In the room (*updated)

Alex and I took Vlad to M.D. Anderson last night. He got into the room about 7 p.m. He's in the main stem cell transplant wing; there was a chance he would have to be on another floor and it concerned him. But all is well.

(*UPDATE ROOM/PHONE #s) Vlad is in Room G1140. His direct line is 713-834-9216. He got his first dose of chemo about 5 a.m. today. It was a test dose of an experimental drug. They're monitoring him for side effects. This drug (Busulfan) can cause seizures, but his nurse, Kathy, told me she'd never seen it happen. Kathy is awesome, by the way. Tuesday he has no chemo. But Wednesday-Saturday he gets it every day. On Saturday he starts getting pre-transplant drugs daily that are designed to make his system agreeable to the new cells. Tuesday (Dec. 15) is the transplant, what they call "Allogeneic Stem Cell Infusion."

That is also known as Day 0. Today is Day -8. When patients talk about their progress, they talk in days. They'll say, "I'm Day 135, what day are you?" There is a lot of time in waiting rooms, so there are a lot of patients comparing notes. It's really cool to learn from others who've gone before. Or to help others behind you. Or to just have the weight lifted spending time with others in your situation. If you just pass by, you see sadness. But if you live it, you see a lot of joy in the people.

I talked to him via Skype this morning and he felt fine, but sleepy. He'll try to catch a nap between blood draws. He's up for visitors if you're game. No sneezers or coughers and no kids under 13. No flowers. No fresh fruits and vegetables. Use Parking Garage 2, and Elevator F.

The following links offer a lot of information about what Vlad's undergoing. I published these on GoogleDocs and I have to give you permission to see them. E-mail me if you can't see them and I'll give you permission, if I can figure out how.

What is a stem cell transplant?

Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant