I'm back

I have had some rough days, some up and down days but I hope things are looking better now. I still have a ways to go but I am doing better, Kara was with me today and yesterday, we talked to the the APN she told me that I was ready to go home (if I was ready) my counts are good good right now, I will just have to learn to eat and drink. I am still having issues with that, nothing tastes good. Andrew came today after Kara and I got back from the hospital and Kara headed back home. I do have a Dr.s appt tomorrow and he will let me know if I can go home or not, it will be his decision, but partly my decision as well. If I get to go home, I hope I can enjoy Thanksgiving Lunch at my moms, dressing sounds really good but I just don't know if I can eat it or or not.

How low can you go?

Wow, even lower here I go!!!! It was a struggle getting around this morning to go to the hospital. It takes everybit of strength to take a bath, get yourself dressed or even walk across the room. Candes scrambled us a egg for breakfast, that tasted pretty good. When we arrived at the hospital Candes did picked us up a wheelchair, again today I would have never made it on foot. My BP was lower today, I had to get two units of fluid today, along with the other things, nausea meds, blood thinner and growth factor shots and I was low on potassium so I went home with a 5 hour baby bottle. They said I would probably need platelets by tomorrow, we will find that out when we go in. A few more days of this and hopefully my counts will gradually start coming back up. Candes made us some potato soup tonight, it was very tasty, it hit the spot. She always tries to cook different things that might taste good to me. Candes will take me to the hospital and stay with me till Clay gets there, then she will drive back to Fayetteville. I pray for safe travels for Candes and Clay. We will still have several more days of low counts, low energy and rough days ahead. Clay may have his hands full this week end.

Lower Yet

My counts are still coming down today, it seems like it takes along time to get to the bottom from the top, I think you feel every bit of it along the way. Andrew took me in this morning, we stopped to pick up a wheelchair, we didn't think I could make the walk today. I am just so tired, and wore out, you feel like you need someone to lift your foot in front of the other. My BP was so low today that again I got fluids, nausea medicine, blood thinner shot and today I started on the growth factor shot. This will help distribute and boost my stem cell to where they need to be. Hopefully by tomorrow I will be about as low as I can be, so after that we can only go back up, so that is our plan, that is what we look forward to. It was a very tiring day, having no strength puts a damper on anyone, I myself don't like it. I just have to be patient, knowing that things that go down must come back up. I just want it sooner more than later. Candes relieved Andrew today, so this visit is probably not going to be very fun for her, I am not at the top of my game, but I know she will take good care of me, she always has. That's what big sisters do, right? We came home, I had to rest awhile, then we did go outside to walk just a few minutes, just to get some air. It just about did me in, but we did it. Candes fixed some rice and some cinn. apples, they were good, I actually ate pretty good.

My prayer is to have this go as smooth and easy as it can, deal with what you send my way and be as brave as I can. And when you feel like it is time for me to regain my strength I will accept it with grace. Lord, I trust you and I leave it all in your hands.

Counts are still coming down

Counts are still coming down, I am not at the bottom yet, even though I feel like it. Yesterday I was very tired but with Andrews help we walked in. It is a very long walk from the Parking Deck into the hospital and up to the 7th floor when your feet just barely scoot in front of you. I know that it is good to walk as much as you can, but there may get to be a time I have to resort to a wheelchair. That may be tomorrow or the next day. I just want to be strong, but when you are dehydrated and your BP is so low then it might be time to take a ride. We will see, today again we went in at 10, pretty much the same routine, they take your vitals, draw your blood and send it to the lab. They knew instantly today that I needed fluids, my BP was so low that it wouldn't even register. They started on me right away, they also are giving me Zofran in my line for nausea, I am dealing with quite a bit of that. That yucky, quizzy stomach all the time. We came home today, I rested awhile, maybe slept awhile and then later Andrew and I went outside to keep me moving a little bit. It was very hard but I hung on to his arm every step of the way, he didn't have to drag me too far. :) I know Andrew has been a little bored down here this time, with me feeling yucky, we haven't got to get out and do things or go to eat. He has had to come up with things and try to figure out something I would/could eat. That is not easy these days, still hardly nothing tastes good, even the fluids is still a struggle. We are trying to find things. We wwiil go again at 10 Wednesday, Andrew will stay with me till around noon, Candes will come in then and Andrew will head back home soon after that. Thank you Andrew for you understanding and your patience with me. I love you.

