Day Zero----tentative 1:30

Today is the day!!!

Hi Everyone:

Sorry that I haven't been able to provide an hour of the transplant...SCRATCH THAT. IT'S TENTATIVE FOR 1:30 THIS AFTERNOON. Docs just came in. Jim' s feeling pretty bad from the Graft Versus Host Syndrome (GFHS) prevention meds. So here he is before stem cell. I woke him up and made him smile for you.

Here's brother Bob for those of you who don't know him. He came in yesterday for the stem cell donation, but they only got 1 million and they wanted more, so they had him come back today to give more stem cells. He has to keep warm, so they have him wrapped in bubble plastic with a blanket. He's smiling, so this is good. Jim is worried about his older brother and how this is affecting him, so I hope this pic makes Jim feel better. However, it is quite the trial for Bob as well. It's been a real sacrifice of love that Bob has given to Jim. But we know they all would have gone to bat for their baby brother to help save his life. The Baldauffs are an amazing family, and I have been thankful to God that he has made me a Baldauff since day one. Well, maybe after a few months. It was pretty overwhelming at first, there were so many of them. But all very special.

In this picture you can see the machine next to Bob that is taking the stem cells.

This is the machine that extracts the stem cells. It takes blood out of Bob's one hand, and then the blood goes through all kinds of tubing into this round tank that spins like a rinse cycle of a washing machine and that extracts the stem cells out, and then they go in one direction, and the it all goes through some more areas, and then the blood, minus the stem cells goe back into Bob through his other hand. That bag hanging there is some of the stem cells. That bag right there could be the thing that save my husband's life. Amazing. Because Bob is healthy, he will just create more stem cells.

Anyway, that's it. I'm getting off to pray...and eat a piece of chocolate.