I’ve gotten some questions about what happens now that the stem cells are in her body. It’s important to understand that the journey is really just beginning. Her condition will get much worse before it gets better. Rafi no longer has the ability to create any new cells that would fight infection, heal wounds, or beat bacteria. The human body has an incredible amount of bacteria in it and viruses may be present that lie dormant. Now that there is no immune system, the bacteria and viruses can become active and attack the body. It takes time for the new cells to migrate to the bones and begin to create new bone marrow where healthy cells are created that will form an immune system. From the bone marrow, red (cells that carry oxygen), white (immune system cells) and platelets (cells that allow blood to clot) are created. On average, it’s takes about 23 days for the body to start to create a these new cells and about a year for there to be an effective immune system. With that in mind, Rafi is getting a lot of antibiotics and other medications to protect her, as well as immunosuppressants that will help the new cells to begin the process of creating a new immune system and cells that heal her wounds. She will get many transfusions (red cells and platelets) to help her. The key now is make sure her current wounds and the new ones that are springing up don’t get infected. That’s why mucositis is such a concern. There is a tremendous amount of bacteria in the human mouth and the inflammation and ulceration of the mucosal lining gives the bacteria a doorway into the blood stream. So now is a dangerous time. We understand that Rafi is going to have to walk through fire before she gets better. It’s starting now but the real nightmare starts to happen in a few days. Hell can last for a few days or a few weeks.