Day #2

We had to be at the hospital at 10 this morning, for blood work and vitals. The blood work seems to take awhile some days, we waited for some time. You always want to wait on the blood work, this saves a trip back in if you need anything. Well they thought I would be good to go today but I needed fluids, so I had to get a liter of fluids, this takes right at an hour to run through my line. My WBC is dropping fast so by tomorrow I should be very tired and ran down they said, it will mean getting the mask out and wearing it, once this happens I will pretty much be apartment and hospital bound. We didn't get back to the apartment till almost 2 this afternoon, Clay got around to head back home as Andrew was heading this way. We go in at 10 again tomorrow.

Transplant Day #2

Yesterday I went in for my stem Cell Transplant, it was not alot different than any other day besides long. Candes took me in, my appointment was at 9, Clay got there in time for the transplant and Candes was still here as well. The transplant doesn't take long at all, probably about 20 minutes tops, an APN stays in the room with you while the cells are going in your line. What takes so long is the waiting afterwards, they keep you 3 hours to watch your vitals just every few minutes, it turns into a long day. Clay and I came back to apartment for awhile, we decided to run to Olive Garden to eat a little dinner. I ate a few bites of salad, then I ate a few bites of Clay's chicken Alfredo, that is all I could possibly eat. I rested pretty well last night.

Today we went in for blood work, you just have to wait until the lab has your results, which some days take longer than other days. We went in at 10 this morning, we watched the first half of the Razorback game at the hospital. When my blood work came back I needed fluid and my uric acid was high so they gave me a little bag of meds to get that down, I also got a shot of Pepcid in my line, I am having alot of trouble with acid reflux, I am already taking medication for this but it is not enough. They say it is due to the chemo. That is all I had to do today, no bottles to bring home, that will probably come later on. I am getting a little tired but not feeling too bad so far. We finished watching the game here at the apartment. GO HOGS!!!!!!!!

Chemo Day #2

Today Candes and I went in for my chemo, as like the chemo I took before my last transplant, it is the heavy duty dose. They give you anti nausea meds before the chemo, I feel fine tonight, it usually set's in a couple days later. First thing that happens is the tiredness, I hope and pray that's all I have to deal with this time. Tomorrow my appointment is at 9 so my stem cell transplant will probably be around 10. After the transplant they will keep me there around 3 hours watching my vital signs. Clay will meet us at the hospital and Candes will head back home. We will just see what the upcoming days bring.

Round Two

News from the doctor today, we are ready to move on. We met with the doctor, nurse and research nurse to get ready for the next phase. This involves more meds, some new, some the same, increasing the dose on others. I have always had a problem taking pills, I hate taking pills, I gag almost every time. So now I have more to take, I started back on my Dex (a steroid) 10 pills each morning, at least I only take those for 4 days.

I am scheduled for the big dose of chemo tomorrow at 11 and my transplant will be on Friday. I hope my body is ready for this, that I am strong enough to endure the side effects that it might bring this time. I pray that maybe it won't be as harsh on me this time and my turn around time will be shorter.

This just throws me behind 4 days but that is almost a week in recovery time. We thought I would be home about 3 days before Thanksgiving, now it is looking very slim. I may get to spend it down here, I probably won't have an appetite anyway but I will miss being around my family. We will just have to make this call as we get closer.

So we just gear up for tomorrow and hit it head on, we are going to beat this thing, after this round I can actually say the worse is over.

Andrew left around 11 and Candes got here at noon, I told Andrew to start on home, I was fine knowing that Candes would be here within an hour.

Fluids, Fluids, Fluids

I think I am about to float away, but I seem to always be low on fluids or dehydrated. I am still going in for fluids and bloodwork as well as the antibiotic each day. These pretty days I am trying to walk quite abit outside and enjoy the sunshine as well. My energy level is still kinda low so I can't do alot but I am getting better. One more day as far as we know of fluids then we see the dr on Wednesday and he will determine what's next.

I still ask for your prayers in getting my strength back so we can move on with Transplant #2.

Also pray that I can get my appetite back as well as finding something that taste good to drink, I am still having a hard time with tea, water or anything else. Soft drinks are too sweet lemonade is too sour. I just need something in between that is just right.

Andrew is with me now, he encourages me to keep moving, but he is also patient with me as well.