[mausmish]

Hi Laura,

I'm not looking at any specific criteria in a transplant center but rather am looking with an open mind at what each facility has to offer that might be relevant to my particular case. Since I'm within an hour of the renowned Johns Hopkins, it made sense to look there. University of Maryland is also very good and equally close - my hematologist sent me there initally because they could see me more quickly, and I was at a critical stage then (before the Vidaza treatments). Seattle came so highly recommended by many that I wanted to give it a try, not to mention that it was a great place for a summer vacation.

My doctors are concerned about my being at high risk for a post transplant relapse due to the nature and number of my chromosome abnormalities. The trial offered at The Hutch in Seattle uses targeted radioactive antibodies for pre-transplant conditioning to deliver a higher dose of therapy directly to the diseased cells in the marrow and spleen while tryng to minimize the risk to other organs. The procedure is very interesting and is not offered anywhere else. I'm definitely considering participating but want to first see what Hopkins has to offer. The obvious drawback to Seattle is the distance from home!

If only we could know how long the Vidaza will continue working, it would be great to be able to wait another year to see what new treatments are on the horizon! However, all of the doctors I've talked to so far are urging me to move forward with the transplant soon while I'm in partial remission (blasts at 5-8%). There's no way of knowing how long this will last.

I do have a Caring Bridge page but it has not been kept up to date. My most current info is here.

Thanks for your interest, and I hope you're doing well!

Karen