Nothing about this treatment is simple. This afternoon, the specialist nurse who deals with bone marrow harvesting told Marta that the GCS-F injections they have been giving Isita since Friday have not stimulated enough stem cell production to do the harvest tomorrow.

Sometimes the level spikes after a few days of the drug, so it is not impossible that we will get a better reading tomorrow and go ahead after only a day’s delay. Perhaps more likely is that they will have to take another approach, including giving Isita a relatively low level dose of chemotherapy. It seems the GCS-F can work better when given straight after chemo. This could take a couple of weeks. Isita’s doctors are consulting with the transplant specialists so we will get a better idea very soon.

Ooof. We thought we were on the way, but not quite. It is like treading on the stair that isn’t there. For a while these sudden changes in fortune leave us feeling quite unbalanced, but there is no choice other than to deal with the problem and to soldier on. 

As this afternoon’s operation to insert the vascath was cancelled, Marta had the brilliant idea of bringing Isita home. We blew up the paddling pool, wrapped her middle in cling film so her dressing stayed dry. Then she and Jamie splashed about in the evening sun. 

Even better, Isita’s class teacher Abby Millen happened to be walking by, so we were able to congratulate her in person for her heroic swim at Henley. She raised a fabulous amount of money for neuroblastoma research and GOSH. Many thanks to her and to everyone who gave money.