Update from Leeanne & Doug

Hi Everyone:

Today was the day that each of you helped make happen. Doug's transplant was completed at 11:04 a.m. PT. At the moment he's snoozing off some of the drugs they've given him to reduce the effects of the preservative used to freeze his cells. (The preservative smells like creamed corn and has permeated the entire room and everything in it!) He is doing well and is expected to keep doing well. The doctors have told us that he is an extraordinary person and patient (but we all knew that).

The next 10 days are critical in that it takes that long for his new stem cells to start producing white cells that make up his immune system. The gentleman that had this same protocol before Doug was not hospitalized during his treatment, and of course Doug being the competitive person he is, has decided to accept this challenge and also stay out of the hospital although it is quite common to go in.

It is too soon to anticipate when we will get Doug's "walking" papers but we should know in about 2 more weeks based on how well he is doing and if he had to be hospitalized for any infections. A tentative date is sometime in October.

Please be sure to pass the good word. Thanks again for everything each of you has done to make this all possible. Doug and I are extremely grateful to each of you for your generosity, thank you from the bottom of our heart.

Leeanne & Doug