinating to watch (kind of like fix-a-flat tire patch, with super glue).
3. FUN NEWS: Caroline lost her first tooth today at exactly 2:30pm (aka: toof hurty...haha...dad joke)!!!  She was so proud and excited, and has been telling anyone and everyone that passes by!

Caroline will receive 3 different types of chemo for the next 3 days, and then 2 types of chemo on the 4th day (Thursday), followed by a stem cell transplant on Monday (7/23).  We expect to be here for the next 30 days or so, recovering from this sub-lethal dose of chemo.

Thank you very much to everyone that donated Postmates gift cards for hospital meals - they are a huge help!  We appreciate all of the generosity and prayers you've sent our way!

Much Love,
The Lantz Family
#carolinestrong #ftgf

Chemo cocktail...

 Waiting for the X-Ray

Hug the X-Ray Machine!

Slice in central line.

Bedside line repair.

Playing babies while getting chemo!

Lost her 1st Tooth!!!

Next Steps / Family Meals

Caroline's "at home break" in between treatments is coming to an end.  She will be admitted on Monday (7/16), for the second round of high-dose chemo, and a second stem cell transplant.  We expect to be inpatient at the hospital for about 4 weeks straight, most of which will just be recovery from the 4 days of high-dose chemo.  The expected side effects include: high fever, loss of appetite, mucositis, vomiting, diarrhea, possible rash, fatigue, etc.  Caroline will begin this inpatient stay on isolation and contact precautions because she is still testing positive for the "rhino virus" (aka: common cold).  It will (once again) be a very difficult stretch for Caroline, and our entire family.  Please continue to keep us in your daily prayers.

Here is the remaining approximate treatment timeline:

• Inpatient High-Dose Chemo / Stem Cell Transplant (1 month)
• Rest-at-Home Break (2-3 weeks)
• Outpatient Radiation (3 weeks)
• Inpatient and Outpatient Immunotherapy (6 months)

Assuming there are no setbacks, the above treatment plan runs through April 2019.  

We have decided to not post any at-home delivery meal train dates for the upcoming hospital stay, since most of our time will be spent at Vanderbilt.  However, if you would like to donate a meal, please click here and you will be directed to Postmates gift card page.  You can send the gift card to Margaret's email (margaretlantz@gmail.com).  It is a very convenient option for us to get dinner delivered from a restaurant close to the hospital, and saves us from eating in the limited food court all the time...

Thank you all for the continued love and support!

Lantz Crew

#carolinestrong #ftgf 

Learning how to sew with her godmother, Kathleen!

Looks good...but, counts are LOW :-(

After 10 days home, we're finally settling in and getting back to our routine...for now.

Caroline went to clinic this past Monday and again today.  Her coloring is great, she's been acting more like herself, but her insides are still really fighting hard to recover from the high-dose chemo.  Her ANC/Neutrofils/White Blood Cell "counts" are still really low.  In fact, if we were inpatient right now, they would not even be high enough for her to be discharged.  Luckily, she doesn't have a fever, so we're able to continue to recover at home.  Caroline will remain in isolation (at home) until her counts come up...which we're hoping happens this weekend.  She got another Neupogen shot today, which is her 19th Neupogen shot since she finished the high-dose chemo right before her stem cell transplant.  Just as a refresh, the Neupogen shot helps revv up her white blood cell count, but her body is just taking a longer time to recover.  We return to clinic on Monday to check again.

Thank you for the continued prayers, meals, gift cards, generous gifts...everything!  Thank you for sticking with us through this long, hard journey. 

Reminder, if you're local, we'd love to see you next Thursday (6/28), at the event our awesome friend Autumn is hosting!  Click here to purchase tickets.  Hope to see you there!

22 Days

After 22 days in the hospital, we're out!

#carolinestrong

#ftgf

She's turned the corner/Angel Nurses

Today, Caroline's ANC (absolute neutrophil count/immune system) was up to 750, which is great progress, considering she has been at 0 (zero) for a long stretch!  Among other things, she needs to have an ANC above 500 for 3 days in a row to be considered for discharge.  She is still on a laundry list of medications, and a little swollen from fluid retention, but barring any setbacks, we are on pace to go home Monday...1 week ahead of schedule!  We are VERY excited to all be together again in the same house!

Caroline will come home with her feeding tube for at least 4 days, or until she is getting enough nutrition through her regular diet.  We should be able to enjoy 5 weeks at home before the next round of high-dose chemo/stem cell transplant #2 (more details to follow, as we get them).

Once again, thank you to all the doctors, nurses and support staff at Vanderbilt!  Caroline is having a great time this week hanging with many of her nurse friends: Morgan, Josee, Abby, Deanna, Valerie, Ashley, Livvy, Jennifer, Caitlin, Sarah, Kate (welcome home!!!), and so many more...we are so blessed and grateful to have such wonderful people taking care of our daughter!

Thank you for all the prayers and support!

The Lantz Family
#carolinestrong
#ftgf

Arts and crafts with Nona!

Mucositis Pain / C. Diff / Rash Update / Fever

Caroline is still in really rough shape overall.  She has severe pain from the mucositis that has spread throughout her GI tract, which is a major side effect of the high-dose chemo and not having an ANC (immune system).  She is also still struggling with the pain and effects of C. Diff, which she will be tested for weekly, until she tests negative for the infection 2 weeks in a row.  Her pain is being managed by both a continuous morphine drip and a demand push-button.  She's also been fighting off a fever for the last few days.  We are grateful that Caroline is no longer dealing with the rash that lasted for 7 days, and she has not complained about any severe itching for the past several days.  Her day primarily consists of laying in bed, with an occasional trip to the couch to play with her baby dolls.

