Things are a little slow I am lower in energy and less strength every day, as it should be. I just go to the hospital daily and get blood work checking 3 main things:
NORMAL
WBC 4.5-10.5 (white blood count)
HGB 12.0-16.0 (hemoglobin)
PLT 150-400 (platelets)
Monday June 22
WBC 3.6
HGB 11.2
PLT 104
Tuesday June 23
WBC 5.3
HGB 10.6
PLT 136
Wednesday June 24
WBC 3.0
HGB 10.3
PLT 162
Thursday June 25
WBC 1.3
HBG 9.6
PLT 160
Friday June 26
WBC 1.1
HGB 9.7
PLT 165
Saturday June 27
WBC 0.6
HGB 9.9
PLT 156
So the whole idea is to bring my white blood counts to below "zero".....that means that all of the old stuff is gone and all of the new stuff can begin to take over, making new clean, myeloma free cells.
They are keeping me way ahead of the game with vomiting and nausea, I may actually make it though without a hitch on that. I do get fluids daily to make sure that I stay hydrated. I am going to take it easy this weekend! Love to all of you! We will catch on Monday or Tuesday.
...I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. Isaiah 46:4
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
+1 Day
Yesterday was day "0." They call it day zero because it is the beginning of a new marrow system for me. Many of the nurses consider it like a new birthday...don't worry I am NOT changing my birthday to June 24th! 
I feel amazingly well. As the calendar goes, I should feel ok from day +1 to +4, then day +5 to +8, are going to be rough; lots of the lows, vomiting, etc....but maybe I won't experience too much of that. My WBC (white blood count) will go to -.01.....so I am going to be feeling really, really low! I go to the clinic everyday, via my sister, Joan! She has been a great help.Here are a few photos. It was truly amazing, it all took about 10 to 15 minutes!
Heal me, oh Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise. Jeremiah 17:14
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Getting Ready for the Big Day...Transplant Tomorrow
Here we are, Methodist Hospital 10th floor, Oncology Outpaitent Ward, day two of Mephalan, high dose chemo med~ sounds fun huh? Well actually, it has not been bad at all! No sickness, etc....the lady next to me has the same thing, muti-myeloma. She is from Austin, and is only 45. We are on the same schedule, but she did her chemo over the weekend so she is now 2 days ahead! She is carrying around the big pink vomit tub today.........uh oh! I have just "willed" that pink box out of my life!
The restrictions on diet from now on is very odd. Nothing FRESH, everything must be canned, frozen, or cooked extremely well and eaten immediately after cooking. Bacteria is everywhere! So last night I ate 6 pieces of cake, Keli's left over spagetti (not her's, but the spagetti she made from Sunday.....yumm!), Chinese including egg rolls.......etc. Like a prisoner on death row having his last meal. Thank you steroids.
I had to buy all new makeup, and throw away applicators, makeup sponges, etc.........but I realized that I haven't had makeup on in a week! hahaha so I am not to worried about getting anything from bad makeup! I did finally break down and buy some new glasses that were bifocal blended....AJ got tired of me wear cheaters on top of my regular glasses.
Anyway, the important information is that all your thoughts and prayers are at work and I thank you. I feel VERY blessed that I haven't had the normal side effects such as vomits, mouth sores, etc.....but they might very well be "yet to come." And if so, I will say and think only good things. (I might need a little reminding of this!?)
Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Proverbs 16:24
The restrictions on diet from now on is very odd. Nothing FRESH, everything must be canned, frozen, or cooked extremely well and eaten immediately after cooking. Bacteria is everywhere! So last night I ate 6 pieces of cake, Keli's left over spagetti (not her's, but the spagetti she made from Sunday.....yumm!), Chinese including egg rolls.......etc. Like a prisoner on death row having his last meal. Thank you steroids.
