Transplant Day!

Logging in early to give an update on the transplant. The actual infusion started at about 9:30, an hour late. Because the cells came in a very large volume of blood, the transfusion will take two hours total instead of the normal half an hour or so. Even at that rate, they're having to give her a diuretic to make sure she doesn't retain too much fluid.

So far so good, no reactions yet. Mina Brigitta was asleep for the first part of it, due to a rough night, an early morning, and a dose of Benadryl. She's awake now and pretty mellow, which is good. We don't want her messing with her lines while the new cells are going in.

We were floored to discover that the donor had sent a letter along with his cells. This is very unusual; the bone marrow nurse said she'd only heard of that once before. We are all, including the staff, profoundly touched by his gesture. This is what he said:

It is of no consequence that we do not know each others' names, nationalities, ethnicities or religious beliefs. What is important is that your daughter has this disease, and her and I are a match. You were fortunate enough to have a daughter, and I was fortunate enough to place my name on the National Bone Marrow Donor list. It may seem like a cliche, but I believe things happen for a reason. I think I was meant to put my name on the list of donors, and you are destined to see your daughter grow up and enjoy her life.

There is a poem by Jack London that I am fond of:

I would rather be ashes than dust!
I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze
than it should be stifled by dryrot
I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow,
than a sleepy and permanent planet.
The proper function of man is to live, not to exist.
I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them.
I shall use my time.

Here is to your daughter growing up and having the brightest spark with a magnificent glow (although I am sure she already does). I feel privileged to be of help, and I wish you the very best. And because I do not know the appropriate way to wish you peace I decided to let you choose the one that is suitable to you.

Abenaki OLAKAMIGENOKA
Afrikaans VREDE
Akan ASOMDWOE

etc.
etc.
etc.

Zulu UKUTHULA (UXOLO?)

Included on his list is a language called Wintu, in which the word for peace is "Mina". When I looked up Wintu on the web, it turns out that it is the language of a native tribe from the Mt. Shasta area in northern California.