Things have been good over the weekend. I didn't have any fevers and felt great. Having nice weather for the first time in a few weeks was definitely a plus, and the family got to spend a lot of time outdoors. I did have to take some pain meds because of the back pain that comes with my neupogen shots, but thats not too big a deal.
At NIH today I didn't get the biopsy that the doctors told me they wanted. My lab results showed that my neutrophil count had risen significantly to 5.3, from .06 on Thursday. That makes the risk of infection a lot less likely, so its good to be out of the woods there.
The reason the doctors were thinking about pushing the bone marrow biopsy up to today was because I hadn't reacted to the neupogen shots last week. Since the shots apparently worked over the weekend, they decided to wait until the biopsy would be normally scheduled, which will be in two weeks. So I didn't have to deal with the pain today, but its still in the plans. Since I was taking the neupogen to create new neutrophil cells, the biopsy would likely show mostly new cells. The doctors hope by waiting a few weeks they will be able to get a more natural look at my bone marrow production, and hopefully see more mature blood cells.
Everything else seems to be good for now. My platelets bumped back up over 100, and my hemoglobin is over 10 for the first time in a while. The hemoglobin is especially good news in my mind, because the closer that gets to normal, the more energy I should have. With Isaiah at school today, Kate and I were able to take a quick bike ride this afternoon. I definitely had the energy and the lungs for it, but my leg muscles aren't in shape. Hopefully with better weather on the way, more outdoor activities will speed up my return to normal health.
Showing posts with label platelets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label platelets. Show all posts
Monday, March 9, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
Day +46
Well its been an interesting week. With the last note I wrote, I was feeling great but my neutrophil counts were extremely low. After being neutropenic for several days, I eventually got a fever Wednesday evening. My temperature had been rising and falling all that day, but rose to 101.8 just before 7:00. The hospital wants you to call if a fever goes above 101.6. Since my temperature was elevated and I was neutropenic, I was told to come in and be admitted to the inpatient wing I have previously been on.
That night they gave me antibiotics and took blood cultures to see if they could find the source of the infection. The cultures were inconclusive and the doctors never truly figured out what caused my fever. Most doctors seemed to blame the Bactrim, although I received one dissenting opinion from a doctor whose judgment I trust. He pointed out that my platelets held steady and it was just my neutrophils that dropped. Usually when Bactrim is the cause of a loss in neutrophils, the platelets are also effected. This occurs because the neutrophils and platelets grow in the same area of the bone marrow. This doctor thought it was likely a delayed reaction to the Rituxan I took with the EPOCH-CR back in the fall. Rituxan can cause delayed neutropenia several months after it is taken. I remember my chemotherapy doctors mentioning this a year ago when I finished EPOCH-R the first time. This explanation seems to make sense to me, although I guess it can't be proven as the cause either. Overall, I'm not concerned with the cause, but am just happy to be feeling better now.
I did have a large cold sore on the inside of my lip that swoll up pretty good. It was extremely uncomfortable for a couple of days, but has subsided for a few days. The doctors said the cold sore could have been a result of the neutropenia, or it could have helped cause the infection that led to the fever. Its hard for them to pinpoint what caused me to get a fever, but the good news is that it went away quickly after starting antibiotics.
So by Thursday morning my temperature was normal but I didn't get discharged until Sunday. I was receiving neupogen shots to stimulate neutrophil growth, but my counts didn't start to rise until Friday. By Sunday morning the number was high enough that the doctors felt good to take me off of the antibiotics. Their plan was to keep me another 24 hours for observation, but I wasn't ready to spend another day in the hospital when I hadn't had a temperature in days. I pointed out that I would be back to the hospital for an outpatient visit today, and they agreed to discharge me on Sunday rather than Monday.
So I was able to get home and watch the Super Bowl at Kate's cousin's apartment. That was a lot more enjoyable watching the game with others than sitting on my hospital bed by myself.
The outpatient visit today was pretty routine. My blood results were good, and I didn't need any infusions. It feels like I'm back to where I was before my neutrophil counts dropped more than a week ago. My energy is good and everything else at home is going well.