We are hoping that she begins to turn the corner over the next several days.  The first indicators will be an improved ANC, and less pain in her mouth/throat and GI tract.  She has not been able to eat or drink in over a week, but is receiving nutrition through her NG feeding tube and IV fluids.

Thank you for all the love and support!

Lantz Family
#carolinestrong
#ftgf

Changing the lines/IV bags...so many medications hooked up at once.

How she spends most of the day.

Peach fuzz hair will fall out again from this round of chemo.

Morphine push button.

She loves playing babies with Aunt Joanna!

Always trying to smile, no matter how she feels!

Rash / C. Diff

...and the rough days continue. We are 2 days post-transplant, and in addition to the side effects from the high-dose chemo we discussed in the last post (all of which she is still experiencing to various degrees), Caroline has since developed a terribly uncomfortable rash over most of her body, and tested positive for “C. Diff.”

Rash
The rash started Monday night, spread, and got progressively worse over the last 2 days...and, as luck would have it, is the most bothersome at night, so she’s barely been able to sleep. Caroline’s transplant team, oncology team, pharmacist, nutritionist and dermatology team have all been working together to determine the source and solution of/for the rash. They’ve basically thrown the kitchen sink at her to help ease the itchy symptoms, but unfortunately her rash is falling into a generic category, with an “unidentifiable source agent,” which is called a “morbilliform” rash. Because they can’t pinpoint exactly what’s causing the rash, they can only treat the symptoms. Treatment is in addition to the laundry list of medications she is already receiving, and includes: 3 IV medications, 1 oral medication (through NG tube), and various topical creams as needed. They do not know how long the rash will last, but best guess is another 5-7 days. She is very uncomfortable and having a hard time sleeping (as would anyone).

C. Diff
C. Diff is fairly common in the transplant/oncology world, due to the amount of antibiotics patients have to take. Ironically, the treatment is an(other) antibiotic. It’s a potentially life-threatening infection caused by a type of bacteria called clostridium difficile...aka: C. diff. It can cause colitis (a serious inflammation of the colon), or even more serious colon issues like toxic megacolon or bowel perforation. C. Diff is highly contagious, so Caroline will be on “contact precautions” for the duration of her stay, which is an even stricter level of isolation: everyone entering her room must wear gowns and gloves, Margaret/Mark can only enter or exit the hospital (no walking around the hallway or going to microwave/fridge/ice machine, etc.), and Caroline will not be allowed to leave the room - at all - until she is discharged, even as her ANC counts improve.

While it’s annoying to be literally confined to the room, and be completely dependent on nice people/nurses/care partners bringing you everything you need (like morning coffee!!!), we understand the severity of the infection, and how easily it can spread.

Caroline’s ANC/Neutrophil counts are zero, and we expect them to remain like that for another 7-10 days (or more). She’s getting daily Neupogen shots, and is resting when she can. She’s not talking too much, but using her thumbs up/thumbs down response to let us know how she’s feeling.

Caroline was finally able to smile and play for a little while today, for the first time in quite a few days, so that was a VERY happy for see.

We appreciate the help and visit we got this week from Pop-Pop and look forward to Caroline’s Aunt Joanna coming later this week!

Thank you for your continuous prayers for her comfort and healing.

The Lantz Family

#carolinestrong

#ftgf

Partial view of rash, which is over most of her body.

Stem Cell Transplant Day

Today was Caroline's Stem Cell Transplant!  She received her own stem cells that were originally collected from her stem cell harvest back on January 30th.  The actual "transplant" process was rather quick and painless.  The frozen stem cells were brought to the room in dry ice, thawed in warm water, and then slowly injected into Caroline's central line.  The entire process took less than 30 minutes.

The purpose of the stem cell transplant is to help rescue Caroline's immune system (called ANC/neutrofils) from the high-dose chemo she received last week.  If she didn't have this transplant, her immune system would not be able to recover.  She received 4 million cells per Kg (approximately 70 MILLION cells); the target dose was 2 million per Kg, so we hope that her recovery may be expedited with the additional potency.   It's expected to take a couple weeks for her ANC to increase to a safe level to be discharged, which is why we're on the extended hospital stay. Caroline will start receiving daily shots of Neupogen, beginning tomorrow, which will also help her begin to recover from the effects of high-dose chemo. 

This very challenging high-dose chemo and stem cell transplant process will be repeated again this summer (probably early July). 

Caroline has had the worst 3 days of her life this past Saturday through today, and the worst is yet to come.  So far, she has experienced the following side effects from the high-dose chemo: extreme nausea and emesis, belly pain, throat pain, insomnia, mucositis through her entire GI tract, bloody stool, loss of appetite, not drinking, and not talking (because her throat hurts).  This has been the hardest stretch on our family by far; it is absolutely torturous to watch, and we all feel very helpless.  Please pray for her comfort, and that she is able to rebound from this quickly.

Thank you all for the continued support.  We are very grateful for all the prayers, meals, help with Andrew, gifts, donations, visits...just everything! 

The Lantz Family
#carolinestrong
#ftgf

Child Life Services does an excellent job of not only prepping kids for what to expect during the transplant, but also celebrating the actual day!  They arrived this morning with a bag of new toys for Caroline to play with, since she isn't allowed in the playroom during this stay, and they made this awesome sign that matches her "rainbow theme..." we LOVE Vanderbilt!

Stem cells arriving on dry ice!

Bag of stem cells prior to thawing...

Stem cells thawed and in syringe, ready for injection.

 

Dr. Kaviany injecting the stem cells - she's amazing!

 Daddy love!

So many hookups...

Really not feeling well this round.