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Hi, Carrie.
I admire you for looking for ways to support your friend and her fiancé during the most difficult part of the recovery from bone marrow transplant -- the first 100 days. Your hope hangs on every blood test and every feeling is judged on the basis of whether it presents progress toward the goal of a cure or setback from which there might be no recovery. For an oncology nurse and student, the strain must be all the greater.
As you have probably discovered here at Marrowforums, I did survive the worry of that early, unexplained dip in my counts. Soon I will celebrate the 13th anniversary of my transplant. My transplant experience, while seared in my memory, has also lost some of its sharp edges. One of the hardest things to do at the beginning (and 60-70 days out is just the beginning) is to be patient and let your body recover. If possible, try to have your friend focus on whether she feels better than a week ago or a month ago. I'm betting she does and that means that despite a dip in counts at this point, she is doing well and can expect to continue to improve. The trends are more important than the specifics of a given day's of blood counts.
Regards,
Ruth
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Diagnosed AA 10/96, MDS/RA 6/98, MUD/BMT 10/6/98
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