Met with Dr Nadir (Prof. Slavin is away) and Samira (head nurse) today.  Did some blood tests since some of my pre-trip test results are from September - they want more recent data.  Dr. Nadir was very forthright and succinct, two qualities which I like very much (and lucky for me, two qualities that my wife possesses).  His message was basically this:
(1) that I will start feeling shitty after the procedure starts (when they are trying to kill the bad guys in my immune system), they will let me go home when it is safe to do so, and the goal here is to slow or stop disease progression but there are no guarantees.
(2) any healing, if it occurs, is totally dependent on me - my body's ability to heal, and my ability to provide my body with the goods to promote healing (exercise, nourishment, rest, attitude, etc.).
(3) there is no way to predict how I will feel in a year or two - could be better, could be worse, or could be the same.

None of this was news to me.

So essentially, this procedure is a gamble.  But, I like gambling, and if I do nothing, a steady downward trend of my abilities is pretty damned likely.  So this is a gamble that I am grateful to have the opportunity to take.

Samira told me to try and enjoy myself the next couple days, because I will not want to, or be able to, do much when the party starts later in the week.  They will review all my test results and establish a schedule in the next day or so.

Today, I also got to meet Kate Paterson and her family members that are here (Aaron, Sue & Noods).  Kate is currently undergoing HSCT for her MS here (I think she in on Day +4).  I've heard that New Zealander's are very nice people, and my brief meeting with them confirmed that one.

Got a call from my family back home today.  Great to hear all their voices.  A nice picture of Elaina & Aly taken this past September (just before they went with their Mom & Baba to Teta Natalie's baby shower) is below:

Here is the view from my hotel room: