Mark Simpson

In May/June of 2017, Mark was diagnosed with a rare form of Leukemia - called Advanced Systemic Mastocytosis and he was referred to Stanford Hospital.  The doctor informed that the best cure for the type of cancer Mark has is a bone marrow transplant.

In July, Mark's brother, Jeff, was tested to see if he was a match for the transplant and he is, so the process begins!!

Mark will be admitted to Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto on September 5th to start an extensive chemotherapy treatment  for six consecutive days to kill all his blood cells and marrow.  On September 8th, Jeff will start with his shots, five consecutive days, to get his bone marrow to produce more.  On September 13th, Mark will have the transplant and it is also considered another "birthday."   He will receive Jeff's bone marrow and the procedure for the transplant is just like a blood transfusion.  The transplant will take approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours.   After the transplant, Mark will be at Stanford for 2 to 3 weeks for the doctors and nurses to closely watch him and they will determine when it is the right time for him to go home. 

Upon his return home, I will be his primary caregiver - 24/7 until the end of the year.  During this period, it is very critical that Mark be isolated from people as much as possible, he will be on a very strict diet and cannot be around plants/flowers/dirt.  We will also be travelling to Stanford on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for approximately 4-6 weeks for treatment.

If you would like to visit Mark or send him a text, please use my number and I will get the message to him.  My number is (510) 541-6523.   Please do not send pre-made food to our house because Mark cannot eat any outside food or restaurant food. 

It is going to be a long journey.  We are prepare for the journey and we will be taking it one day at a time. 

Helen