The Donor Search, Etc

Jeff's counts are starting to rise. His white count is up to 0.3, and his red blood has been stable. He needed platelets as recently as Friday, but I'm hoping that no more transfusions are needed. Oddly enough, Jeff's taste buds seem to be making an early recovery. He was able to taste almost everything he ate today, and he downed somewhat normal amounts of food. Because he has lost about 20 lbs, and will probably lose more during transplant, we need to continue to keep him well-fed.

You may or may not have heard that the preliminary data available through the donor registry shows several 9/10 matches for Jeff. The hospital is currently working through the logistics of getting confirmatory typing completed on the possible matches, and choosing the best all-around person for the job. The process usually takes about 6 weeks, so we have to hope that one of the possibles works out in a timely manner.

In the mean time, please do not let this information deter you from attending our local donor drive. Jeff only has a match because of the thousands and thousands of people that have been registered in drives just like ours, and have committed to helping an absolute stranger. There are still lots of people who need transplanted, but can't get it because they don't have a suitable donor. PLEASE, please, if you fit the bill medically, make the right decision and attend the drive.