Special Genetic HLA Match Edition

At the Kiva on a Nice Cool Night

Got a phone call from the oncologist today with results on the HLA matching from Toby and Robin.  This is potentially huge news, because with a match we go through only one Consolidation treatment followed a month later by the stem cell (bone marrow) transplant.   If neither sibling matches, they'd have to search the Bone Marrow Donor registry.  That would add a couple months and another consolidation or two to the treatment plan. 

S'more  time

So we were really hoping for a sibling match.  Heidi was also really hoping for a completely other reason.  Seems she has these memories as a kid of her relatives and parents' friends insinuating that she was adopted.  It's really pretty silly.  You'd agree with me if you saw Heidi with her new hair style and her brother together. 

I have cow-orkers who have been offering to join the bone marrow registry.  There really is no reason to wait, with or without a sibling match.  But as I told Troy at work today, "I really don't want any of your DNA in my wife, regardless of benevolent intentions."  Hey, Troy, ya know I love ya, man.  :^)    I also learned at work that you can write anything you want as long as you put a smiley face afterward.

This whole leukemia-chemotherapy thing has the potential to bring the skeletons out of the closet.  After shaving Heidi's head, Kristi the Head Cosmetologist (pun intended) remarked that at least she wasn't dropped on her head as a child.  Nicely-shaped head without any noticeable dents.  Reassuring.

Heidi was convinced that if neither sibling matched that would be vindication she was stolen from a gypsy family as a baby.  No, maybe I have that story wrong.  Anyway, vindication of adoption. 

In summary, lack of sibling match would be bad news on several fronts.  Vindication of adoption and DNA from my cow-orkers.  Skeletons from the closet and then much, much worse.

The oncologist called today and gave us the news.  Heidi called me right afterward and told me the good news.  Then she called both daughters, her sister, her dad and her bro.  She isn't adopted.  Toby is a good HLA match!  I immediately told Troy at work he should still register with the bone marrow registry to inflict his degenerate DNA on some anonymous victim.  We don't need you, Troy.  But I still love ya, man.  :^)

I'm sure, in the future, I will be blaming Heidi's idiosyncracies on Toby DNA.  But for now, I'm gonna try hard to bite my tongue and tell everyone that Toby is in the top two of my favorite brothers-in-law.  Ya know I love ya, man.  :^)  We know Heidi was not dropped on her head and she wasn't stolen from gypsies.  We're all smiles.

And to Robin, I apologize for the news that we cannot rule out the possibility that you are adopted.  I highly recommend you don't shave your head, lest you find out about the time that . . . oh, never mind.