May 6, 2010 - Angel's Leukopheresis Procedure at NC State!

Hi everyone, 


Dr. Suter called last night to let us know that Angel is still 100% cancer free! They moved forward and performed the Leukopheresis Procedure today. This is procedure will harvest Angel's stem cells for implantation tomorrow; it's sort of like dialysis. Angel was placed under light sedation; Dr. Suter had to speak quietly so he didn't wake her.

The procedure is painless in humans, but they often complain of being cold. They assume that it's the same for dogs, so they put a blanket over them to keep them warm.

These pictures were received a few hours ago while Angel was receiving the Leukopheresis Procedure at NC State!

The machine was running for 4-5 hours and then Dr. Suter called with wonderful news! Angel produced 1.7 million more cells than needed for the transplant! 


Humans sometimes save these cells, but Dr. Suter gives them all back to the dogs :) 

The more cells there are to pump in, the higher Angel's odds are of living cancer free for the rest of her long and happy life!

Tomorrow morning at 7am EST Angel will be prepped for full body irradiation. She will receive 2 doses of radiation in 1 hour intervals and Angel will be heavily sedated for the duration of the procedures.

They will take a 3 hour break between each hour on. After the radiation is complete Angel will receive her life-saving Canine Bone Marrow Transplant! This procedure has "taken" every time and they expect Angel to sail through with ease :) 


The irradiation will wipe out Angel's immune system, so a clean environment is critical to her recovery. She will wake up in ICU in a completely sterile room, safe from any outside germs or bacteria.


Thank you for following Angel’s progress!  I’ll keep you all updated as information comes in.  


Please visit our website for more information, http://www.save-an-angel.org/events.html and to donate to Angel's life-saving treatment!  Please help us spread the word :)  
     

Most Sincerely,

Kristie Sullens — Angel’s Mama
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Destination Cure! Angel heads to North Carolina Sunday 5/2/10!

Tomorrow morning Angel will make her way to the cure! (5/2/10) We will load the car tonight and head out 1st thing in the morning.  Romeo, Angel, Johnny and I (Kristie) will drive 12 hours from New Orleans to North Carolina.  


We will get some rest and head to North Carolina State University on Monday.  We arrived a day early so that Angel has the opportunity to meet her new friends and get used to her new surroundings.  Monday evening we will buy Angel a steak dinner- or something like it - and then we'll shower her with love and pray for her speedy recovery.  


Tuesday, 5/4/10, we will check Angel into NCSU, This is when we will say goodbye to Angel and head back to Louisiana.  NCSU will be Angel's home for the next 2.5-3 weeks.  


Angel's Schedule:

• May 1st: Neupogen injections
• May 4th: Angel checks in at North Carolina State University
• May 6th: Angel’s Leukaphresis Procedure
• May 7th: Angel’s total body irradiation & transplant

We are grateful for every donation that has been made to save Angel's life! Every person that's donated has contributed to Angel's miracle, and we are forever grateful to all of you :) 


We will continue to fundraise while Angel is in the hospital.  The procedure is just the beginning, her need is still great.  Once Angel is checked in donations can be made directly to the school.  We still have roughly $6,000 to raise. 


We hope that watching Angel's progress  while she undergoes this life-saving procedure will inspire you to give and as always to help spread the word :) 


Please visit our blog, facebook and website http://www.save-an-angel.org/main.html often for updates!  We will fill you in every step of the way!




Kristie Sullens -- Angel's Mama