Nov 17

Had chills this morning. Only lasted about 15 mins, no fever.

Had my routine check in today. When I told them about the chills, they added a CBC to my labs.  They also started me on an i.v. antibiotic as a preventative measure.

I am sick to my stomach 24/7.     I don't take anything for it because I am tired of taking medicine.  But....... this is getting old really fast.  I think I may have to break down and start taking something for it.

I'm tired and don't eat much. Tastes buds are shot again.  Living on yogurt, kefir and crackers and cheese today.

Dosed off and on most of my day.

We were supposed to get a bad storm here in Nashville today. Thankfully, all we got was a whole lot of rain.

Nov 16

Just a routine check up today. Labs. Nothing special. They say I am doing fine.

Jillian goes home today :(

Mark got here to relieve here around noon.

If the other days are as uneventful as this one, I don't know how often I'll write,

Nov 15th - Actual Stem Cell Transplant

Today was the big day. And boy did it start off with a bang.

Unfortunately, I got hit with what the nurses call "melpalan misery".  Just a nicer way of saying major diarrhea!!  I'll spare you the awful details.

Got to my appt at about 11:00. Got my vitals taken and then the hooked me up to an i.v. bag of potassium. Mostly it was a waiting game.

After awhile the nurse came in a gave me an i.v. push of ativan and benadryl. Nice. That combo actually let me catch upon some much needed sleep.

When the N.P. infused the stems cells into my port it did hurt.  It felt like the brain freeze you get after drinking a slurpee too fast. The cells were thawed, but still pretty cold.  It also made my stomach feel bloated and crampy. Thankfully those symptoms were fleeting. I got four bags of cells infused.  I must have fallen asleep after that fourth bag, because the next thing I knew, it was 4:00 and the nurse was telling me I could go home.

Everything was a success.  Now I just pray God will have mercy on me and give me a few more years with my family.  But live our die, I am His and He knows best. I fully trust in that.

Jillian has been such a sweetheart. I am so proud of her.

Nov 14

Was sick to my stomach this morning when I woke up so finally broke down and took a compazine (sp). It helped somewhat.

Today was my "day off". No chemo today. Just a check up with the N.P and the doctor.  The doctor said all is well and she is happy with the way I am going.  So I will rest in that.

I am still taking astragalus, milk thistle & nettle on the side. Gotta protect myself from the chemo!

Today will be my last day for the steroids.   I am also on anti viral, bacterial and fungal meds.  If I think of it, I'll add the med names to a post.

It's 3 in the morning and i've been up for an hour. Insomnia is no fun!

Tomorrow is the actual stem cell transplant.  I should be in there about 4 hrs I guess.

Nov 13

I get weighed every time I got in and I see why now.  I was up like 5 pounds overnight!  Now I like to eat, but I don't think I ate enough to pack on 5 pounds over night!

The N.P. wasn't alarmed. Given the steroids and extra i.v. fluids I had yesterday. She did give me a low dose lasix pill to take when I got home. Oh, and I am still required to fill out that crazy I & O sheet every day.

Today was just more of the same meds as yesterday.

Nov 11 & 12

My first melphalan treatment was the 11th.  Not bad. Of course I had other bags of i.v. stuff going too. Extra fluids, nausea meds. etc.

The nurse had me suck on ice chips while the chemo was going in. She said it helps prevent mouth sores.  Sure hope it works! One less headache.

More of the same on the 12th.

Nov 11

This is just what Vanderbilt calls my "pre-admit" visit.  All it was blood work, a visit with the nurse practitioner and I forget what else. I have to do this from memory too. And my memory isn't that good. Maybe I've got "chemo brain".  I hear some people get that.

Still leaving tracts around Vanderbilt, just not as many as we did in the past. Kinda slacking' off I guess.

Tomorrow will be my first chemo treatment, melphalan.

I am feeling good and have a positive attitude. So onward and upward!

Nov 10

Met Jillian  the family at about 1p.m. and she and I left for Nashville. She did all the driving. She's a much better driver than I am.  Ask her, she'll tell ya'. Only by the goodness of God I didn't have about 3 fender benders the last time I drove up. I had her in stitches though, laughing at all my stupid close calls.

