T - plus 22, Mar. 30

I had my IV treatment at the hospital and saw Dr. Khouri this morning. The blood counts continue to hold strong. They have lowered one antibiotic and eliminated another and lowered the steroid one more notch. I am still low on the amount of anti rejection medicine, Tacrotimus, so it has been raised again. some continued tweaking and adjusting. He also gave a nod to allow a visit home over the weekend since traffic is lighter on the weekends and in case of emergency we are close enough to the hospital. It has been two days shy of a month that I left to head down this road. We will see how it goes. We are still at the hermit stage of staying clear of folks so no visitors please. We'll keep you posted. In the meantime we are celebrating the time at home. Hallelujah! We will still be keeping the apt for 2 more weeks since there is still a short term need for that. Then I think Dr. Khouri will approve our move back home.

T - Plus 21, Mar. 29

It's 3 weeks now since the transplant. During the night last night my blood clot came back so I am back on the heparin and probably will be for awhile now. Everything else is the same and so we keep going. They are gradually shifting me to oral magnesium to free me from the IV treatments. The Tacrolimus I'm on depletes the supply. This transition will allow me to move to a longer leash. Beginning next week they will start a series of 3 each of CT scan, PET scan, and bone marrow biopsy to monitor the progression of the transplant and how well it has grafted. That starts at about 30 days, the next mile stone.

T - Plus 20, Mar. 28

It is Wednesday and one of my worst fears have come to pass.  I'm bored! I did not have to go to the hospital and had my treatment at the apt. Then I had nothing else to do. I'm Bored. It's wonderful. I'll take it.

T - Plus 19, March 27

I have been out of the hospital for a week now. It has felt good. This has been amazingly smooth, all things considered as I listen to the  stories of other people. I have not needed any blood products, or neupogen shots. In fact I don't think I have lost more than 2 strands of hair so far and I was telling Lynne I need a hair cut. It's amazing what one can be thankful for. Today  I had my blood tests and results were good. The Potassium levels are back in range, I am off the heparin shots, and they have reduced the steroids from 8 to 5 pills a day. Also they taught Lynne how to do the magnesium infusion today (she did it like a pro) so we do not have to go into the clinic on Wed. or Sat. or Sun. and we will have some flexibility of space and time. It will have been 4 weeks since I have left home. I can't remember the last time I was ever away from home that long before. Saturday, hopefully we'll break that drought. The leash is getting a little longer.

When I was sick...

How things have changed. Ed, a Stem Cell Transplant recipient, some 60 days out tells the story of how he thought he would let his old friend come over to see him at home. He did the necessary asking about illness and said to his friend to come by. As they were visiting his friend shares the story of how he had recently visited another family in the hospital or their home and he found out they had TB. Poor Ed did not know what to do. He had invited someone to see him who had been exposed to TB. SCT recipients are first of all immunosuppressed, meaning we are susceptible to just about everything with little defense against what is out there. Secondly as the transplant progresses we lose all of our immunities we were given with inoculations and shots during childhood and later. By 1oo days or so we have to be re vaccinated for all of these. Ed was just beyond the 60 days. Ed thought he had covered all the bases. He was angry at his friend. I hope he is okay.

My reason for telling this story is there is a tension that is going to exist for awhile for all of you and for me. If you grew up in the church or are involved in a church this is where you learned it is good to go visit and say "hi" to the sick and the shut-ins. This is the place where people are more prone to hug one other and embrace several people over the period of a Sunday Morning or social gathering. It is one of the last place SCT recipients should go and conversely a hot spot for the spread of anything like colds, flues, viruses and yes TB. And then with holy and good intentions, of course you want to go to visit the sick, the shut-in and pass on the goodness of the holy gathering. Bless you for that. You certainly have Jesus' blessing.