That night they gave me antibiotics and took blood cultures to see if they could find the source of the infection. The cultures were inconclusive and the doctors never truly figured out what caused my fever. Most doctors seemed to blame the Bactrim, although I received one dissenting opinion from a doctor whose judgment I trust. He pointed out that my platelets held steady and it was just my neutrophils that dropped. Usually when Bactrim is the cause of a loss in neutrophils, the platelets are also effected. This occurs because the neutrophils and platelets grow in the same area of the bone marrow. This doctor thought it was likely a delayed reaction to the Rituxan I took with the EPOCH-CR back in the fall. Rituxan can cause delayed neutropenia several months after it is taken. I remember my chemotherapy doctors mentioning this a year ago when I finished EPOCH-R the first time. This explanation seems to make sense to me, although I guess it can't be proven as the cause either. Overall, I'm not concerned with the cause, but am just happy to be feeling better now.
I did have a large cold sore on the inside of my lip that swoll up pretty good. It was extremely uncomfortable for a couple of days, but has subsided for a few days. The doctors said the cold sore could have been a result of the neutropenia, or it could have helped cause the infection that led to the fever. Its hard for them to pinpoint what caused me to get a fever, but the good news is that it went away quickly after starting antibiotics.
So by Thursday morning my temperature was normal but I didn't get discharged until Sunday. I was receiving neupogen shots to stimulate neutrophil growth, but my counts didn't start to rise until Friday. By Sunday morning the number was high enough that the doctors felt good to take me off of the antibiotics. Their plan was to keep me another 24 hours for observation, but I wasn't ready to spend another day in the hospital when I hadn't had a temperature in days. I pointed out that I would be back to the hospital for an outpatient visit today, and they agreed to discharge me on Sunday rather than Monday.
So I was able to get home and watch the Super Bowl at Kate's cousin's apartment. That was a lot more enjoyable watching the game with others than sitting on my hospital bed by myself.
The outpatient visit today was pretty routine. My blood results were good, and I didn't need any infusions. It feels like I'm back to where I was before my neutrophil counts dropped more than a week ago. My energy is good and everything else at home is going well.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Day +17
Today was a good day. I got to spend the afternoon at home with Kate and Isaiah. After 25 nights in the hospital, it was a bit strange to head back into our house. I know its not a big house, but it seemed really small when I first went in. Isaiah was really excited to have his daddy back, and it was a great visit. It will be nice to have another visit home tommorow, and to finally be discharged on Monday.
So when I got back from my visit home, I asked my nurse for the results from my morning blood tests. I was pleasantly shocked when I took a look at the numbers. My white blood cells came in at 2.970, after registering 1.740 the morning before. My absolute neutrophil count also rose dramatically from 1.235 to 2.198. The white blood cell count is still a bit low, but the neutrophil count is within the normal range.
My other numbers from the blood results increased as well. My red blood cells went from 2.92 to 3.11, hemoglobin went from 9.2 to 9.3, and my platelets went from 13 to 19. All of those results are still low, but its a good sign that they are coming up on their own without having to receive tranfusions. These recent results are really making me feel good as I get ready to head home from the hospital.
So when I got back from my visit home, I asked my nurse for the results from my morning blood tests. I was pleasantly shocked when I took a look at the numbers. My white blood cells came in at 2.970, after registering 1.740 the morning before. My absolute neutrophil count also rose dramatically from 1.235 to 2.198. The white blood cell count is still a bit low, but the neutrophil count is within the normal range.
My other numbers from the blood results increased as well. My red blood cells went from 2.92 to 3.11, hemoglobin went from 9.2 to 9.3, and my platelets went from 13 to 19. All of those results are still low, but its a good sign that they are coming up on their own without having to receive tranfusions. These recent results are really making me feel good as I get ready to head home from the hospital.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Day +16
Got some good news today. The doctors are still happy with my progress and there are no new concerns. My white blood cells were up to 1.880, and my neutrophil count is 1.235. There is steady progress there, but my platelets are still low, 13 as of this afternoon.
