1 year + 363 days post transplant

Posted on: 26/03/2016

Yesterday Ava started her day with a swallowing evaluation and then underwent general anaesthetic for MRI brain scan, nerve conduction test, bone marrow aspiration and lumbar puncture. Although we don't have the full results, preliminary indications are that the disease is stable! The MRI indicated a slight improvement in the areas responsible for cognitive ability and a slight worsening in the area responsible for motor function. This would certainly correlate with what we see on the outside. The neurologists believe that Ava's nervous system is still in fluctuation but are satisfied that this is the result of existing damage, rather than active disease. We have been advised to continue with our existing regime of therapy and expect to continue to see fluctuations for around another year. We must wait around 6 weeks for the biochemical evaluation of transplanted cells, however all other blood work was fantastic, including a neutrophil (infection fighting cells) count of 3000, the highest level Ava has ever been. We are relieved this is over for another six months and are glad to have had fabulous nurses Federica (above) and Gigliola to take care of us this time around.