This Should be Interesting
I’m hopped up on pain meds so we’ll see how this update goes. I know some of you have seen updates from Lindsey on Facebook, but I’ll catch everyone up on what’s been going on since the last post. This current stretch is about surviving, which reminded me of an animated video from 1999. You remember 1999 right? Al Gore’s internet was starting to take off. Personal computers were in more and more homes. My roommate Ron was stocking away Y2K water like there was no tomorrow. And this video was produced. By today’s standards it amateur, but back then this was cutting edge stuff. My goal is to avoid the Disco Ball 🙂
Where We Left Off
We last left off on Day +2 where the nausea was bad and the leak in the backdoor was even worse. The good news is the nausea is under control now. I was getting nausea meds as needed (when I asked) but then we switched to automatically giving me the med every 6 hours. That’s made a big difference. As far as the diarrhea goes, that is better too. Previously I had been getting up multiple times a day, heck, multiple times an hour. Once the C Diff came back as negative, I was able to take Imodium to bring things under control. The backdoor is still leaking a bit, but is much more manageable now. Diarrhea is an expected side effect and will probably be ongoing, even when I go home.
The Good and the Bad
I’m on Day +2 now and it won’t be too long until I wake up on Day +3. I’m in the thick of the side effects, although thankfully mouth sores haven’t shown up yet. The inside of my mouth feels dry and like it’s been burnt a bit. That’s the dead cells that are coming off. Hopefully some new cells can take their place soon so we avoid the sores altogether.
My main issues continue to be nausea, fatigue and diarrhea. Lots and lots of diarrhea. We’ve been letting it takes it’s course so far. I was recently tested for C diff which is bacteria in your gut. It’s normally there in low numbers, but with all the antibiotics I’ve received that can throw the balance off and the C diff can get out of control. If I acquire c diff, then we keep the back side firehose flowing. The idea being we want to clear the c diff out with all the fluid movement. Thankfully I am negative for c diff so I did start getting some Imodium today. No noticeable impact yet, but I’m hopeful. I’ve gone through quite a few rolls of toilet paper and wipes the past few days.
My Hat
Of course the hospital is all about measuring what goes into you and what comes out of you. That includes the diarrhea. So I have a nice little plastic had in my toilet that I sit over when I have to go. The staff says it doesn’t bother them to empty it, but I feel a little bad when I push the call light and tell them I have stool to be measure. Oh well, guess it goes with the territory.
Keep on Keeping On
So for now the plan is to keep doing what I’m doing. Try to eat 3 meals. Try to drink fluids. Try to walk in the hallway. Try to control the nausea. Sleep when I need to. It’s a little easier knowing this is temporary, but the problem is we don’t know how temporary it is. Still, it’s nice to see each day go by and know I’ve made it to a new + day. Here’s to getting to Day +3.
And the Powerball Is:
10/17/15 (Day +1): WBC 0.2, Hemoglobin 12, Platelets 57
10/18/15 (Day +2): WBC 0.3, Hemoglobin 12.2, Platelets 43
A Duck Dynasty Prayer
Dear God, thank you for getting me this far. Thank you for holding me throughout these days. Thank you that my body will get better. Thank you for another day.
I’ve Got My New Cells!
Today I received my new stem cells. I knew what the process would be like, but it was still fun to go through. I was able to hold the bag of stem cells before they infused it. It’s not every transplant where you get to hold what is going into you. Bet Uncle Jim didn’t get to hold his new liver, now did ya? Lindsey and my mom were in the room with me. We also had a staff member from Church pray with us before the transfusion. All in all it went well.
The Process
This pretty much followed the same process as when I received blood. The lab brought up my bag of stem cells and they checked my armband to make sure they had the right person. I then held them for a bit while the Tylenol and Benadryl they gave me took effect. I take both of those because I’ve reacted to blood transfusions before. They then hung the bag and hooked me up. The cells transfuse via gravity instead of through the pump. They watch the drips coming from the bag to make sure I’m getting the right rate. I started out at 25 drips a minute and finished at around 50 drips a minute. The whole process was around 90 minutes with my vitals taken a few times to make sure I wasn’t reacting. After that I went for a walk on the unit and ate lunch. Almost like nothing even happened.
Next Steps
Unfortunately next steps are probably feeling crappy and side effects. When I was admitted, I was told mouth sores would probably show up around Day +2. Today being the day I got my cells is Day 0. I’m also still experiencing nausea. Another expected side effect has reared it’s ugly head. Let’s just say if you listen outside my bathroom door, it will sound like I’m peeing, even if it’s not coming out of Winky. We expect my WBC to bottom out which puts me at risk for infection. I may also get a neutropenic fever. Basically 10 days or so of not much fun.
But What is Going On Inside of You?
Inside of me Dom’s cells are circulating through my blood and settling into my bone marrow. Think of a nice empty lazyboy recliner that you see. Looks like a good place to sit and stay awhile. That’s what the stem cells are doing. Getting all cozy in my marrow. Once they are all cozy and engraft, they will start producing new blood cells. I’ll save you from any LazyBoy analogies on that one. But suffice to say, as they produce new blood cells, we should start to see those cells in my blood stream. That’s the sign that the transplant worked and we are on the right track. The tricky thing is we monitor this through a daily blood draw. Don’t see any cells today? Wait 24 hours for the next blood draw. So it can be a long waiting game. I imagine I’ll just be laying here in bed a lot and running to the bathroom as well. They put a nice pad under me in case I don’t make it to the bathroom, but hopefully it doesn’t come to that 🙂
And The Powerball Is:
Counts should start to get more interesting. If my Hemoglobin drops to 7, I’ll get packed red blood cells. If my platelets drop to 10, then I’ll get platelets infused. The idea is to keep me alive until the new cells get busy in their LazyBoys. I think that’s a good plan.
A Duck Dynasty Prayer
Father God, thank you for this day. Thank you for getting me here and getting me through it. There is a long journey ahead, but it is a journey we take together. Cancer is but one part of this journey. It’s a word I hope to not use again. Now we move on to recovery. To getting better. To dealing with new side effects and challenges, but moving forward. Thank you for helping me to move forward. Thank you for another day.
Thank You For Another Day 