So here is the tension. I, like Ed, must look out for myself. That means I must look upon all of you as possible carriers of even rare TB. It feels to me like I am being rude and offensive when I ask to be kept at a distance. I could even appear judgemental. I ask your patience on this. For at least the first six months I must look out for this myself. That will mean I will often be wearing a mask and perhaps sometimes gloves. I will stand back like I am the one with the disease to spare you the responsibility, for it is up to me and you have no way of knowing everything about the health of everyone with whom you have been in touch. Do you recall those "Perfect Attendance Badges" they gave out in school? There is another medical model that says if you are sick, stay away from others. There are not to many rewards or badges for that, but taking your flu or cold to work, or school or to others, or others in large groups also needs to be to be looked at, as possibly dangerous to others as well and not necessarily virtuous.

So I had to put this out there because in a few weeks I will probably be home and these issues will come up. I continue to covet your prayers and support and as the boundaries become more flexible I will let you know and we can reconnect.

T - Plus 17&18, March 25&26

Sunday went smoothly and Anna was a big help and Lynne had a good time with the grand kids. Thanks everyone. Monday I was in for my infusions. Blood tests showed I'm a little low on Tacrolimus, the anti rejection medication, so they increased it. They have reduced the oral steroids as well as the steroid cream. I also have retained too much potassium and they medicated to reduce that. Tweak, adjust, and retest and do it again. The other blood counts have come back very well though, some counts I haven't seen in some time. The best news is we can go home for the weekend if all holds strong. We'll take it.

T - Plus 16, Mar. 24th

Sat. went well and a pretty close copy of Friday. Anna and family came down from Dallas  and Lynne went with the kids to our place and Anna is staying with me through Sunday afternoon. I still feel a great deal of fatigue and sleep a lot. My appetite is coming back now and the taste buds as well. All in all, it looks like, stay the course. I'll take it, one more day.

T - Plus 15 Mar. 23 After Transplant

Friday went very smoothly. I had an IV treatment at the clinic for magnesium supplement and by 1:00 we are done. Dr. Khouri came by and every thing looks good on the blood counts and the rash is diminishing  some. I was low on the Tacrolimus,  the meds to control graft vs host so they raised that and lowered the steroid dosage for the rash. So some tweaking and adjusting as we go is what I can expect more of over the next week or so. Meanwhile the real work is being done inside me, especially in the blood. I am working at focusing on diet and exercise now with Isaac's assistance and insistence. It's another good day in my neighborhood and I hope all is well in yours.

T -Plus 14 March 22nd

Today is the first day of...........So begins many a story we've all heard in our time. Today is the first day of  school, new job, new place, and you name it. Probably up there in the top ten though you would have to include, "this is the first day of the rest of your life". It's something of a cliche, I suppose, but the other day it took on fresh meaning for me. You see, when I first was told I had the big "C", I have lived under some kind of a cloud that cast long shadows into the future. I was stunned and in denial. I was sifting through, all so many stories of others including our son's, and the shadows were dark. Then the other day when I received the Stem Cell Donation, other patients and staff on the hospital wing wished me "Happy Birthday"! It took me totally by surprise. TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF MY LIFE! And the feeling was repeated when we left the hospital and drove to the apartment. There was a world out there. It was like I had been driving down a road and there is a big tunnel ahead and so all the focus has been on that tunnel and I can not see the other end and going into the hospital was like entering that tunnel and we keep going knowing the path we must take and then, when discharged from the hospital and feeling so, so much better, coming out of that tunnel and seeing that there is, there really is a whole new world from where I am sitting.  Again, TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF MY LIFE.                                                                                        

3And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day of.....................

