Engraftment

Well, the medical rollercoaster is back. First, Charlotte is engrafting really well. Engraftment refers to the time period after a stem cell transplant when a person's body is beginning to make new healthy bone marrow and blood cells. After she received her new cells, Charlotte's body responded very quickly, and the new cells came in fast and furious. Some people have a slow steady engraftment, and some people have a fast engraftment. Charlotte's body responded well to the transplant and engrafted fast. So, we started on lots of pain and nausea medication while her body healed from all of the after effects of the chemo. She slept for about two weeks in between bouts of nausea. Her hair fell out and is growing back lighter than before transplant. Her skin received a nice "suntan" from the chemo called thiotepa. Also, the sores in her GI tract that were caused by the chemotherapy started healing fast which caused a lot of mucositis. Mucositis is when your body heals the sores in your GI tract after transplant, and you get lots of mucous that clogs up your body. We had two trips to the ICU, so Charlotte could get a little more oxygen to help her lungs tolerate all of the stress from the mucous. She received steroids and albuterol to help her lungs. We are back down to a small amount of oxygen until her body fully recovers. Fevers are common after transplant because with all the new white blood cells flooding in, her body thinks she has an infection. Charlotte has had a few at the beginning of her engraftment, but they are getting better. The doctors have been very proactive to start antibiotics until they rule out that the fevers aren't from an actual infection. Charlotte's blood counts have been staying up, and she has not needed any platelets for two weeks now! This is wonderful news because it means her donor's marrow is making platelets for her now! Everyday since transplant, no matter how sick, Charlotte has been up standing at her crib or play table, even in the ICU on her sickest days. The nurses couldn't believe their eyes and were lining up at her door to wave and cheer her on. One nurse wrote that seeing Charlotte up and playing made her day. Our little warrior is brightening everyone's day even at her sickest. She will go on to make big changes in the world. She is a fighter! After transplant, the chemo usually effects the movement of the stomach. So, Charlotte's GI problems went from bad to worse. They will be placing a J tube to help her keep food down. This tube bypasses the stomach and gives her food straight into the intestine. The doctors have said that most children do well with a J tube when the transplant effects their stomach. After Charlotte's body has more time to heal, her stomach will improve. As for now, Charlotte is talking, smiling, and playing more and more. Her spirits are higher every day as she continues to heal. A special thank you is due to all of our wonderful friends and family who have come to hold Charlotte (all day sometimes), stay over night so we can get a good nights sleep, play with Charlotte to give us a break, send her special gifts, and bring us food. It takes a village to raise a Charlotte!