So this morning the attending doctor said that Monday will be my planned discharge date! In addition to that good news, they plan on giving me a day pass to leave the hospital tommorow and Sunday. So at some point tommorow I should be able to head home and spend time with Kate and Isaiah at home. It will be strange to leave the hospital after almost a month here, but I am extremely excited for it. There is still a lot of things I need to follow up on once I leave the hospital, but it will be so much more comfortable to be treated as an outpatient and to be able to spend more time with my family.
Although I am still in the hospital tonight, I feel somewhat free. I have been receiving tacrolimus through an IV since Day -2, and they finally removed that IV for good this afternoon. So I am not currently hooked up to any IVs, and don't have any plans to unless I need a transfusion. I will continue to receive the tacrolimus orally for the next 100 days, but my dose level is so low that they do not have a pill small enough for me. So the pharmacist had to make an elixir with the small amount of tacrolimus that I'll be receiving, and I will be taking that orally twice a day. Things are really starting to look up today. The hospital stay will soon be over, and the next stage in this journey will pick up.
So this morning the attending doctor said that Monday will be my planned discharge date! In addition to that good news, they plan on giving me a day pass to leave the hospital tommorow and Sunday. So at some point tommorow I should be able to head home and spend time with Kate and Isaiah at home. It will be strange to leave the hospital after almost a month here, but I am extremely excited for it. There is still a lot of things I need to follow up on once I leave the hospital, but it will be so much more comfortable to be treated as an outpatient and to be able to spend more time with my family.
Although I am still in the hospital tonight, I feel somewhat free. I have been receiving tacrolimus through an IV since Day -2, and they finally removed that IV for good this afternoon. So I am not currently hooked up to any IVs, and don't have any plans to unless I need a transfusion. I will continue to receive the tacrolimus orally for the next 100 days, but my dose level is so low that they do not have a pill small enough for me. So the pharmacist had to make an elixir with the small amount of tacrolimus that I'll be receiving, and I will be taking that orally twice a day. Things are really starting to look up today. The hospital stay will soon be over, and the next stage in this journey will pick up.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Day +13
Today was a little more exciting than yesterday, but not by much. My absolute neutrophil count rose by about 100 this morning. Thats in the right direction but not as much as I would have liked. As usual, the reports from the doctors were all positive. It seems like my discharge date has been scheduled for Friday. So if everything goes well for the next few days I should be home by the weekend!
My platelets held steady from yesterday to today, so the Doctor shared that he didn't think I needed a platelet transfusion. I reported that I hadn't had any major nosebleeds for a few days, so he was happy with that. Then he asked me to sit up so he could check my back for any rashes, and a drop of blood dripped out of my nose. He turned to the other doctor on rounds with him and said, "I guess we should go ahead and order platelets anyways."
I also got two units of blood, although my hemoglobin was only in the 9's. I'm used to 9's being high for my hemoglobin, so its kind of funny that they infuse me inpatient when they are at that level. Oh well...if it gives me more energy, then I'll take it.
Everything else seems to be going well, and its encouraging to know where the finish line is. Tommorow will be two weeks since the transplant, and I can't believe how time has flown by. It feels like forever since I've been at work or at home, but at least I haven't been bored too much in here.
My platelets held steady from yesterday to today, so the Doctor shared that he didn't think I needed a platelet transfusion. I reported that I hadn't had any major nosebleeds for a few days, so he was happy with that. Then he asked me to sit up so he could check my back for any rashes, and a drop of blood dripped out of my nose. He turned to the other doctor on rounds with him and said, "I guess we should go ahead and order platelets anyways."
I also got two units of blood, although my hemoglobin was only in the 9's. I'm used to 9's being high for my hemoglobin, so its kind of funny that they infuse me inpatient when they are at that level. Oh well...if it gives me more energy, then I'll take it.
Everything else seems to be going well, and its encouraging to know where the finish line is. Tommorow will be two weeks since the transplant, and I can't believe how time has flown by. It feels like forever since I've been at work or at home, but at least I haven't been bored too much in here.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Day +10
Day +10 is almost over and things are still looking positive. My neutrophil count made a huge jump to .484, so its starting to look like I have some semblance of an immune system. When the doctors came on rounds today, they didn't feel there was anything going on that was a problem, and that "I'm on their good list." I'll take that.