T - Plus 13 After Transplant, March 21st

It was a hectic day since everything changes again. We are at the apt and now I go to the hospital for treatment. So early in the am I have blood work done and that gives them a window to how I am doing. They will make adjustments on meds and give me IV fluids with supplements as needed like mag. or potassium since I keep losing those. At this point I have not needed any blood or platelets or neupogen shots and the counts are holding and even getting stronger. This daily clinic visit will continue at least through the 28th and more likely longer and then go to perhaps 3x a week. I am feeling much better, actually, than I expected to at this point. The nausea is gone, my appetite is returning especially the task buds, and it is easier to get exercise here than at the hospital. I have not had fever in a few days and there is only a rash that I'm having to deal with, They have done a biopsy of it and the preliminary results are inconclusive as to whether it is graft vs host disease or a drug reaction. For now it is being treated as graft vs host to be on the safe side which includes more steroids. These are not my favorite drugs because of long term side effects to bones and organs and such. However these are some of the trades I will make to keep moving. So we move on.

Tomorrow morning Chris goes back to Tacoma after 3 weeks here. It was a good reconnect. He was able to spend time with both Lynne and I and that has been unique and a special time that  I will cherish . Thanks Chris, we love ya!

T- Plus 12, March 20

So the reason for the "T - Plus" count is this. Transplant day is "0" and "10" is usually when the graft has established in the marrow and begun to produce blood. That is all on schedule. They also look to Day 100 as another marker to pass showing the transplant is functioning well and graft vs host is under control. So we are shooting for T- Plus 100.

I was discharged from the hospital and we are staying in an apt for a month or so depending how things go. For at least a week to 2 weeks I will come in for infusions on a daily basis and blood draws and monitoring and that will take pretty much the morning plus more if something comes up. I'm feeling well and it looks like the graft is taking. As we all know anything can happen as we go along so we are very mindful of being cautious. This post is a little late and will try to update tonight again.

T- Plus 11 - A Good Day Mar. 19

No new fevers but the rash continues and a culture is pending, perhaps some graft vs host disease, and I'm back on steroids. All else is looking good  and Tues. looks like discharge day. Lynne and Chris set up with the apt. and that will be our residence for at least a few weeks as this place is close to the hospital. I will have to be at the clinic daily for at least 2 weeks being monitored and given IV's and such. So far it feels like things have moved quickly. They also feel like each challenge has been met and we are gaining some strength  and that is going to be the next hurdle to staying healthy. And there was evening and morning and it was a good night.

T - Plus 10 After Transplant Mar. 18

Somewhere around 3:30 to 4 am I  began to feel chilled and began to shiver.The thermometer confirmed a fever spike. So for the next 6 hours Tylenol and steroids. They will continue the steroids through tomorrow to control the temp and also a rash I have developed. The why? They don't know for sure yet. It's what happens in transplants. They are running cultures and we'll know more tomorrow. By 9 at night I feel like I've regained some of of the improvement  I had felt the day before. As I post this I have had a good night. I am going to be on steroids yet and will have to wait a little longer about discharge,

T- Plus 9 - Tempus Fugit And Happy St. Patrick's Day

I got some solid sleep without interuptions for at least 5 hours last night. It felt wonderful. There were no new incidences during the night and 2 more IV lines came down. I am down to one line only for saline hydration. All IV antibiotics are being switched to oral even the anti rejection medication tacrolimus, all in preparation for a possible discharge on Monday. Tempus Fugit. I was stunned a week or so ago when Dr. Khouri said to shoot for Mar 21. That was only 3 weeks and now he is saying even earlier. Then through the help of some friends at Advent Presbyterian we have located housing close to the med center in an apt managed by Grace Presbyterian and we will need to stay there for up to 2 months. The time in traffic that it takes to get from our house to the hospital is not going to work since we need to be able to get there within 15 to 20 min. in case of emergency. Today should be just a rest, exercise and recuperate day. So barring any surprises I can just watch some BB.

T - Plus 7&8

I have been running a low grade fever for a couple of days and then this morning(Fri) it spiked to about 103. They don't know for sure why. The Dr. thought it might be a reaction to the antibiotic I was on so they discontinued it and started me on another. The scheduled infusion of Retuxan was delayed by a couple of hours but not postponed. So some adjusting here and there and we are back on schedule. The fever has been gone now for a few hours and the Retusan is about over. One of the reasons for the fever being controlled is the use of steroids and they do not like to use it if they don't have to because  the stem cells may not be fully grafted yet. Hopefully the antibiotic will manage that now. All together it's a winner.