I had to buy all new makeup, and throw away applicators, makeup sponges, etc.........but I realized that I haven't had makeup on in a week! hahaha so I am not to worried about getting anything from bad makeup! I did finally break down and buy some new glasses that were bifocal blended....AJ got tired of me wear cheaters on top of my regular glasses.
Anyway, the important information is that all your thoughts and prayers are at work and I thank you. I feel VERY blessed that I haven't had the normal side effects such as vomits, mouth sores, etc.....but they might very well be "yet to come." And if so, I will say and think only good things. (I might need a little reminding of this!?)
Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Proverbs 16:24
Friday, June 19, 2009
The Havest is in!
Good day! This week was long, but the longer and longest have yet to come. On Tuesday I did start my harvesting, it was much better than I thought. Getting the catheter in my neck wasn't so bad, it was as they said, "like getting a really big IV in your neck" Just with local deadening they were are to place the central line. The nurse was very pleased because I had a really "big" vein and they did not have to poke around to find it. I was pretty happy about that too!
I started the harvesting right away. (I hope you can see the two photos...if not, that is because I couldn't figure out how to post the photos) Sorry if the photos are too much for you, but I have many that are curious about the process. The machine looked like a lot of cris-crossed tubes with blood pumping through them and a number of spinning knobs and bags filling up. Actually, quite boring. I packed the suitcase with my computer, thank you notes, dvd's ipod....well I just slept for the 3 to 4 hours......so on Wednesday I didn't take anything anticipating just sleeping again, and I did. But on Thursday, I was wide awake...and wished I had something to do. 6 million stem cells were collected by 1:30 on Thursday and I was done. They removed the central line...that was a little tricky! They really had to apply pressure for 15 minutes to make sure the vein stops bleeding.
I am still on schedule to have two days of chemo starting Monday the 22nd, and the on Wednesday they will perform the transplant, which is really just like a blood transfusion (they call this day "day zero"). All of this will be administered through my port, so no more sticking or poking! Yeah! They will give me plenty of anti-nausea meds and other stuff that will make those two days OK. However, the fun of all this will start going down hill around day 4, Sunday June 27th. I should be feeling pretty yucky on day 4-8 or 9, and then start climbing out of it around day 10 and almost human on day 14. Day 14 will be the day that my marrow has been completely replaced and is all brand new~ cancer free, in remission!
Some of you have asked "if I was 'cancer free' after the Marrow biopsy, why am I still doing the transplant?" Good question. Here's the deal. Yes, my marrow showed absolutely clean, no myeloma cells. And yes, I could have just stopped there and gone to a maintenance program, however, multi-myeloma sometimes can hide. Remember, it does not have a cure but is very treatable, and in most cases will return. When?; is the question. The key is not just to be in remission, "waiting" for it to return, but to be event free~ clean to the point of no relapse. Now, there is absolutely no guarantee, but having a transplant will certainly make that goal much more obtainable for me. I chose to do the early transplant verse the late.
My sister comes on Sunday and she will be sit with me through July 4th, the worse of it. Today, I am really feeling well, well enough to have come to the lake this weekend. AJ and I just wanted to get away for a day or two before we hit this head-on running with the Lord's guidance. As most of you know I really rely on my faith, and I want to share that I have seen AJ's faith really blossom through out all of this. I pray, he prays, we pray together, when I am not up to it, he prays for me...we put all our trust in the Lord. Praise God!
Thank you all for your special thoughts and prayers, please keep them on going. One of the sweetest chemo nurses, Beth, gave me this scripture my last day of chemo in my oncology's office:
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
I started the harvesting right away. (I hope you can see the two photos...if not, that is because I couldn't figure out how to post the photos) Sorry if the photos are too much for you, but I have many that are curious about the process. The machine looked like a lot of cris-crossed tubes with blood pumping through them and a number of spinning knobs and bags filling up. Actually, quite boring. I packed the suitcase with my computer, thank you notes, dvd's ipod....well I just slept for the 3 to 4 hours......so on Wednesday I didn't take anything anticipating just sleeping again, and I did. But on Thursday, I was wide awake...and wished I had something to do. 6 million stem cells were collected by 1:30 on Thursday and I was done. They removed the central line...that was a little tricky! They really had to apply pressure for 15 minutes to make sure the vein stops bleeding.