Unfortunately the morning was somewhat chaotic. I slept very poorly last night because of the continuing bladder issue. Its hard to get a good rest when you are up once or twice an hour. So about 8:00 in the morning I finally had settled into a restful state, when blood started gushing out of my nose. My whole life I've been a nose bleeder, and most of this week I've had dried blood in my nose rather than mucus. I must have done something to clear the airway, and there was fresh blood all over the sheet and pillows.
Since I've dealt with bloody noses most of my life, I tried to stop the bleeding the way I normally do. However, my techniques didn't work quickly with my low platelet count. When the nurse came in she got me a bag of ice and cleaned up after me so I could rest and try to stop the bleeding. I wasn't supposed to get platelets today, but because of the bleeding they ordered them right then.
So while I am getting the platelets my nurse takes my vital signs, which includes taking my blood pressure. She said she was going to be back in 10 minutes and asked if I was fine leaving the blood pressure cuff on. I said yes...thinking what would be the problem with that. The problem arose when my bladder started yelling at me to empty. I got the cuff off of my arm with no problem. Then I got my backpack that carries my ambulatory pump for the Tacrolimus. I struggle out of bed, and since I'm still receiving platelets I need to roll the IV pole into the bathroom with me as well. Ok...still feeling alright. However, the cord for the blood pressure machine is plugged in and pulled tight in front of the bathroom door. I go to reach for the plug, but my Tacrolimus line is caught on the bedframe. Now I'm feeling anxious. I get the line unstuck, unplug the blood pressure machine, and try to pull the IV pole into the bathroom. The good news is that I got to the bathroom before urinating. The bad news is that I didn't quite make it to the urinal. So I clean myself up and my nurse comes in. I explain what happened with the bathroom, and like a true professional she takes it all in stride.
I guess the message of the day is to give a ton of respect to nurses. They put up with a lot of nasty stuff in hospitals, and don't get the credit they deserve.
After the bleeding and the bathroom debacles, the day went pretty smoothly. I had another great visit from my family, and am starting to get excited about going home. Hopefully within the week I'll be back in the real world.
Unfortunately the morning was somewhat chaotic. I slept very poorly last night because of the continuing bladder issue. Its hard to get a good rest when you are up once or twice an hour. So about 8:00 in the morning I finally had settled into a restful state, when blood started gushing out of my nose. My whole life I've been a nose bleeder, and most of this week I've had dried blood in my nose rather than mucus. I must have done something to clear the airway, and there was fresh blood all over the sheet and pillows.
Since I've dealt with bloody noses most of my life, I tried to stop the bleeding the way I normally do. However, my techniques didn't work quickly with my low platelet count. When the nurse came in she got me a bag of ice and cleaned up after me so I could rest and try to stop the bleeding. I wasn't supposed to get platelets today, but because of the bleeding they ordered them right then.
So while I am getting the platelets my nurse takes my vital signs, which includes taking my blood pressure. She said she was going to be back in 10 minutes and asked if I was fine leaving the blood pressure cuff on. I said yes...thinking what would be the problem with that. The problem arose when my bladder started yelling at me to empty. I got the cuff off of my arm with no problem. Then I got my backpack that carries my ambulatory pump for the Tacrolimus. I struggle out of bed, and since I'm still receiving platelets I need to roll the IV pole into the bathroom with me as well. Ok...still feeling alright. However, the cord for the blood pressure machine is plugged in and pulled tight in front of the bathroom door. I go to reach for the plug, but my Tacrolimus line is caught on the bedframe. Now I'm feeling anxious. I get the line unstuck, unplug the blood pressure machine, and try to pull the IV pole into the bathroom. The good news is that I got to the bathroom before urinating. The bad news is that I didn't quite make it to the urinal. So I clean myself up and my nurse comes in. I explain what happened with the bathroom, and like a true professional she takes it all in stride.
I guess the message of the day is to give a ton of respect to nurses. They put up with a lot of nasty stuff in hospitals, and don't get the credit they deserve.
