Marysol Chu Carty/ Dr.Alexandra Gomez Week 2

     

    This week I was able to shadow Dr.Gomez in the day hospital. Typically after a bone marrow transplant, patients stay in the hospital for a while so that the doctors can ensure there has been engraftment of the transplant and monitor any side effects that come with being a bone marrow recipient. It is extremely important that these patients are monitored closely because essentially, this transplant is giving them the immune system of a newborn. Their whole immune system has been suppressed as these new stem cells take over, meaning that they are very susceptible to viruses or infections that may not do much damage to a healthy person. It is also important that they have physical and occupational therapists helping them every day as they gain their strength back and start walking and being independent as they fight their cancer. However, once they start doing a bit better where they don't necessarily need daily care and monitoring as closely the patients are able to stay at a nearby hotel and come in for a few hours every day for a week or two so that they are still able to do their labs or receive platelets and medication but can restart their own daily routines. Being so close helps in case something with the patients' health changes overnight all of a sudden and additionally, it aids them and their loved ones prepare for making the big jump to going home full time as a lot of patients do not live right near the hospital. Once they go home they are still required to come in maybe every other day, then twice a week, once a week, and so on until ideally they are healthy enough to just be monitored once every few months. As I have seen, this truly requires so much strength from the patients and their families as well as patience and determination from them and their medical team because these diseases are really tough to manage. 

    Additionally I went back to the clinic on Wednesday. The clinic is where we see the patients who have undergone a transplant and have gone home and are just coming in for checkups and labs. I really enjoyed talking with the patients and learning their stories. I even got to put my Spanish to use during one of the check ups as I translated for the PA I was shadowing for a patient and his wife. At the end of clinic I was also able to observe my first bone marrow biopsy. This patient is in remission and is doing well post-tranplant so the test was done to just confirm that he is still healthy and has no disease. It was definitely interesting to watch but I was a little nervous at first because I had never really seen a procedure before. The patient did great and luckily for me and Dr.Gomnez, I in fact did not pass out. 

Finally, now that we knew I was able to handle the biopsy, we stepped it up a notch and I was able to go into the OR for the bone marrow harvest. This was a related donor and I met the recipient last week. This was a much much larger volume than a biopsy and a much longer procedure but when the donor woke up the doctors, PAs and nurses in the room just praised her and thanked her. She truly did save a life today with this selfless act. the harvest is not easy on the donor but I know she will recover quickly with the special care of the team. Now comes the recipient will go through a blood transfusion as she starts her journey to recovery. 

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