I'm back in Greenslopes this time with a city view, room 22, they must have felt sorry for me!! I came in yesterday 6th, having been absent (awol possibly) since Sunday 26th when the harvests completed.
So updating from Hayleys post from a few weeks ago. Firstly we had to create an escape plan also known as epacse nalp, I was getting seriously stir crazy - some of you may have seen this on facebook.
Once I was home the next day I got the call "your stem cells are ready to be harvested" - so back to hospital on the Saturday after Fridays release! Stem cells are "immature" cells which become white cells, red cells or platelets as your body requires. Harvesting entails tricking your bone marrow to release stem cells into the blood stream, taking your blood through a machine which separates the blood by the density of its components, then spinning off the stem cell components. Each harvest for me takes about 6 hours if all goes well, 6 hours where you are unable to move the arm where they take off the blood or get out of the bed/chair!! In that time they effectively run your whole blood volume through the machine 3 times.
The aim of the harvest was to obtain 10 milli thingies per milli wotsits per kg of weight - just remember 10! With the stem cell count Willi (Wilhemina) the nurse, reckoned that a count of 19 would give us 1.9 - so that was the target for Saturday, the result of which we received on Sunday at 3.1 - so I was a very good boy - however - after the Saturday harvest I was scheduled for a routine platelet transfusion, my fourth. You can guess that after the 20 minute transfusion I reacted, pulse around 140bpm, shakes, very itchy rash - bugger!! Anyway they stabilised me & set me up for another night in hospital for monitoring.
Next morning Willi turned up expecting to see me stroll up at 8:30 & there I was in the bed - she was confused!! My stem cell count on Sunday was around 55, so that would deliver say 5.5, totalling 8.6 potentially, remember we needed 10. Back on the machine for 6 hours, this time with a really nice hot air blanket (not powered by me!) - this was ideal for an immobile state and with Hospital cool air con!! Here I am under the blanket with the machine to my left. Below are the harvested stem cells.
Finally I escaped the hospital Sunday afternoon. Monday I got the call that we totalled 9.5 (well done Alan) and no need for a further harvest. To put the 10 requirement into perspective, they use the following amounts for stem cell transplants - USA 2.0, Europe 2.5, private Doctors in Aus. 5.0 - so we have plenty for a number of transplants if required. The stem cells have been further analysed and separated off in a specialist lab and are now frozen awaiting any future requirement for transplant.
Following the harvesting I've had just over a week of recovery (I was very tired Monday/ Tuesday post harvest) where I have been able to do a few things - drinkies (non-alcoholic for me) with work colleagues Wednesday, watched some climbing / socialising Friday evening, went with Kyle and Liz to the Redcliffe triathlon on Sunday - so some fresh air there. I even went to work for a few hours Monday - ostensibly for lunch but that fell over, and I attended the Management meeting Tuesday - for brain stimulation prior to coming in for the Chemo - I'm not sure which is the lesser of two evils!!
I'm in now for chemo round 5, the A cycle which is the gentler of the two, hopefully I will be out on Friday, possibly Saturday - we will see! Counts will drop with the low expected a week on Friday 16th, however hopefully we could manage this with me being at home, it all depends on my blood counts!!
I hope this has filled you in with Hairy Mels goings on. I'll give another brief(er) update probably around the time of my next blood count low - so end of next week ish!!
Keep well, keep reading, thanks for any comments, and remember if you have a persistent ailment - see your Doctor!!
Did you get out on the paddle before the latest round? Are you planning on a medical career once you've kicked this bugger? You sound like an expert now mate. All the very best, sounds like you're making good progress.
ReplyDeleteMark.
No paddling for a while. We had a trip planned around me a month ago, then I got called in short notice, however the weather was not conducive for a gentle paddle. Last week I was tired from the harvest & really did not feel up to it. 19 days in hospital really pulls you down - 10 laps of the ward amounts to about a km. so you don't tend to walk far!! New career, I need the stock market to recover, cash it in and retire - haha wishful thinking, now where is my lotto ticket? You really have to learn what your treatments are about. Today the nurse said "you aren't written up for this tablet" now my normal oncologist is away so my reply was "Tony regards this treatment as critical so call the stand in oncologist and get it on the drugs list" Since then I've had 8 tablets!! It is only sodium bicarb, but it protects my kidneys and that is good. So I try to know as much about Hyper C-VAD as possible. Thanks for reading the blog. Alan
ReplyDeleteWell, I've learned one of your whizz bang whitewater rolls, kinda. I will run you through it at the symposium in Noosa in October.
ReplyDeleteI'll look forward to seeing a video on your blog. You'll be showing me up I reckon, I'm a definite Screw roll / C2C roll / panic roll - as shown on my vid!! I bought a second hand river runner for my big WW season this year - it arrived 1 week before I was diagnosed - grrrrr - season stuffed - oh well always next year.
ReplyDeleteYou look like a blue Mitchelin Man xxxxx
ReplyDeleteWe will have you back out on the water soon mate, take care.
ReplyDeleteHere is an email comment from some very good friends -
ReplyDeleteHi "adopted big brother" dear.
After several unsuccessful attempts to comment on your blog, I have reverted to a method I can follow- I need to borrow a teenager for some lessons! Having read your blog page with interest, I think you need a good "speaking to", (no I did not say a good spanking). I think it's about time you stopped all this rash, nausea, low platelet, lazing about under warm blankets, business and just got on with giving those horrid little nodules a real whacking around. And as for trying to get extra attention with kidney stones- well it just isn't going to work.
Some other comments- I actually think the Kojac/ Yul Brynner look is quite becoming on you. Next, I am finding it hard to believe that bag of blood is yours, I was always of the impression that your blood was "blue"!
On a more serious note, Mal and I continue to wish you well and hold you, together with Liz, and those three extra special children of yours, in our thoughts, hearts and prayers.
Be strong O Hairless One,
Lots of love
Leanne & Mal Ferguson