After the bleeding and the bathroom debacles, the day went pretty smoothly. I had another great visit from my family, and am starting to get excited about going home. Hopefully within the week I'll be back in the real world.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Christmas is Day +8
This was a very good Christmas. I met with the doctors early in the morning, and they gave me the best news of the day. They believe the donor cells have engrafted!!!
Over the last 3 blood draws, my white blood cell count has gone from .043, to .107, to .123. My neutrophil count also jumped from .06 to .034. Since the average range of healthy white blood cells is 3.3-8.7, I am still a while away from sitting pretty. However, every step in the right direction is something to give Thanks for.
My platelets this morning were down to 5, their lowest yet. They only bumped up to 12 after receiving another tranfusion this morning. Seeing the platelets rise without the need for more transfusions is the next thing for me to keep my eye on, but the white blood cells are the most important.
Since this is Day +8, my engraftment came pretty early. The lead doctor told us before beginning the study that the earliest they've seen is Day +7, day +8 is rare, but most occur between Days +9 and +12. The earliest I've heard of people leaving the hospital after this procedure is Day +14, which would be New Years Eve. Since I had to come into the hospital with a neutropenic fever last year on January 31st, I think it would be fitting if my discharge date after transplant would be exactly one year later.
After me platelet tranfusion, I had a great visit with my family. Kate brought Isaiah, her sister Jen, and her parents in around 11:00, and we were able to make the Christmas Mass held in NIH's chapel. After Mass, my parents came along with Mary, Mya, Reed, Matt, and Tim. We had lunch in the activity room down the hall, and had a big gift giving session. I was overwhelmed by the amount of gifts everybody gave to each other, and Kate told me it was nothing compared to what Isaiah got to open up at home. I don't know how our small house is going to fit all of these new things, but I'm glad there was such joy amongst everybody today. I remember feeling disappointed last year that Kate and I only had several presents for Isaiah under the tree. Anybody who knows me well knows I'm not materialistic, but the joy it brought to his face to open each present was the best feeling in the world. I missed out on some of that this Christmas, but my hope is that cancer never gets in the way of any future Christmases or holidays again.
Thanks to everybody who shared their Christmas wishes and stories on the guestbook. I hope everybody who I'm sharing with had an amazing Christmas with their families as well.
Over the last 3 blood draws, my white blood cell count has gone from .043, to .107, to .123. My neutrophil count also jumped from .06 to .034. Since the average range of healthy white blood cells is 3.3-8.7, I am still a while away from sitting pretty. However, every step in the right direction is something to give Thanks for.
My platelets this morning were down to 5, their lowest yet. They only bumped up to 12 after receiving another tranfusion this morning. Seeing the platelets rise without the need for more transfusions is the next thing for me to keep my eye on, but the white blood cells are the most important.
Since this is Day +8, my engraftment came pretty early. The lead doctor told us before beginning the study that the earliest they've seen is Day +7, day +8 is rare, but most occur between Days +9 and +12. The earliest I've heard of people leaving the hospital after this procedure is Day +14, which would be New Years Eve. Since I had to come into the hospital with a neutropenic fever last year on January 31st, I think it would be fitting if my discharge date after transplant would be exactly one year later.
After me platelet tranfusion, I had a great visit with my family. Kate brought Isaiah, her sister Jen, and her parents in around 11:00, and we were able to make the Christmas Mass held in NIH's chapel. After Mass, my parents came along with Mary, Mya, Reed, Matt, and Tim. We had lunch in the activity room down the hall, and had a big gift giving session. I was overwhelmed by the amount of gifts everybody gave to each other, and Kate told me it was nothing compared to what Isaiah got to open up at home. I don't know how our small house is going to fit all of these new things, but I'm glad there was such joy amongst everybody today. I remember feeling disappointed last year that Kate and I only had several presents for Isaiah under the tree. Anybody who knows me well knows I'm not materialistic, but the joy it brought to his face to open each present was the best feeling in the world. I missed out on some of that this Christmas, but my hope is that cancer never gets in the way of any future Christmases or holidays again.
