Transplant Decision
2/14/2022 - 2/17/2022
When Ian achieved remission, we shifted our focus to stem cell transplant. While the transplant could be done at our local hospital, was that the wise choice? Staying home was the easiest path for sure (considering the transplant process is 4 months!), but it didn’t seem prudent to simply go with the flow when Ian’s life was at stake. After all, I had done more research on kids bikes than transplant centers at that point; time to dig in. Once again, I sent out a barrage of communication. As it turns out, I know people who know smarter people. Advice trickled in and one message was consistent: go to a top center. The risk of an acute complication is real, so you want to be at a hospital that can handle worst-case scenario. And, the risk of long-term side effects is significant, so you want to be at a cancer center that does a high volume and has seen it all. You want to be where the latest treatments are common practice; where they are leading (not following) in the science.
Armed with (more) internet data (than one is qualified to interpret), we began to evaluate specific hospital recommendations (all while Ian lay in the hospital with a blazing fever). Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to get a specialist’s point of view without an official face-to-face appointment (involving scheduling, records transfer, insurance clearance, etc.). I just wanted to know if there was anything unique about Ian’s specific medical case that would make one hospital or another a better fit for HIM. Without that answer, but with enough input, we made two transplant consultations: 1) MD Anderson in Houston, a top national cancer center; and 2) Duke University Hospital, a top regional cancer center. Just getting to that point was one of the most stressful episodes of my life, but now we had to actually get to the appointments! Ian’s fever was not letting up (and they were threatening to remove his gal bladder). Plus, whenever he did get released, he would be immunocompromised and it was the height of Covid - meaning he could not fly commercial to Houston (a 14 hour drive in his condition, and within his chemo timeline, was out of the question). After learning that the Angel Flight network was not compatible, we were blessed with an angel of our own! A dear neighbor connected us with his son-in-law, a local business man. Without ever meeting, he offered up his company’s plane for our private flight to Houston! As Dabo would say, this man has “The Heart of a Champion!”
As fate would have it, Ian was released on Valentine’s Day and we were off and away within hours (shepherded by two incredible pilots)! When we landed in Houston and paused in Hermann Park, we realized that we had been at that exact spot, exactly one year prior…. during the Great Texas Freeze! (But this time, our hotel had running water - ha!) The next day was a frenzy of appointments at MD Anderson, a city of hospitals. They run a tight, yet massive, ship! Truth be told, the experience was overwhelming, but undoubtedly valuable. Their team confirmed Ian’s diagnosis and recommended a treatment plan. In total exhaustion, we flew home for a night’s sleep (and a morning blood transfusion) and then drove over to Duke. The next day was a similar drill of appointments, except much calmer. Duke’s blood cancer center is state-of-the-art, but not huge, and the medical staff gave us their full attention for as long as we needed. In particular, the transplant doctor was very personable and assured us that Ian would be in good hands. Feeling very comfortable there, and being only four hours from home, we made the decision to have the transplant at Duke (but that doesn’t mean that Ian will be sporting a Blue Devils hat anytime soon!). Without delay, Duke initiated the search for an unrelated stem cell donor and we headed back to Greenville, where he would recover from the last round of chemo, while we awaited word. Upon return, the kids reported having fun with Grandpa (chasing trains of course)!