The transplant adventure begins

A last cuddle with ùna and Kofi before leaving for the airport. Nora is with me for the first week.

Day zero is January 29

Nora and I leave this Sunday and my outpatient chemo begins on Monday Jan 20. I go in to the hospital on January 25 for more chemo ( that's when I will lose my hair and look like my brothers!). The day of the actual transfusion of Frank's stem cells is January 29. Day Zero! Sounds like some kind of movie. 

I will be in the hospital until the end of February and then to a casita on the City of Hope (COH) grounds until mid May

This week has passed in a blur of packing, dr appointments and most importantly ----Úna gazing! Biut if I have not returned your call or email, I am sorry. I am mostly excited about this and very appreciative of DrCecchi and his team for getting me to this point. I am also grateful for the smooth hand off to  Dr Nakamura and his team. I am in excellent hands as Dr Cecchi kept assuring me!

Thank you all for the unbelievable help and support. Honestly I would not be here without you xxo

You asked so here it is. My address until the end of February :

Síle Convery

City of Hope

Helford Hospital 6th Floor

1500 E. Duarte Road

Duarte CA 91010

Donor Convery at work. Consulting  with Jim on wine choices!

I want a sweater like Úna's

1st day of testing: done

Finished a long day of testing at the City of Hope. All went well including the bone marrow biopsy which I was dreading. ( I have had nine in the last 2 years). And this was my first non - Cecchi biopsy. But it turns out that Nakamura too is a pro. Phew.

It is beautiful here in Southern California. We can see the mountains and the weather is balmy. City of Hope is awash in volunteers who accompany you from place to place, bring you coffee, and just in general make you feel better by their kindness and cheerfulness. I feel very comfortable with Dr Nakamura and  am now feeling more grounded about the whole thing. His staff is terrific too.

Poor Frank ( sibling donor) got caught in that mess in JFK. But thanks to Jim's quick thinking he did arrive here--- eventually. Jim got him a flight from  Philadelphia to which he repaired after hours of stress and mayhem. Jet Blue could not find Frank's bag, etc etc. You have heard all the horror stories. And unfortunately they are true.

We are here for a few more days of testing. Then home most likely on Thursday January 8 to return for what is called the conditioning regimen ---aka chemo ---on January 20.

Xxo

Úna doing her exercises. Very puzzling to Lola!

Almost there....

NThose were the words uttered by Dr Cecchi this morning, Dec 31st.. And yes. It is true . Frank ( brother and donor) flies in from Ireland on January 3rd. We head down to the City of Hope for a few days them back here for a week. I will be staying in Oakland ( at Nora and Ainaté's) the week of January 14. Then Nora, Frank,and I head back down to the City of Hope where I will be until sometime in May. I am simultaneously relieved and scared that it is almost here. We are starting to work on the schedule of caregiving adding more of a dose of reality to the whole adventure . Dr Cecci was giving me a pep talk telling me that it was  the right thing and that i would be fine. Then he paused and said, " You know it's no picnic!" But then he looked at me adding" well you have been through so much already....."

I move my stuff out of my current abode on Saturday. So am starting to organize my packing. But in fact have loads of medical appointments on Thursday and Frdiay so perhaps the only thing I will in fact organize is my bag for the first trip south! 

 I still feel good if a little less peppy. We had a most relaxing few days in Forestville where I was waited on hand and foot by the family ( my leg was acting up so was a bit hobbled). Reading, Úna gazing and eating and drinking were the main diversions. 

As always I want to thank all of you for the incredible amount of help, love, and support you have all been providing me with. I truly appreciate it enormously.

Happy New Year!

Xxo

Síle

Dr Cecchi and I in his office where I discovered he has bought a harp. ( Wants to play w/ me when I return)

My first selfie wearing the scarf I had just finished. 

Transplant in 2014/Síle's life at the Cancer Center

After long conversations with Drs Cecchi and Nakamura, we decided to start  the transplant process in January 2014. So Frank, donor Convery, as he is referred to in my medical files, and I, will make our appearance at the City of Hope on January 6 to begin the process. (I did win my tussle with the  insurance company and could have gone sooner. It was a saga which would bore the socks off you were I to recount the details. Trust me)

My counts have been slipping which has meant that I have been at the Cancer Center every day this week--- including today Saturday-- for pokes, prods, transfusions and of course my almost daily encounters with the wonderful Dr Cecchi. But this has meant that I have not had time to return calls etc, so trust me when is say I would much prefer to have been chatting to all of you!

Amazingly I feel pretty good and have been out and about ---mainly listening to music. And I  am enjoying the Christmas  fuss. (Yes. I do like Christmas)

Úna of course continues to be the star and even Lola is getting on the Úna adoration train.