T - Plus 6

Over night was uneventful. I did the ZZZZZ  PPPPP  ZZZZZ  PPPPP as I do every night hourly. I woke up to the sound of someone coughing in the hallway just outside my door. I made sure it wasn't one of our health care workers for that would make me very anxious. Dr. Khouri made rounds and when I asked him about discharge time he's still shooting for the 21st of Mar. During the night I ran a low grade fever and they are trying to track it down. It is exhausting.

T - Plus 5 After Transplant

It is day 5. Every thing is on track and all problems encountered have been handled and treated. Tired and fatigued is the best description. It's still up every hour all day and night. So it's one foot in front of the other to keep going.

Last Night

After I posted last night I had  a pretty bad case of Atrial Fibrillation (afib), a condition I have had some time. It was being controlled with Metoprolol. One of the other things this medicines does is slow the heart rate and decrease blood pressure. Since those have been low they decreased my medication and last night my heart went into afib worse than it ever has and it took about 6 to 7 hours to finally get it settled down. This morning it is stable but they are still holding back on the meds until a cardiologist does a consult. I knew going into this SCT that might become a factor and it has. Another risk factor I have is a history of ulcers, and bleeding is an issue for transplant patients.  This is Day 5 after transplant and to date I have not seen any graft vs host disease and I know there will be some of that yet as well.

T - Plus 4 After Transplant

This is probably what I can expect for a few days. The head hurts, I have chemo fog, no appetite, fatigue, nausea, and an overall generally feeling like crape. Even typing this is a chore. I am encouraged by my family being here and their push to exercise keeps me moving. I CAN DO THIS.

T - Plus 3 Post Transplant

Today was a dreary day and like yesterday we got a goodly amount of rain. For us here in the Houston area, I believe the drought is over. Inside the walls of the hospital it was a good day for me. I had the ultrasound done of my leg and it is superficial thrombosis or thrombophlebitis and will probably not require any attention other than observation. Chris came and spent the afternoon and we took a couple of walks. It's getting harder to eat since the gag reflex is so strong. My energy level is also dropping a fare bit. So another walk tonight and an effort to eat and that will make day 3. It's a long road yet.

At 5:30 AM, T-Plus 2

I had been up for awhile so I took a walk. I was sitting in the family area and I saw him come off the elevator. One  look at his face and I knew something was not right. He was in a hurry and he averted eye contact even though we had spoken before. Later I found out that his son was unresponsive and was being transferred to an ICU. I went back to my room and wept for him. And I wept for myself. This young man was a 3 year survivor of the SCT and complications even now plagued him. So also I wept for the father for I too have watched a son struggle with cancer and I wept for myself because that could be me some day with complications. It was a rocky start to what I had hoped would be an uneventful Saturday. Lynne came and spent the day and that helped a lot. Someone saw her Un. of Mich. shirt and introduced herself. She apparently works there. It's a small world. They are here to visit their daughter who is a 7 year SCT survivor and wile here developed and e coli infection and that set off the graft vs  host disease. There will  always be need for vigilance for the rest of my life. Now every ache or pain or rash or sore will be scrutinized. Nothing can be minimized like we were taught to shake it off and move on. So in that light as I was getting ready for bed I felt a soreness below my knee and I looked closer and it appears a varicose vein is swelling and tomorrow they will ultrasound it. So
with a warm pack on my elevated leg I am going to bed.  That's enough for one day.

