UCLA

The approval has come in from the insurance company and I will spend 2 days this week at UCLA. On Wednesday, I will go in to sign paperwork and get a dose of chemo while I'm there. I don't know how tough this one will be, but it is not the major one they will give me later. Then on Thursday, I will go back to start nupogen. This is an injection that I will be giving myself for 4 or 5 consecutive days to stimulate my bone marrow to release stem cells into my bloodstream. Then on the 21st, they are planning to start harvesting those cells by taking my blood and running it through a cyclotron and then back into my body. The cyclotron removes the stem cells for later use. Approximately late October, I will come back for a 3 week stay. They will give me a massive dose of chemotherapy and then use my own cells to help me recover. After 3 weeks in the hospital, I will spend another 2 weeks in the area with Anita by my side 24/7. Then 2-3 months at home to recover before I can plan on doing anything physical.