Our Transplant Journey Begins

Monday, July 12th marked the beginning of a series of tests Ernie must undergo at Duke as part of the process for being evaluated for bone marrow/stem cell transplant. He underwent an Echocardiogram, EKG, pulmonary function tests, lab studies and an extensive appointment with his transplant coordinator.

Last week he had two bone marrow biopsies and today he will have a chest x-ray and bone survey (a large series of x-rays). The work up and review process can take up to four weeks, but we expect to hear the results at our next appointment with Duke on August 4th. This is called our "clearance appointment". Results must be within acceptable limits to be considered safe to start the treatment. Please continue to pray that he will be cleared for transplant.

The best news we received was that Ernie can discontinue all his chemo drugs! We pray that the neuropathy he is experiencing in his feet will diminish as a result of this and are thrilled to be free from doctor's appointments and chemotherapy for the rest of July. He is one happy camper! Duke has been wonderful in making sure he doesn't have to stand for long periods of time and always have a bed ready for him when we arrive.

We will be posting a list of important dates leading up to the transplant on the right sidebar. And if all goes well, the actual transplant will take place on August 27th, so we are a little over a month away. We covet your prayers for Ernie and our family in the weeks to come!