T - Plus - 1 After Transplant

I woke up this morning with a flushed feeling and I knew I had the beginnings of some kind of fever. My hunch was a UTI. By 8:00 am I had reached a temperature of 101.1 in a matter of an hour. This is apparently one of the many things that we will encounter as we go along. This is the part of the transplant that I think is going to be the hard part  as we adjust along the way. The next 2 weeks we will be going down hill until the new stem cells establish in the marrow and begin to produce blood. Immune systems will be shot, blood counts low, and no energy. As the day wore on the temp was controlled, antibiotics were given and I got my next round of Retuximab. By the end of the day everything was back on track. I will try to get some rest tonight since the last two nights were not so good. Tomorrow will have it's own challenges I'm sure. Good night and good sleep.

Momentous Momment (Qualifies as an M&M dosen't it Isaac?)

This morning I held in my hand a bag of stem cells for a couple of minutes and held it in the air and asked God to bless them, The Dr. nodded his approval and the signal to  hook up the line.  We watched as the infusion came down the line up to the catheter. Chaplain Dave shared Ps. 8 and a prayer to bless this adventure and opportunity for continued life and for each family member there, Lynne, Chris, Isaac, Katie, and Llew. He praised the donor for his gift. Then somewhere in there before or after a staff member said "Happy Birthday". It was and is GREAT!!!

Katie found some birthday hats and I wore one on our walk which will show up somewhere on Isaac's. Just think. I get 2 birthdays folks.

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 8

Psalm 8

For the director of music. According to gittith. A psalm of David. ¹ LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
in the heavens.
² Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
³ When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
⁴ what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?
⁵ You have made them a little lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and honor.
⁶ You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their feet:
⁷ all flocks and herds,
and the animals of the wild,
⁸ the birds in the sky,
and the fish in the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
⁹ LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Hot Off The Press

The stem cells are in the house and will be ready for transplant at 1:15 CST. And all God's People said "Amen".

0 Days To Transplant

This is the Day. I can't help but be reminded of the powerful parallel of someone unselfishly giving his blood for me, for me to have a chance to live longer, for most certainly without this I would not survive.
It is, at the same time, both gift to be relished for this one act, as well as something of a duty to return thanks for that gift by cherishing the extended life and relationships that I will continue to have. For this too is a day that the Lord has made.  May ya'll rejoice with me and be glad in it. We'll keep you posted as things progress.

T- Minus - 1 To Transplant

Today went better than yesterday. I did not have any reactions to the treatments today. The appetite is still shot, and even the smell of the food cart makes me nauseous. I have been getting some exercise. The family was here and that really helps pass the time. The only thing on the agenda for tomorrow is the transplant and now for tonight.......

     
The Day is Done

THE DAY is done, and the darkness   
  Falls from the wings of Night,   
As a feather is wafted downward   
  From an eagle in his flight.   
   
I see the lights of the village           
  Gleam through the rain and the mist,   
And a feeling of sadness comes o'er me   
  That my soul cannot resist:   
   
A feeling of sadness and longing,   
  That is not akin to pain,    
And resembles sorrow only   
  As the mist resembles the rain.   
   
Come, read to me some poem,   
  Some simple and heartfelt lay,   
That shall soothe this restless feeling,   
  And banish the thoughts of day.   
   
Not from the grand old masters,   
  Not from the bards sublime,   
Whose distant footsteps echo   
  Through the corridors of Time.  
   
For, like strains of martial music,   
  Their mighty thoughts suggest   
Life's endless toil and endeavor;   
  And to-night I long for rest.   
   
Read from some humbler poet,    
  Whose songs gushed from his heart,   
As showers from the clouds of summer,   
  Or tears from the eyelids start;   
   
Who, through long days of labor,   
  And nights devoid of ease,    
Still heard in his soul the music   
  Of wonderful melodies.   
   
Such songs have power to quiet   
  The restless pulse of care,   
And come like the benediction   
  That follows after prayer.   
   
Then read from the treasured volume   
  The poem of thy choice,   
And lend to the rhyme of the poet   
  The beauty of thy voice.   
   
