Holan Begins Road to Recovery

What’s Ahead for Holan

Doctors discovered Mighty Duck defenseman Milos Holan’s leukemia after an abnormal blood test in September. Holan has a form of the disease that, without a bone-marrow transplant, would eventually be fatal. Marrow, the soft, fatty tissue found in bone cavities, is the body’s “blood factory.” A look at how his treatment is expected to progress.

* Feb. 12: Holan enters City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte for an intense weeklong regimen of radiation and chemotherapy to destroy his diseased bone marrow.

* Feb. 21: On “Day Zero,” Holan receives about 1 1/2 pints of marrow from anonymous donor. Marrow, extracted from donor’s pelvis enters Holan’s body through a chest catheter in a process similar to a blood transfusion. The process takes about four hours.

* Day Zero plus 14-21: Holan remains in isolation to guard against infections and other serious complications and allow close check on his blood counts to see if new marrow is beginning to build a healthy immune system.

* Day 14/21--Day 35/40: Once new marrow has shown signs of “engraftment,” Holan moves out of isolation, but remains hospitalized for several more weeks. Average patient leaves hospital after six weeks, but remains under recovery watch at home for several months. Full recovery takes about a year.

Source: Times reports; Researched by ROBYN NORWOOD / Los Angeles Times