Parents explain GREFFE to their kids
The doctor just told my mummy and my daddy that he was going to have to give me a «greffe» to make me better. They look quite surprised. They ask a whole load of questions to the doctor. I really don t understand any of it.
When we get home, I say to my mummy and daddy, Can I have my greffe straightaway and that way I ll be better really quickly. They look at each other. They smile. I like it when they are like that. Just because I am poorly, I don t want everyone to be sad all the time. I want happy faces not sad faces.
Sweetheart, you have to prepare for a greffe, you know. We can t do it straightaway. You will have to be very patient. First of all we have to find a donor, someone whose cells are the same as yours. It might be someone who lives right on the other side of the world, you know?
The doctors have found a donor for you. You will be The doctors have found donor for you. You will be the receiver. The greffe that you are going to have, it the receiver. The greffe that you are going to have, will be like a kind of magic potion. It is a liquid in a it will be like a kind of magic potion. It is a liquid in little pack that will come into your body through a a little pack that will come into your body through a catheter. catheter. You won t feel a a single single thing. thing. You You will will be be asleep. asleep. And And all the all the cells cells from from the the magic magic potion potion will will go go everywhere in your in your body body and and they they will will hunt hunt for the for poorly the poorly cells. cells. They will They try will to try find to every find single every one single and one destroy and destroy them all. them all.
Before the greffe, you will do a pre-greffe test. It is kind of like a treasure hunt. They will give us a piece of paper with lots of clues on it. For example one of them will be Ears. We will have to find a doctor for your ears. He will do some tests on your ears. He will play a game with you and he will play you a lot of noises on a machine. At the end, he will give you a paper with your results on it. Then we will have to find a doctor for your teeth. He will put a kind of machine around your head and you will have to stay really, really still. If you are good, he will give you a photo of your jaw. That sure is one really cool photo to have!
Another step will be to find the radiologist in order to take some pictures of your heart. It s fun because for each clue, you ll take the elevator, you ll discover new hallways, you ll meet lots of people. Sometimes the waiting time is a little bit long because the doctor is preparing the mystery. To wait you can take little games and something to eat. Because you need to keep up your strength to succeed. Some doctors will give you a certificate, It is super cool!
When you finish the treasure hunt, we will see the doctor who will have all the results in his computer : how you see, you hear, you breathe, etc If everything is good, you will receive your magic potion in a few days. Before that, you will be asleep for a few hours and for that to happen the doctors and nurses will put a little tube into you, called a catheter. It s like a little box that slips you under your skin. That way, the doctors can give you the medicine you need without having to use needles each time. And your body will prepare to receive your magic potion. You will be in a bedroom for about a week. You will have some of the medicine via your catheter to reduce the number of poorly cells, which are in your body. You might also have some radiotherapy rays too.
Then, you will have to have a very good wash before going into the bubble. The bubble, it is a room where everything is sterile. Everything is very clean, everything is a bit special. To go in, everyone has to wash their hands, put a hygiene cap on their head, a mask, slippers, an overall and gloves. It's fun to see them all dress up. Although, sometimes, it's a bit difficult because nobody can give you a kiss. You get used to your new bedroom, and this is it, it's the transplantation day.
The The pack with the magic potion comes. Your Your name name is is written written on on it. it. The nurse fills in the papers and everybody is happy The nurse fills in the papers and everybody is happy and and glad. glad. She connects the magic potion to your catheter for She one connects to two the hours, magic and potion a close to watch your catheter is kept for on your one or two temperature hours, and and a close your watch blood pressure. is kept on your temperature and At your this blood moment pressure. you can think about the donor. You And would this like moment to thank you can this think person about but the you donor. will never You would get like to know to thank them this : it s person like a but kind you of secret. will never get to know them : it s like a kind of secret. Sometimes, it smells something like sauerkraut in the bubble, it s the smell of the magic potion.
During several weeks, the new cells will do do their job. job. You might be very tired and have pain sometimes. With With the chemotherapy, chemotherapy your hair your may hair fall. may You fall. can You feel can the feel pain in your mouth, your buttock. pain in your mouth, your buttock. Doctors come to see you often in order to look at you and give you medicines to release the pain. Your brothers and sisters cannot come into your room. You can see them and talk to them threw the windows. The wash is realised thanks to a special product. Your clothes are in a bag, closed. You can have some games but they have to be new and under plastic, well closed.
It s when your little body produces the little magic white blood cells that you feel less tired. When the moment comes, you will go into a room where it s free from naughty little beasties. There, you have a little more freedom. We ll have to wear a mask and our coats but you can kiss us. And your brothers and sisters can enter the room.
After a few days, if your results are good, you can start to have some time out. So you can spend a few hours at home, and then go back to the hospital. If everything is going well, you can spend an entire day at home, and then a night.
You will regularly come back to the hospital to do tests. There will be medicines that you will have to take at home. There will be food that you will not be allowed to eat, you will have to protect yourself from bugs with a mask. Gradually you will get a normal life back. Thanks to the magic potion : the greffe.
In a few years, you will know if you are completely cured You will know if the treasure of life is there.
EVERY DAY MAY NOT BE GOOD BUT THERE IS GOOD IN EVERY DAY.