My sister may help save my life...

Emory called today. It turns out my sister is stem cell/bone marrow match. They have to do one more test to confirm this, but chances are it will check out OK. We had this test done awhile back, but just now getting the results. There is usually only about a 20% chance you get a match from a sibling.

This is great news and very unexpected!

Since I will be having an allogenetic transplant (coming from someone else), I run the risk of host versus graft disease. Usually a sibling is the best match to your own bone marrow makeup. You can get an outside donor or family member or match, but the closer the person is genetically to you--the least amount of complications you have from the transplant. And siblings are usually the closest... (having a twin is the best)

So it's not going to be easy, but will be much safer than from an outside donor. It's kind of cool to think my sister's stem cells will be transplanted into me, then my body will make blood. And the benefit of using hers is that these new cells have a tendency to attack and kill any remaining cancer cells that the high dose chemo didn't happen to kill. Meaning if I make it through the treatment and complications from the treatment, I will have a good prognosis.

This transplant probably won't happen for another 6-8 weeks or so until I get pre-chemo treatment. It will take about a month, and then I will be closely monitored for 100 days afterwards. 

The first year after transplant is the critical time. All types of complications CAN arise. From skin disorders to death. But some people have very limited problems.

Tomorrow is a full day of testing. I could start the chemo as early as Monday next week. I guess I will call it the "clear-up" chemo. The high, sometimes lethal does won't come until down the road....