Today was Idan’s second day of pre-transplant testing and appointments. We had the dental exam, a conference with one of the transplant doctors, and a conference with the nutritionist. Idan, as per usual, was ridiculously cute the entire day. Laughing, giggling, and entertaining all the doctors (except of course when that dentist wanted to stick his fingers in Idan’s mouth – he did not like that one at all…). Today involved much less poking and prodding, and much more talking. Much easier on Idan, but still a long day.
The good news is that Idan’s teeth and nutrition both looked great, and we’ve gotten the thumbs up to continue what we’re doing to keep him healthy and safe until transplant. The other good news is that the transplant doctor sounded very confident about the chemotherapy and overall conditioning regimen that Seattle is using as part of its clinical trial. The data that they have collected so far shows significantly higher survival and cure rates using this protocol, and much fewer severe side effects. We especially liked this doctor because her eyes literally lit up when she was talking about all the potential benefits of this protocol, and how her team is looking to influence doctors around the country (and world) to start using the same fine-tuned protocol. We are right there with her. It is very exciting to be part of such a promising treatment, and if your son is going to go through such a long and difficult ordeal as a bone marrow transplant, it helps to know that his experience might be used to help save lives all over the world. Idan is definitely our hero.
In between our appointments, we had yet another surprise from Zipcar! This time from the Seattle office, who showered us with gift cards for transportation and dinner at University Village, Zipcar swag, and – best of all – a handwritten card from the Zipcar employees with a picture of them all doing the Idan-Do!! Apparently, ever since Akiva called back in June to explain why he had to downgrade his membership, the New York and Seattle office have been working together to see how they can cheer us up and make our stay in Seattle easier. Lots of love for Zipcar from the Zablocki family!
After the appointments today, we walked around in University Village, a very charming outdoor shopping area in the center of the city. Idan missed his afternoon nap because he was just too happy to be out and about. The sun came out in time for our stroll, and overall it was a pretty good day.