"HAPPY NEW BIRTHDAY, CRISTY!"

From here to Istanbul:

Between 12:00 and 12:15, Istanbul time, Cristy’s stem cell transplantation happened. It took all of about 10 minutes. She is currently sleeping soundly and tomorrow will begin her regimen of walking the halls of the bone marrow transplant unit every two hours. She’ll be closely monitored over the next 10 days to ensure that the transplant is indeed working and that her body is building an entirely new autoimmune system. She has been told that the next few days will be difficult but that she will soon experience an upswing in her physical health as her system continues to regenerate itself. She likens this process to a complete oil change and refers to Dr. Gulbas as her master mechanic.

Posted by Sharon (on behalf of Liz)