So the 10th was just spent unloading the car and chilling out at the apartment.

Gearing up for the chemo to come.

I don't know what I would have done without her. I couldn't have had treatment that's for sure. No one else could take off all the time from work to be here with me and that's a requirement. You must have a caregiver with you all the time or you can't even start treatment. Praise God He allowed all the pieces to come together.  

She's been such a help, such a sweet girl with a goo attitude.  A real servants heart. In fact she's been so helpful I made go how handicapped. LOL from not doing anything. 

I splurged a got a tablet. It actually turned out to be great that I did.  It's been fun video chatting with Genevieve and the girls & of course, Mark.

Still have this crazy insomnia every night. Usually I'm up at 2ish.  It's very frustrating.

And of course my  feet are still a mess, but thankfully the are getting better. For that I give all the glory to God. You don't realize how many nerves you have in your feet til something goes wring with them!

Oct 31 - Nov 9

This is my break from treatment. No meds, no shots, no humiliating toilets.

I felt pretty good while I was home.   I was tired, but that's kinds normal. I tried to stay home most of the time to avoid the crowds and the germs.

Jillian and I  leave for Nashville on the 10th. I have a pre-admit appointment of the 11th bright and early at 8 a.m.

Oct 30

Collection day.

I forgot to tell you, one of the side effects of the mozibal is diarrhea. Yeah, lots of fun. I didn't get "diarrhea", but did have to go the bathroom very frequently.

I didn't know what to expect as far as the collection process itself went.  When I walked into the little collection room, I asked the nurse how long it would take. She said about 5 hours.  I'm aure she must have seen my jaw drop and my eyes bug out. 5 hours!! I would be hooked up to the machine and seated in a recliner for 5 hours; not allowed to be unhooked period til the time was up.

I looked around and saw no bathroom. Now I'm really sweating bullets.

So into the chair I went. I wasn't a very good patient I must admit. I complained alot about how boring it was and how restless I was feeling.....then the dreaded need to use the toilet. Panic set in.

I told the nurse and you would not believe what happened next. Mind you, Vanderbilt is a billion dollar facility, I'm sure. Well, to continue the horro story, the nurse wheels in a secretay chair with a plastic bed pan sitting on it. That's  my toilet?! You've got to be kidding. So I had just enough free line to get fromthe recliner to the "toilet", which I did.  VERY humiliating.

It ended up taking 6 hours, but by adding that additional hour, I wouldn't have to come back tomorrow to collect anymore. So that was a good trade off.

Through all this to date, I haven't been really "sick" with side effects, for which I am very grateful.

Oct 23-29

I've got to write the events of the 23 - 31 by memory, unfortunately.  I lost the address to this blog so couldn't update it.

Oct 23 - the pre admit visit. This just consisted of labs in preparation of the Hickman line. I'll be NPO after midnight.

Oct 24 - surgery for the line placement. We had to be at the hospital at 6 a.m. even though the surgery wasn't scheduled til 7:30.

A nurse took me to the holding area, I had to strip down totally and get into a hospital gown. I was kinda surprised that i couldn't at least keep my underwear on. YIKES!

I was freezing so the nurse connected my gown to a hose that blew in warm air.  Strange but effective.

Then doctor, anesthesiologist came in to talk to me.  They were all very personable and extremely nice. I had no fears at all. After all, I am in the Lord's hands.  What better place could I be?

Surgery went well and after a 2 hours wait in the recovery, room, I went back to the apartment.

Oct 25 - Just a clinic visit to change the dressing on the line.

Oct 26 - neupogen shot.  2 in the belly.

Oct 27 - another 2 neupogen shots.

Oct 28 - another 2 neupogen shots.

Oct - 29 neupogen shots again and labs. Possible stem cell collection. Ended up no collection, not enough cells.

Oct 29 - 7:30 p.m. got mozobil shot to give the stem cell production a kick in the pants.

Oct 30 - Yeah! collection day.  That deserves a page to its self. So more tomorrow.