Day -6

Hello all! I finally have been admitted for transplant. I got here to Vanderbilt at 7:30am, and got a room by 9am. For some reason admitting didnt know I was coming! That was all squared away, and now here I am. I had a dose of VP-16 and a dose of Cytoxan today. I had a little nausea with the Cytoxan, but a little Phenergan fixed that right up. I also met with the Palliative Care team today, to manage my bone pain, and anxiety. Dont worry, it doesnt mean hospice or that Im dying, they just handle things like pain and anxiety with more thought than the transplant docs who mostly focus on the transplant itself. They have already put me on a Dilaudid PCA pump, so my pain is a little better. To remind you, my bone marrow is damaged and failing, and while it continues to try and produce cells (causing the pain) it doesnt. WBC level is already down to 1.6 today from 1.8 yesterday. Platelets have dropped from 141,ooo to 114,ooo since yesterday. My sister got here last night around 9:30am, and will start her Neupogen shots in the morning at 8:3oam in the clinic. We hooked the playstation 2 up and played that for a while, and decorated my room with pictures and my little angel statues. Anyways, Im feeling ok, just really nervous about what all this chemo is going to do to my body. So please pray for this transplant to work, and that my organs will be protected. = ) So thats about it for day -6! If you would like to send me something, I dunno, color me something! I love getting mail! Send it to:

Patient, Kara Lee
Vanderbilt University Hospital, Room 11007
1161 21st Ave South
Nashville, TN 37232

Ill update more tomorrow, I hope everyone is doing well! PRAY PRAY PRAY! Hes listening!

Kara = )