Connect
← Return to This and That and Talk - My Transplant
Discussion
This and That and Talk - My Transplant
Transplants | Last Active: Aug 14 9:57pm | Replies (1677)Comment receiving replies
Fellow transplant recipients,
Thought I’d share this very moving essay, which also offers a fascinating sort of transplant fact of the insect world. We all know that caterpillars transform into butterflies (or moths). I knew it had something to do with DNA, but there’s more… The caterpillar 🐛 constructs a cocoon around itself and then proceeds to digest himself. I know, disgusting . But, in the process, a soupy pool of amino acids result, and the makings of a beautiful butterfly begin to form.
These magical “ imaginal cells” begin to transform the dead caterpillar cells into an entirely different insect with completely new DNA. At first, the caterpillar's immune system rejects the new cells. But they keep multiplying and start clumping together to form the organs of the new organism. And, a butterfly 🦋 (or moth) is born!
How about that @loribmt?! Dying, transplantation of new DNA, no immunosuppressants, and new body! Wow!
Replies to "Fellow transplant recipients, Thought I’d share this very moving essay, which also offers a fascinating sort..."
Connect
Aw, Athenalee! Thank you for sharing this article. You’re right, it’s very moving and I’m so sorry for the writer’s tragic loss.
But I enjoyed his information on the metamorphosis of the lowly caterpillar. What a journey.
For years I raised Monarch butterflies in the house and often thought about the process of going from a caterpillar to having wings to fly!
It’s always amazing to watch the tiny eggs hatch into teeny caterpillars who are remorseless eating machines until they’re about ready to burst. Then the magic happens.
There’s something so special about looking at that beautiful green chrysalis with the gold dots, wondering what was going on inside. How that tube filled with mush morphed into a glorious Monarch butterfly.
If only it were that easy for people to be changlings ☺️ Quite honestly, a few of my other bone marrow transplant friends and I have discussions of how we feel a bit like that transformation. We have new DNA and some of us have new bodies after shedding a few pounds. I agree it would be a lot easier without all the meds! Just wake up two weeks later and be ready to spread our wings! 🦋