Thursday-  18 April 2013

Daily Blog

 

I received the cord blood transplants from two babies whose cord blood was voluntarily donated by the parents.  Both happen to be female, one from the South (NC), one from the North (NY/PA), one is O+ and one A+.  One of these two will be dominant and foster the growth of new healthy cells.  I received one transplant at 1015 this morning and the second at 1345.   All went well and there have been no side effects.,  I am told that there should be some weakness in 7 to 10 days and be on the lookout for any temp over 100.5.  If the temp exceeds 100.5, we go to the transplant center in the daytime or the emergency room at night.  Hopefully that will not happen.

Our associate pastor was with us for both transplants and said a much appreciated prayer prior to each procedure.   That is very special.  There have been many prayer groups and prayers.  i am very fortunate to have such family, friends, and supporters.

Jane, I and whoever acts as my patient assistant during this time will have to be vigilant.

I have no preference as to which set of cells wins this battle, but my blood type could change and I guess I would drink more "white wine" in the future.  No danger of accent change.

 

"Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there."  Will Rogers   

 

Wednesday - 17 April 2013

Daily Blog

Well,  that was all very anti-climatic.  This morning started with the usual blood tests and vital exams.  I am still checking out good in all areas such as potassium, magnesium,  and other areas such as heart, kidneys, and liver functions.  Not that there was ever any question.

Then the radiation which has been known to cause nausea and knock one out fortunately has had no side effects.   I did have to put on one of those gowns but, other than that, it was a nap on a gurney.

So tomorrow is the big day. We will do the usual exam at 0830 and then do the transplant, which is like a transfusion, when they can do it.  No specific time.  I am promised that there will be a weakness side effect in 7 to 10 days.  Infection is still the biggest threat as the chemo and the radiation is designed to knock the immune system down to zero.   It could be a long haul.

"They certainly give strange names to diseases." Plato

Tuesday - 16 April 2013 

DAILY BLOG

Well, that completes my last round of chemo and should be the last one forever.  Tomorrow is radiation day and then Thursday is the day of  the transplant, so things are getting kinda serious fairly rapidly.  I will have blood test each morning, then the procedures.  After that, just monitoring by blood tests, etc.

In celebration of the last chemo,  we had a nice lunch out and got the oil changed in the jeep.

Not much other news except it now takes 17 days to have mail forwarded here by  USPS as NC distribution offices have closed and mail goes to VA for rerouting.

Quote for Julia Peters

"Always remember,

a cat looks down on a person,

a dog looks up to a person,

but a pig will look a person straight in the eye

and see his equal."         Winston Churxhill

Monday - 15 April  2013

Another day of chemo and preliminary doses of antibiotics, anti nausea and other stuff.  All is still going easy.  i am now required to wear a pack which makes it possible to recieve meds while mobile so I  wear it low slung on my hip as though, with my shirttail out, I look as though I may be packing heat, which is accepted or expected in the beautiful mountains of Western NC.  Not real sure about this Durham town. 

 One more day of chemo,  then one day of total body radiation and the transplant,   Things are moving rapidly.  We will know the results when they happen and that's the only real fact at this point. All I  know is that, we are giving it hell  and have good medical promises and expertise.

Not much more news,  except that out of the 250 or so condoes in this complex,  we are the only one with pots of herbs, tomatoes, and flowers on the patio,   Jane has struck by quickly finding Lowes and Home Depot. 

"Was it yesterday or the day before?"   A line from Kentucky Rain sung by Elvis.

Sunday-  14 April 2013

Well, I guess this a different kind of Sunday since I have to be at the clinic at 0800.  Yesterday was just terrible.  All counts were good,  chemo was easy, had a nice lunch and went back to the condo to watch the Masters UNTIL THE CABLE WENT OUT.  Time Warner Tech help was remotely familiar with written troubleshooting procedures.  After I discovered that all 3 TVs were inoperable (horrors), our Oakwood Manager suggested that we check Internet and telephone.  Yes, they were out and we were on a deserted island (double horrors) - no Masters  and no Texas NASCAR.  By this time most of Eastern NC had been alerted but the cable company said they would quickly send someone out by Tuesday.  After a call to them by our condo manager infoming them of the total cable outage,  we were restored to life after about two hours in the vacuum. 

Jane and I tried to stay mostly congenial throughout the ordeal and once I got to watch Masters reruns and the remainder of the race,  I felt better.  Yes, we had cell phones and books but used to more tech needs.

Now, as for why I am really here.  We are doing great.  Jane is cooking good meals and we have had great lunches out.  I have been given stero\ds which increase appetite and golf driving ability.  All is good, two more days of chemo then the radiation day.

"With diligence and patience, the mouse bit in two the cable"  Ben Franklin

Saturday - 13 April 2013

Yes, the cure process has begun.  I started the first of five days of chemo yesterday which will be followed by one day of total body irradiation or irradication if one fat fingers the keyboard.  Yesterday, the chemo was  Cytoxan and Fludara and today is Fludara only.  No side effects, yet.  We had a good evening in our new condo operated by Oakwood Corporate Suites which is a very good acommodation just minutes away from the hospital.  

 This procedure  is to be what is known as a "cord blood transplant" which is from two babies who were kind enough to donate as they are fine, healthy folk living good lives. 

We had a great send-off celebration at our home in Brevard last Saturday night with our wonderful Brevard friends including Rick and Page Ciordia who live in Hendersonville, NC on a beautiful golf course named Champion Hills.  Taylor,  google this one.  We are invited to play a round with Rick when I get back home.  Rick is a long time friend from Griffin High School days, class of 62.  Our friends from Brevard included  Joyse, Lisa, Lori, MaryKay, Alice, Peter (actually from Balsam Grove), Biff, Tim and Sylvia,  Chris and Harriett, Jeff and Betsy, Gary and Suzie, Richard and Luanne,  and Ike from Asheville.  We are fortunate to have made such wonderful friends.  Thank you, Toni.

Tim,  former member of the National Italian Orchestra,  played his alto  horn and his wife, Sylvia, beautifully sang "O sole mio" in Italain.  The deck windows held up which was a test of our carpenter, Peter's work.  Tim is a true native of Brevard.  We had great food thanks to Jane and Joyse and also plenty of libations. It was a magnificent night that I will recall during the upcoming 100 days.

For some reason we did gender separation for the party pictures.

In the midst of all this, we lost a dear friend, Daniele Johnson, wife of  Steve Johnson,  both long time friends.  She will be greatly missed.

"Let us run with patience the race that is set before us."  Hebrew12:1  (Sent to us by Judy Britt of GHS - 63.)

 

Saturday - 5 April, 2013

 

Well, it is all going to officially start on Tuesday, 9 April. I will have diagnostic testing for two days and one  dose of radiation (1st time).  This will be followed by 5 days of chemo as these days are refereed to as -6, -5, on down to the actual transplant which the doctors refer to as my new birthday.  It will be 18 APRIL,  same as Sara Peters, granddaughter.

 

We have rented an apartment in Durham as all of this plus 100 days monitoring is out patient.

 

 

Doug  and Kevin Peters,  son-in-law,  at Easter.  Did we both shop at Banana Republic, Gap, or good ole Kohl's ?

 

 

 

 

 



 

Alfred E. Newman - you remember him