|
Gabe,
I'm glad to hear that Jim's transplant went well. Preventing or limiting Graft versus Host Disease (GvHD) will involve finding the proper dosages for meds. GvHD is the result of the new immune system from the donated marrow reacting to the patient's tissues. A little GvHD is actually a good sign; after all, to the new immune system the patient is "foreign" and it's doing its job by putting up a fuss. It's never been clear to me how the new immune system learns to accept or tolerate its new home while it takes up the job of stopping truly foreign cells, but the doctors work their magic to make exactly that happen.
Something else you said struck me as good news. The fact that four of the first five potential donors said that they would donate shows how willing people are to help someone in need, even if it's a stranger.
|