And the night shall be filled with music,   
  And the cares, that infest the day,   
Shall fold their tents, like the Arabs,   
  And as silently steal away. 

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

                

T - Minus - 2 Count Down To Transplant

Today was not a good day either. I had 2 reactions to my treatment. The first was extreme soreness in the buttocks and hips down to the calves. So they had to stop for awhile and give me more Benadryl. The second reaction came later towards the end of the infusion of Antithymocyte Globulin (ATG). My temp started to rise and it went up to 102.7. Some more trusty hydrocortisone and 5 hours later things were back to normal. (I'm going to have to rethink that word normal.) Appetite is still gone. And I also tested positive for Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE). That means another level of isolation. Tomorrow I have a repeat of the ATG. Oh joy!

T - Minus 3 The Count Down To Transplant

                Grace For Chemo Patients
              
           When nausea comes 'round,
           And lunch hits the ground.

           God is great. Zofran is good,
           With their help, I can eat my food.    (Zofran is used to control nausea associated with chemo. )


   
       Monday was not a good day. The nausea was constant and the meds to help with the nausea had benedryl or antihistamine in them and I get restless leg syndrome from that and I get very drowsy  as well but can't sleep because of side effects. Just not a good day.                                                             

T - Minus 3 Count Down To Transplant

So the last part of yesterday's post had another version. It went like this ZZZZZ  PPPPP  ZZZZZ  PPPPP........

T - Minus 4 Count Down To Transplant

The infusion pump has not stopped once since I have come in. Keeping me hydrated is important for the infusions of chemo and to help flush it out as well. At least once an hour all day and all night it means a trip to the restroom and everything has to be measured for intake and output. It makes it hard to get a good restful sleep. It is 10:00 am and they have finished the chemo for today and tomorrow more of the same, fludarabine and bendamustine. As my mind wanders I get to wondering what effect, all the chemo that is being flushed through this hospital waste system, has on the water treatment system and the water system. I can only imagine.

I am beginning to feel some of the side effects, mainly chemo fog. So it's time to get some exercise  while I feel like it. I have also some nasal drainage and the concern has to do with maybe cold symptoms. So for now I will be on an antihistamine since it could be allergies since spring has sprung. the other possibility is that the chemo also affects the mucous  membranes. The tight rope balancing act begins, adjusting as we go along.

Lynne and I took a nice walk through the gardens today and then watched a couple of basketball games. Then it was time for her to go home. By 8 I'm in bed for the night. ZZZZZ Bathroom ZZZZZ Bathroom ZZZZZ Bathroom .........all night long.

T - Minus 5 (Just the Facts)

So today I had the chemo that gets to the nasty side effects and flattens the blood counts. I have had one round of Fludarabine and one of Bendamustine. So far at 6pm no side effects yet that I can tell as far as nausea or skin or bodily reactions. One dreaded side effect I have had in the past is the loss of appetite. I get to test that when dinner comes, I was able to actually go outside today so Isaac and I took a walk around the flower gardens out front. I was also able to get in a nap. So far it's a good day and for the next two weeks if I can sit up and take nourishment that will be good enough. Tomorrow and Monday will be a repeat of today's treatment. The least I expect is chemo fog,  a state of mental fog like everything is fuzzy and in slow motion and I remember just sitting in a daze, Josh and I used to talk about it like we were cats and we just get up and find some other place to curl up and sleep for awhile and then somewhere else an hour later with zilch for motivation. I'll keep you posted.

T - minus - 5 Count Down To Transplant

On the news this morning the main focus has been on the 100 plus tornadoes through the Mid West and down to the South East leaving devastation every where. The heart wrenching pain exceeds imagination. Consistently survivors testify to the things that really matter, life and relationships, the buildings were important for what they were as shelter and what they symbolized as homes, but life and relationships mattered most. Some of the scenes are flashing across the TV screen now as I write this. And in a room down the hall a patient is throwing up, struggling with the side effects of chemo as they wade through this stem cell process striving for life and continued relationships.

