The Second Stem-Cell Transplant (2/25/08)
Today was Momo’s second stem-cell transplant, this time by lumbar puncture (spinal tap) instead of intravenously. The lumbar puncture is a more invasive but also more effective delivery mechanism than IV for injecting stem cells into the spinal canal for more direct transit to the brain. This procedure will be done under anesthesia in the Operating Room, since Momo won’t tolerate a spinal injection. Momo was sick for the last couple of days from ear infection and an upset stomach, and so I was worried that this SCT could be canceled or rescheduled. However, the doctors gave him antibiotics and medicines, and said that the SCT will proceed as planned at 3:30 pm in the afternoon.
Momo skipped the morning therapy sessions under Dr. Mike’s advice, and was pretty much confined to his room all day. He was homesick, and repeatedly talked about his Florida home and his school. The spinal procedure required no food or water for six hours before the procedure, and lying flat on bed without a pillow for another six hours after the procedure (though he could take some liquids during this time). Thankfully, Momo had a heavy breakfast at 8 am. He was put on IV at 2 pm to add some fluids to his body, and was wheeled out in his bed to the OR a little after 3:30 pm.
Five kids were scheduled to receive SCT via lumbar puncture under anesthesia that day, and Momo was the last kid on that queue. It was pretty much an assembly line operation. We watched as one elevator was reserved for moving kids back and forth between the 20th floor (patient rooms) and the 3rd floor (the OR), and kids were wheeled in and out of the OR one by one with remarkable efficiency. All five procedures were completed in a couple of hours.
Dr. Mike, the head doctor, was waiting at the OR when we arrived. He said that he would do the SCT himself, and asked us not to worry. Momo was administered anesthesia, and was moved into the OR before he was asleep. We returned to our room, and in about 20 minutes, Momo came back, awake and having tolerated the procedure well. He continued to remain under IV for another 1.5 hours or so until 6:30 pm.
Momo was under constant watch for the rest of the night. Fortunately, he did not have fever, nausea, vomiting, or any of the other possible side-effects of anesthesia, though his ear infection continued to hurt him. I gave him his antibiotic, and he slept well throughout the night, as did we after many sleepless nights, and woke up refreshed the following morning.
Two days later, Momo started having severe back pains in the area of the spinal injection. Dr. Mike indicated that this was a common side-effect of the lumbar procedure, and is essentially a muscle pain, not a nerve-related pain. Momo was given Motrin and electrical massage therapy, and occasional infra-red heat treatment to reduce the pain. The pain subsided, but kept coming back with lower intensity. Our third SCT via lumbar puncture will proceed as scheduled on Friday.
Fireworks display outside our hospital. There were fireworks pretty much during all hours of the day and night, and there doesn’t seem to be any noise ordinance.
A busy KFC at a Hangzhou street corner. Does not look like the KFC’s back home, does it?
The Best Western Inn in downtown Hangzhou. Looks a lot more impressive than the Best Westerns in Tampa!
5 comments February 26th, 2008
