Really, today is all about my brother and his amazing donation for me. So I managed to take my pump and breakfast down a floor to where he was getting hooked up to the apherisis machine. He had a catheter inserted into his jugular vein, and I can tell you it's not pretty...luckily for him the position it is in does not allow him to see it! They were just starting to draw the blood out and run it through the spinning machine when I arrived. It's a pretty amazing process that separates the extra stem cells floating in his blood from the other parts of his blood, all based on a tiny difference in the weight of those cells. The remaining blood is circulated back into his veins. To collect enough of the cells, the process takes around 6 hours usually, before they will close up the incision made in his neck and let him go.
Of course, my crazy brother was able to continue doing mortgage deals, all through his blackberry! It probably helps him pass the time and takes away some of the discomfort and pain he has in his neck and when swallowing. He's pretty tough! He also said the bone pain he's been feeling the past couple of days is already subsiding, so it shows his body is doing the right things.
I'll probably pop down and see him again shortly and make sure he's doing okay, and how the cells are collecting....get a picture of what I'll get in me tomorrow! Thanks for all the wishes for us both...it certainly helps to have the support and energy flowing.