When I was doing Chaplaincy in the Medical Center here, I recall that we as chaplains had to come to terms with the idea that all of the patients, basically the entire inpatient population was ill and in need of some kind of medical attention. This was our world in which we worked pretty much the whole day, everybody was sick, some more serious than others, and to them while they are patients, it is frequently their only world as well. As Chaplains we had to learn to see a wider world that was much larger and that not every one in the world or at least our world was ill or diseased or needing medical attention. And those that were in the hospital, the majority of them get better and go home. It seems I can see only cancer everywhere I look. Everybody seems to have been affected by it, like a friend or family member when I look out. It is my world right now and it is extremely difficult to not see and feel the devastation of the BIG C. All 52 on this floor have cancer and has had or will have a stem cell transplant and there are 12 more on Floor 17. Most of us will get better. Some of us will not. Cancer has very much been a part of our lives for over 2 years now. Josh did not get better and died from this devastating disease and it threatens me as well. It fills my world right now and it is hard to think of much of anything else. And I keep coming back to the same conclusions of those caught in the devastation of the tornadoes - life and relationships become primary. The tearing apart of those are the most painful, much more so than the loss of anything else.

As the Chaplain was praying with me he cited Ps 137:4 and "How can we sing the Lord's songs in a foreign land held captive by the devastation of  cancer"? That has stuck with me. I'm not a good singer but what I lack in gift I make up with mocking bird exuberance.

T - minus - 6 Count Down To Transplant

From early morning, beginning at 5 am, it has been a constant stream of people in and out of the room. On top of that, the philosophy of the staff  here is that they want you up and about, M&M, motivated and moving, out of bed at least 6 to 8 hours a day, taking walks at least 3X a day, pulmonary therapy every 2 hours, and doing what we the patients can do to make this work. Then there will be the infusions. This morning they started at 8:45 with the premeds and a main course of retuximab went from 9 to 4:30. Lynne has been a bit under the weather and we talked her into staying home so she could get some rest. She managed to get a prescription to give her a hand at that. Isaac stayed with me after his exam was over until the infusion was finished. I had only a slight itching reaction this time, and that was good. Isaac has since gone home hopefully with light traffic. I think I am beat. No, I know I am beat. So perhaps the news and one more walk and lights out. Tomorrow starts the chemo that starts to knock out the leukemia and all my immune systems to pave the way for the stem cells. All the marrow and blood that has served me well over all these years and now no longer do, in fact have mutated and become dangerous will be attacked and annihilated and then some one else's stem cells that my body sees as foreign will be ushered in to set up shop and take over . From what I have heard my body is the battle ground. So rest will be good tonight.

T -Minus - 7 A Pivotal Switch

Thursday I spent until about 2:00 getting a lot of little last things done, took a nap and at about 4:00 my room was ready. So we went down and I got checked in to MD Anderson hospital to get ready for the transplant on Mar. 8. This is a big move and I'm ready I think. The first order will be the Retuximab for the morning and that is enough for one day. My computer has mixed connections so email and blobs may get sporadic.

Anything Fun? T - minus - 8 Part 2

Yesterday Isaac and I had breakfast after his exam and my appointments. He asks me, "Do you want to do anything fun today?". The question caught me by surprise. I had in mind to finish up on things that still needed my attention before being gone from home  for a few months. What I also felt was the sense that there are so many things to do and I'm never done. That has always been a challenge for me. So Isaac suggested we go to the bayou and see if we could catch some minnows for the small water pond feature I had put in by our house. The minnows will eat the misquito wigglers and add another thing to sit and enjoy. So we did. He caught 10 and released them into their new home. Thanks Isaac.  Later that day Lynne found a small turtle and put it in the pond as well. I hope we have minnows left since we can't find the turtle. Today I will go back to finishing things up and latter this afternoon or early evening check out my "new digs".