Memories of Max - A Father's Story

Chapter 10 - Transplant

Home

The chemotherapy was injected the next morning over a period of about fifteen minutes. I was shocked. Most chemotherapy infusion is spread over a much longer period because treatment usually involves multiple doses over a number of days. This drug had to be injected so quickly because it is so unstable. There was no need for multiple doses because of its extreme toxicity. Max was also given drugs to prevent fits which could occur as side effects.

I waited anxiously. Max fell asleep and there were no medical issues that day. There were problems but they were problems with my expectations. I was horrified when Max passed urine. I had been told that there might be some blood in the urine. I was not prepared for the pints of bright crimson liquid that gushed forth. I was reassured that this was to be expected. This continued for four days and was due to the internal bleeding caused by the chemotherapy.

The next day Max had a stem cell infusion. This involved the re-injection of marrow cells which had been extracted from him earlier in his treatment and would now be used to help regenerate his immune system. The replacement marrow cells were wheeled into the room in a steaming steel container. It was not steam but boiling dry ice which was used to keep the cells at the right temperature prior to the infusion. It was a bit like a scene from a science fiction movie.

Max was very worried about the procedure because of how he had felt during a previous infusion. He wanted the nurse to stop because he felt so nauseous. He also suffered from waves of heat flooding over his body which alarmed him.

"Please can you stop for a little while just so I can get used to it."

"I'm sorry Max but we have to get the cells into you as quickly as possible."

The nurse pressed on and Max was violently sick. Having been sick once, he settled down and there were no more incidents. Max was very pleased with himself because, apart from the vomiting, he had endured the procedure so well. The vomiting did not bear a second thought by him or ourselves. It had become a normal event. This time was better than the first stem cell infusion because that time the fear of the unknown had caused him deep consternation.

Sara and I waited nervously for the symptoms which had been so graphically described to us. Nothing happened. Perhaps we could get through this treatment unscathed? It seemed too good to be true.

Later that evening Lan Yin, Max's Chinese friend, passed as I was wheeling him down the corridor in his wheelchair. She looked at a little wing mirror that he had attached to his wheelchair.

101

Click here if you would like details of how to buy a copy of the book