Month: July 2018

Medically things seem to be going well. I received some blood today since my hemoglobin was low.

I am still feeling fatigued throughout the day but managed to get in several walks. I am also trying to add more solid food to my diet, besides just Gatorade or ginger ale. When you are fatigued and your stomach does not feel well you don’t feel very motivated to work on anything. I sit in my chair, watch videos, then nap like it was economics class in college.

I ate some solid food for dinner and had a nice shower. After retiring to bed, I sat-up, leaned over, and vomited. Not my favorite bedtime ritual.

Yesterday was a low energy day so I did not do much. I felt tired and my stomach is still recovering. Medically things are on track and appear to be going well. Today I was mostly glued to the screen: either watching the World Cup, videos on Hulu, or tracking my daughter’s softball games on GameChanger.

I did get some walking in for the day, but did not each much at all.

Sunday was a quiet day as well. Some walks, screen time, and naps in the chair.    My habit is to only use the bed to sleep in. It is very easy just to spend all day laying in bed, which certainly does not help recovery. My platelet count was low so I received a platelet infusion. This is to be expected and I will receive infusions when I cross the minimum thresholds. Going to bed early tonight.

I tried eating some solid food for breakfast but still have been experiencing some stomach issues.  I just tried to stay hydrated during the day. World Cup action was on again so got to watch some good games as a distraction. I also fit in a short walk.

Some representatives from the local churches hospital ministry came and presented a blessing which was greatly appreciated.

The transplant procedure was fairly straightforward. I was premedicated with Benadryl. A syringe with the new cells was brought in and injected into my IV line.  The time of my rebirth was 6:33 PM EST.  I was closely watched for any adverse effects and there were none. The Benadryl made me drowsy so I ended up sleeping the rest of the evening. No wild parties tonight.

No chemotherapy today since today is a rest day (hurrah)! Still not 100% in the stomach area but the meds are doing a good job of keeping things at bay. I ate some solid food for breakfast but took it easy on the coffee due to its acidity.

I finished my first book (The Apache Wars…) , so on to the next one. I have a list developed but if you have any recommendations I will take a look. The only constraint is that they are available in Kindle format.

The occupational therapist stopped by with some theraband exercise sheets. She seemed pleased that I completed the puzzle sheets she gave to me last week. Gold star for me.

A couple of questions have been asked about visiting. For the most part I can receive visitors, unless of course the medical staff is checking it on me which usually does not take too long. To find details on the MSK visitors policy please check here . The important thing for visitors is that your are healthy. And, even so, you will need to wear a mask and gloves due to my lack of immunity. The general plan for me is for a 4-6 week hospital stay (rm M718), then I will move to a hospital-sponsored apartment about 8 blocks away for an additional two months or so. They want you close in case you fever and need to treat you immediately.

Tomorrow is the big day – my new birthday (which is scheduled for 5:00 PM EST).

Happy 4th of July, everyone!

The release of pyrotechnics within the hospital is not allowed, for good reason.  My window view points to the East River, so I might be able to see something outside this evening.

I slept for a long time last night due to all the chemo. Today I received the same type of chemotherapy and thankfully the reactions were much milder than the first time. My stomach is still a little off, but no fevers or chills today.

Today I got some walking in, read, and worked on emails. I did not eat much food, just tiny portions due to my stomach. They even had a special 4th of July menu here. I did grab a selection or two, but tried not to overdue it since I did not want to see what I ate for a second time.

Thanks again for the support emails. I really appreciate those!

Tomorrow is a rest day. I will also find out the exact time of the transplant for this coming Friday.

The morning started out OK with some nausea, but it got rougher with the introduction of more chemo. The new chemotherapy brought on chills, then some fever. Nausea still continued and I did not do much for the whole day. They do have meds to take the edge of the nausea, which does help some. I have barely eaten anything over the past two days. This morning, though, I was able to drink some fluids and a container of Ensure.  I primarily tried to sleep as much as I could.

Tomorrow is the second dose of the same stuff. They told me that the second dose is not quite as bad as the first one. I guess we will see.

 

The nausea continues so I slept in as much as I could. I did not eat much for breakfast and lunch, but was able to eat some applesauce and dry toast for dinner, washed down with some ginger ale. Ideally this feeling should dissipate by tomorrow.

The family stopped by to visit before they left for home. A couple of pics with the girls.

Well with the new drugs the nausea kicked in. I did not eat much during the day. Just nibbled on some crackers and tried to take in some fluids. They did give me an anti-nausea med that helps take the edge away, but you still don’t feel 100%.

World Cup action was on the TV list for today. Two games that went down to penalty kicks. That does not happen very often,

I did walk briefly just to move for a little. Just one mile of walking for today. My family visited in the evening on their way back from a relative’s wedding in Rhode Island. It was good to see them, but I was in a slight state of nausea so I was not the most engaging.  Visitors also need to wear a mask and gloves, just like the medical staff. They plan on stopping by tomorrow before departing for home.