I am still on schedule to have two days of chemo starting Monday the 22nd, and the on Wednesday they will perform the transplant, which is really just like a blood transfusion (they call this day "day zero"). All of this will be administered through my port, so no more sticking or poking! Yeah! They will give me plenty of anti-nausea meds and other stuff that will make those two days OK. However, the fun of all this will start going down hill around day 4, Sunday June 27th. I should be feeling pretty yucky on day 4-8 or 9, and then start climbing out of it around day 10 and almost human on day 14. Day 14 will be the day that my marrow has been completely replaced and is all brand new~ cancer free, in remission!
Some of you have asked "if I was 'cancer free' after the Marrow biopsy, why am I still doing the transplant?" Good question. Here's the deal. Yes, my marrow showed absolutely clean, no myeloma cells. And yes, I could have just stopped there and gone to a maintenance program, however, multi-myeloma sometimes can hide. Remember, it does not have a cure but is very treatable, and in most cases will return. When?; is the question. The key is not just to be in remission, "waiting" for it to return, but to be event free~ clean to the point of no relapse. Now, there is absolutely no guarantee, but having a transplant will certainly make that goal much more obtainable for me. I chose to do the early transplant verse the late.
My sister comes on Sunday and she will be sit with me through July 4th, the worse of it. Today, I am really feeling well, well enough to have come to the lake this weekend. AJ and I just wanted to get away for a day or two before we hit this head-on running with the Lord's guidance. As most of you know I really rely on my faith, and I want to share that I have seen AJ's faith really blossom through out all of this. I pray, he prays, we pray together, when I am not up to it, he prays for me...we put all our trust in the Lord. Praise God!
Thank you all for your special thoughts and prayers, please keep them on going. One of the sweetest chemo nurses, Beth, gave me this scripture my last day of chemo in my oncology's office:
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
Monday, June 15, 2009
Ready, Set, Go!
Yes, everything has started, and I am on a roll. I have had my 4 shots of neupogen; which helps my body make white blood cells and gets my stems cells all excited. Remember, the stem cells live in marrow, but when they get to crowded they start exiting into the blood stream. I have to have enough activity in the blood before they can "harvest." Well, I do! They check my blood and I need a 10 measurement of stem cells before harvesting and I had a 14 and that was before my 4th shot...so I will have plenty for harvesting tomorrow. My white blood cell count is up to 40,000!
AJ will take me in tomorrow for the central line to be installed at 7:30 am (you all know what morning people we are!), and then start I start the harvesting. I should be at the clinic for 5 to 6 hours. They say no pain, just boring hours sitting in a lounger. I will have my computer, ipod and movies.
Lately I have been doubting my health and what direction it was truly headed (reading to much Internet and mind games!), even though everything has been so positive and the doctors have been very impressed with my progress. But I know that God is always with me, and so many of you have reminded me; For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 Scripture is so fulfilling and just brings me back home to my faith. I love the Lord! He has truly blessed me.
We will catch up tomorrow!
Love,
T.
AJ will take me in tomorrow for the central line to be installed at 7:30 am (you all know what morning people we are!), and then start I start the harvesting. I should be at the clinic for 5 to 6 hours. They say no pain, just boring hours sitting in a lounger. I will have my computer, ipod and movies.
Lately I have been doubting my health and what direction it was truly headed (reading to much Internet and mind games!), even though everything has been so positive and the doctors have been very impressed with my progress. But I know that God is always with me, and so many of you have reminded me; For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 Scripture is so fulfilling and just brings me back home to my faith. I love the Lord! He has truly blessed me.
We will catch up tomorrow!
Love,
T.
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