Preparing for admission

Ok, so no news is good news, right? Indeed, no major developments to report as we count down the days to admission. Fabian assiduously marks his calendar each day as that time approaches but it is hardly what any 11 year old boy would look forward to; weeks of confinement in probable isolation during what might even be a decent summer. He is a very reluctant transplant patient, stating with certainty that he does not require one now that he feels better. And we all wish that were true. He well remembers his first transplant in January 2012 and asks whether he will get sick and lose weight again – we hope not. At least he will be going in plumped up after the steroid effect boosted his appetite these last few weeks and he has been overdosing on cheese strings and pasta.
Now that we have transferred to Great Ormond Street for the procedure we have had to be inducted into the GOSH way of doing things. This is altogether more strict than the Marsden in terms of what is, and is not permissible on the ward. The risk of infection is the biggest concern and all manner of protocols are put in place to limit this. Not so long ago the the children were kept in ‘plastic bubbles’ so I’m glad things have moved on from that! Visiting is heavily restricted and limited to viewing through a window only so Skype is likely to become the communication tool of choice. Everyone is expecting that engraftment will be straightforward and quick, since Cassia of course is the same donor. She has had to undergo her own medical and psychological assessment during which her only concern was the possibility of waking up in the middle of sedation! She is very brave to do this all again and joins a very elite group of sibling double donors.
We’ve managed a few memorable events for Fabian; holding a BBQ for his choice of guests and a special meal for the family at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen restaurant, driven there by stretch limo. We all enjoyed being photographed by tourists who assumed we were celebs, but to us of course, Fabian is.

Everyone is rooting for him as we go into this final phase of treatment and your prayers and best wishes for him mean everything.