Final Scans Before Transplant Chemo Look Good

This is what a sedated MIBG scan looks like down in the Nelson Basement of Johns Hopkins. Amelia is fast asleep and strapped in tight so that she does not move during the scan. I am free to move around the room and watch the uptake appear on the screen. The entire scan takes over an hour beginning with Amelia being pulled between two large heavy plates that are held only a few inches from her body. Then the plates slowly move around her adjusting as they go to provide a three dimensional image. The bright spots indicate where the mibg isotope has been absorbed. Her sinuses, liver and bladder always show uptake as does neuroblastoma. I generally hold my breath for the first thirty minutes and pray for the remainder of the time.

Preparing for Transplant

Amelia loved watching Kathryn and Benjamin swim at Grandma's pool even though she could not go into the water with her central lines.