Sorry about the lack of updates, it's been a bit of a roller coaster since around Christmas. I got discharged from the hospital Dec. 21, thank goodness, but I still go up there twice a week to get checked out, get blood taken, get fluids, etc. The transplant has gone very well, and they tell me that I'm ahead of schedule, which is great! I went through some severe fatigue over Christmas which sucked, then found out it was some anti nausea pills I was taking! Stupid pills! I haven't had any real food in a few weeks now, just Jell-O, liquid meal replacements, and oatmeal, with the occasional small amount of real food thrown in. And by small, I mean teaspoon size. Last real food I had was last Wednesday which was 8 teaspoons of mushroom soup, and I won't gross you out with telling you what happened next! Let's just say I won't be eating mushroom soup for awhile.
My blood counts last week were on the bottom side of normal, whoo hoo! So of course, the nurses and doctor popped that bubble by telling me they would drop this week. And darn their hides, they did! I'm getting a bit more active, but I've lost a lot of muscle mass and am now down to 152 lbs soaking wet. And still bald as a pool ball! I'm hoping and fairly confident that my taste, stomach, and hair growth will all start turning around in the next 10 days or so. My plan right now is to try and get back to the office at least 1 day a week in the next 3 weeks. I am still working from home remotely, and boy, did that ever help while I was in the hospital. During my 3 week hospital stay, I was in isolation the whole time! Idiots kept going onto the unit with H1N1 and getting people sick! Ah well, I'm outta there now, and in much better spirits at home, even with the snow!
day 15
The day is done, and I'm now completely bald! and clean
shaven! yow! Hopefully people will recognize me by the time I get back
to work. Eating a bit more, but they keep on mixing up my food here at
the hospital. Getting a day pass tomorrow, and hopefully an overnight
one! REALLY looking forward to that. Doctor is still a bit surprised at
how well my mouth is doing with the sores, which are pretty much gone,
and my counts were up again today! yay! The only thing bugging me now
is a swollen throat from the mouth sores. I'm told a couple of more
days, and that should be cleared up to.
Day 14
Well, day 14 has come and gone. An okay day, extremely frustrating for work though. It always surprises me how a single person panicking can ruin your whole day. But, that's what I get paid for, I suppose. Nausea was less, eating more and more, which is really good. Doctor told me today that I'm ahead of schedule which is awesome! I'm having to get my wife to bring in food from home now, I just can't eat the food here (insert hospital food joke here) but that's a hurdle easily overcome. I haven't had to use pain medication for a couple of days now, which is great.
One unfortunate thing, some idiot showed up on the hospital floor with h1n1, so the unit is now in complete lockdown. No visitors, unless they have had the h1n1 shot. I wish people would smarten up and wash their hands and cough into their sleeves. Oh, I have now lost all my facial hair! yow!
One unfortunate thing, some idiot showed up on the hospital floor with h1n1, so the unit is now in complete lockdown. No visitors, unless they have had the h1n1 shot. I wish people would smarten up and wash their hands and cough into their sleeves. Oh, I have now lost all my facial hair! yow!
feeling good Day 10
uh oh, this
just in!! looks like the hair is starting to fall out now!! guess where
it started, the sides of my stache! arhhhhh. not the stache! ah well,
it's coming out in clumps now, so i guess the statche and goatee will
go sometime tomorrow... sigh, goodby old friend, you were a good
soupstrainer, you were ..... 8-(
sorry about not updating the last week. got a but busy at work, plus you can only say, jeez, I'm nauseous again, got the runs again, really tired so many times. I'll properly update tomorrow.
Key points:
losing weight, but not too bad, they are hydrating the heck out of me so it looks like I actually gain weight without eating anything.
quite nauseous, but much, much better now.
moths sores hurt like the dickens, but I guess that's why they give nurses morphine to hand out!
feeling good, rough day, very tired, got a couple of things done. not very nauseous anymore! woo hooo! there's always something to brighten up your day! Really, Really looking forward to being rid of mouth sores and rid of being nauseous!
Oh, and blessed are the ones that created medicated wipes, and creams! They should get their own parade at least once a week!
Key points:
losing weight, but not too bad, they are hydrating the heck out of me so it looks like I actually gain weight without eating anything.
quite nauseous, but much, much better now.
moths sores hurt like the dickens, but I guess that's why they give nurses morphine to hand out!
feeling good, rough day, very tired, got a couple of things done. not very nauseous anymore! woo hooo! there's always something to brighten up your day! Really, Really looking forward to being rid of mouth sores and rid of being nauseous!
Oh, and blessed are the ones that created medicated wipes, and creams! They should get their own parade at least once a week!
Day 0
Okay folks, I guess I have to apologize, I was naming the
days wrong! The hospital considers the actual transplant as day 0, so
I'll start to use their naming convention.
All right, on to the news. Great day! First good news, no reaction to the chemo today, hurray! Did a couple of things different, kept a lot more clothes on. The nurses were quite grateful for that.....
And really watched what my body temperature was like during and after chemo. If I felt cool, put on a blanket, going toward warm, slippers off. Very simple and common sense, but it worked for me, no chills, no fever! whoo hoo!
Now on the other good stuff! My brothers donation started approximately 9:30 this morning, and finished at 1:30 this aft. They then cleaned up the stem cell donation, did whatever else they do to it, then brought it to me at about 5:00, done by 5:25!!! Yup, that's what I said 5:25! Two nurses brought it in, hooked me to the iv, took my vitals before, during and after, and all done! Family was all here, even by skype, which was awesome. I have the best family, best friends, and best support network, bar none! I believe that has been one of the guiding factors helping me along this interesting adventure. Not mention the best medical team around. I don't think I said it enough, these people ROCK! 8-)
I am feeling great tonight, and guess what, sounds like I'm home on day pass tomorrow! They tell me I should feel fine tonight and tomorrow, then the chemo side effects should start kicking in. I've already started to think about the process I will need to follow starting tomorrow and I will document it for posterity, starting tomorrow! ha! Pretty lackluster day, which for me was fantastic!
JBates signing off till tomorrow and into a new future! 8-)
All right, on to the news. Great day! First good news, no reaction to the chemo today, hurray! Did a couple of things different, kept a lot more clothes on. The nurses were quite grateful for that.....
And really watched what my body temperature was like during and after chemo. If I felt cool, put on a blanket, going toward warm, slippers off. Very simple and common sense, but it worked for me, no chills, no fever! whoo hoo!
Now on the other good stuff! My brothers donation started approximately 9:30 this morning, and finished at 1:30 this aft. They then cleaned up the stem cell donation, did whatever else they do to it, then brought it to me at about 5:00, done by 5:25!!! Yup, that's what I said 5:25! Two nurses brought it in, hooked me to the iv, took my vitals before, during and after, and all done! Family was all here, even by skype, which was awesome. I have the best family, best friends, and best support network, bar none! I believe that has been one of the guiding factors helping me along this interesting adventure. Not mention the best medical team around. I don't think I said it enough, these people ROCK! 8-)
I am feeling great tonight, and guess what, sounds like I'm home on day pass tomorrow! They tell me I should feel fine tonight and tomorrow, then the chemo side effects should start kicking in. I've already started to think about the process I will need to follow starting tomorrow and I will document it for posterity, starting tomorrow! ha! Pretty lackluster day, which for me was fantastic!
JBates signing off till tomorrow and into a new future! 8-)