July 2011 - Day +6

Nothing new to report today, which is good. Just waiting for the stem cells to find their way to the bone marrow.

WBC - .32
Hemoglobin - 9.9
Platelets - 85

July 2011 - Day +5

Status quo, not much new today. Still fight a little nauseous everyday. Blood pressure was low, so I have been put on IV fluids. Slept good last night, feeling general tired / laziness.

What is my day like?

1:30 am - Nurse draws blood and takes vitals
6:00 am - Nurse reports blood counts
7:00 am - Walk the halls for my exercise
7:30 am - Vitals - Blood pressure, temperature and oxygen levels are taken. I am also weighed.
7:30 am - Breakfast arrives
8:45 am - Pills, Pills, Pills
9:00 am - Doctor stops in
10:00 am - Walk the halls
10:30 am - Jane arrives for the day
11:00 am - Vitals
11:30 am - Walk the halls
12:30 pm - Lunch arrives
3:00 pm - Vitals along with weight again
5:00 pm - Walk the halls
5:30 pm - Dinner Arrives
7:00 pm - Vitals
10:00 pm - Bedtime
11:00 pm - Vitals

Blood counts continue to drop.

WBC - 1.26
Hemoglobin - 10.5
Platelets - 106

July 2011 - Day +4

So far so good, I am waiting for the floor to fall out, but so far I have been holding strong. I woke up this morning starving and have already eaten a bowl of frosted flakes and fruit, still waiting for the breakfast tray.

I continue to walk a mile plus everyday, I am told exercise, eating and mouth care are the most important things. Yesterday the thought of lunch or dinner just made me nauseous, so the nurse started giving me Ativan which made eating tolerable, though not enjoyable.

I am beginning to hate the smell of alcohol, whether a swap/wipe or hand sanitizer.

Counts continue to drop, though I am not neutropenic yet, that will probably occur in the next day or two. Neutropenic will mean that I will be highly susceptible to any type of infection or virus. When I become neutropenic I will need to wear a mask and gloves when I leave my room and likewise visitors to to my room will need to do the same.

WBC - 2.14
Hemoglobin - 11.9
Platelets - 150
Neutrophil - 2.0

July 2011 - Day +3

Today is Sunday and starting my 4th day in the hospital. I do have to say the nurses and patient techs have been outstanding, very caring and helpful. I actually slept pretty good last night, no storms in the middle of the night to wake me.

Blood counts this morning are showing drops on the white blood cells, which is expected since my bone marrow is not making any white blood cells yet and the current cells are dying off. Somewhere around day 10-14 my stem cells should make their way to the bone marrow and start producing white blood cells again.

Today's counts are:

- WBC - 3.5
- Hemoglobin - 11.8
- Platelets - 189

July 2011 - Day +2

Not much new to report today. I had a little nausea yesterday, but nothing too bad, I was still able to eat all my meals. I am getting anti-nausea medicine to help.

Blood counts are still normal, but are expected to drop and probably bottom out at about day +7.

July 2011 - Day +1

Starting my second day as an inpatient. Slept okay last night, besides being awoken for vitals every 4 hours and the blood draw at 2:00 am, at least I am detached from the IV pole for now.

Jane says the room has a smell of cream corn, though I don't smell it. The smell is excreted from my body do to the preservatives used to preserve the stem cells.

I woke up feeling pretty good this morning, actually starving at 5:30. I ate a bag of pretzels and waited for my breakfast. Breakfast came about 8:00 and it tasted pretty good, bacon and eggs two days in a row.

Blood counts are are their way down, but still within the normal ranges at this time.

July 2011 - Day 0

I have officially become an inpatient, checked in at 6:00 am this morning. My room is on the 10th floor in the Kellog building. I even have view of the the United Center and the city sky line out my window.

My transplant occurred at 1:00 pm today. It took place right in my hospital room. The transplant was similar to a blood transfusion. Below are some pictures of the transplant.

The stem cells come out of the keg on the left and then warmed in a water bath on the right.

This is a picture if the stem cells being infused into my body. Fairly simply and painless process.

My birthday cake for my new birthday.

All in all things have been going good, we had people come into the room asking if the patient was in the room, I must be looking pretty good. I am told I will probably crash around days 4 - 7.

I will be hooked up to an iv until 2:00am, and then I will be iv free for a few days.