For this second phase of my treatment, it has consisted of three, 3-week cycles:
Weekend Chemo (starting on a Friday)
Pre-Nadir Weekend (with Nadir expected Sunday/Monday)
Recovered Weekend (where I'm "all recovered")
...and back for another cycle
This past week, we kept testing (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday) for the nadir that never happened (or happened between tests). On both Monday and Thursday I went to Beth Israel to be tested, and if platelets or red or granulocytes were low, to be transfused. Neither time was I low enough to need transfusion
They mostly can't transfuse white blood cells--you're supposed to make your own and other people's are either useless or harmful (In whole blood, red cells outnumber white by 600:1, so whites are mostly ignored, but still sometimes they will do leukocite reduction before they give you somebody else's blood).
The good news is that this was my "recovered weekend" I went to church without a mask, went to coffee hour after, and went to Providence for a foursome dinner with my brother, his wife & Mrs Blogger.
Here's my schedule as far as it is known:
06 December: Rituxan (my 6th...3 from first phase, and this the third of my 2nd phase)
08 Dec - 10 Dec: Weekend #3 at Beth Israel for high-dose Ara-C
18 Dec PET Scan #3 in the hopes that it is "all clear" by now
?? Dec Detist appointment to confirm my mouth is clean enough for ASCT
20 Dec PET Review; Consult to proceed to Autologous Stem Cell Tranfer ASCT
28 Dec Cardio & Lung tests (to confirm I'm healthy enough for ASCT
07 Jan Stem Cell extraction & testing
15 Jan Hospital Admission and start of Cytoxin chemo
20 Jan Once marrow is gone & get back my own
22 Jan Week of misery and vulnerability with no functioning marrow
29 Jan Week of getting enough of my own blood to go home
01 Feb discharge for home; any sign of illness triggers re-admission
?? Feb paranoid about cleanliness, isolation & germs at home
28 Feb End of worst home captivity; can go out with a mask
March: not sure but have the immune system of a newborn (clean slate) but can go wherever you'd take a 1 month old.
April: begin infant vaccination schedule*
Across 2018:
Re-introduce washed raw vegetables
End of 2018:
Can garden, handle stinky stuff
* My body will not remember, for example, that I have had "real" chicken pox and I will have to get the varicella vaccine if I don't want to get chicken pox or shingles.
3 comments:
Yikes! Was I supposed to be careful about where I brought my newborn? LOL. Will be praying for you all.
So interesting to learn about this (but I wish it were for anonymous, not for you.
I'm glad you are doing so well. Bill and Regina said you looked really good this weekend.
Is it too soon for Man in a Bubble jokes? Your innate ability to make clever connections will let you see the humor in so much of this, without losing perspective on the big picture. One thing I know... you can do this. I met an oncology doc (practices and teaches at Ivy league medical school) at a reception over the weekend, and brought up your situation. She quizzed me a bit, heard what you have, where you're being treated and how early this is. She was sure the outcome for you would be excellent - "couldn't be at a better place" she said of BI and what was going on. Figured I'd pass it along - she had a lot of confidence and I hope you do too as well.
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