Pop quiz: Which of the following describes the photo above?
- Dallas 4th of July fireworks as seen from Ellen's hospital room
- X-ray of Ellen's intestinal system after chemotherapy
- Joy in my heart when Ellen's bone marrow transplant engrafted
- All of the above
The correct answer is "All of the above" but the Fourth of July is long gone and the nausea is mostly gone, so "engraftment" is the answer that prompts this celebratory post.
Engraftment is when, after a bone marrow transplant, new blood-forming cells start to grow and make healthy blood cells that show up in your blood. It is an important milestone in your transplant recovery. Ellen has reached that milestone. After chemotherapy and full body radiation, Ellen's white blood cell count had dropped to zero, as intended. Within three days of engraftment of transplanted stem cells, her white blood cell count rebounded to "normal" range, a level Ellen hasn't seen in two years. She was discharged from the hospital to continue her recovery at home. I'd say that's reason enough for fireworks. Celebrate.
More photos after the jump.