Thanks to everybody who shared their Christmas wishes and stories on the guestbook. I hope everybody who I'm sharing with had an amazing Christmas with their families as well.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Christmas Eve is Day +7
Merry Christmas. I hope that everybody reading this is enjoying their holiday celebration. Christmas Eve is my day +7 out of transplant. I'm still not feeling great, but at times today I did feel a lot better. Maybe its an early Christmas gift, but my neutrophil count rose again from .005, to .006, to .011. That is still extremely low and incredibly risky for infection, however that looks like its moving on the right path. My temperature has been raised a bit the last two days, but not to the point of fever. I'm praying that it stays that way and that the increase in neutrophils is an early sign of engraftment.
I received platelets again today...fourth day in a row. Since they were only at 11 on my afternoon lab count, they will probably be back in the single digits soon and I'll probably need more platelets tommorow.
I miss not being with my family for Christmas, but the plan is for all of them to come to the hospital tommorow for a litle celebration here. We aren't perfect, but I have an excellent family. I want to thank them all for everything they have done to help me out. Once again...Merry Christmas to everybody.
I received platelets again today...fourth day in a row. Since they were only at 11 on my afternoon lab count, they will probably be back in the single digits soon and I'll probably need more platelets tommorow.
I miss not being with my family for Christmas, but the plan is for all of them to come to the hospital tommorow for a litle celebration here. We aren't perfect, but I have an excellent family. I want to thank them all for everything they have done to help me out. Once again...Merry Christmas to everybody.
Day +6
Today was day six and not much really changed. My neutrophil count went up from .005 to .006. I've been eagerly awaiting my counts to start shooting up, but I think those numbers represent an insignificant difference.
I also received platelets for the third time in as many days. It seems like every time I receive the platelets they bounce up and then head back to an even lower point the next morning. I guess that shows how much my body is beat down right now, and I'm grateful for the people who go out of their way to donate platelets.
Those were the big medical news for the day. As usual the doctors say everyhing is on the right track. My bladder issue is still a nuisance, and hopefully that will resolve itself soon.
Kate came by for a long visit today, and that helped the day fly by. I want to give thanks to Kate's family for helping her out with Isaiah and making it easier for her to make time to come over here. After she left my Dad was around, and he was later joined by my brother Matt and our family friend Christy. They all got to watch the process of having one of my lumen's fixed on my Hickman line. While one of my three lines was being flushed with saline, I heard a pop and felt something wet on my midsection. A hole just burst open in the lining, and I had saline and blood on my belly. Luckily this didn't happen when chemo was coming through. That would have been more of a problem.
I also received platelets for the third time in as many days. It seems like every time I receive the platelets they bounce up and then head back to an even lower point the next morning. I guess that shows how much my body is beat down right now, and I'm grateful for the people who go out of their way to donate platelets.
Those were the big medical news for the day. As usual the doctors say everyhing is on the right track. My bladder issue is still a nuisance, and hopefully that will resolve itself soon.
Kate came by for a long visit today, and that helped the day fly by. I want to give thanks to Kate's family for helping her out with Isaiah and making it easier for her to make time to come over here. After she left my Dad was around, and he was later joined by my brother Matt and our family friend Christy. They all got to watch the process of having one of my lumen's fixed on my Hickman line. While one of my three lines was being flushed with saline, I heard a pop and felt something wet on my midsection. A hole just burst open in the lining, and I had saline and blood on my belly. Luckily this didn't happen when chemo was coming through. That would have been more of a problem.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Day +5
Day +5 is over. It really does feel good to count down the days, even though I don't know the exact day I will get out of here. Today was a decent day for me. It wasn't the worst or the best. I got more platelets, which only brought me up to 23. Still a very low number, but without that I'd probably be in the single digits. I also got two units of red blood cells, which should help my energy.
My white blood cells shrank from .039 to .031. So I'm still decreasing. I can't wait to see those numbers start coming up. Despite the high risk of infection I haven't spiked a fever yet. The bladder issues and the diarhea are the two most bothersome issues right now. The bladder problem I feel is slowly improving, but still not comfortable. This evening I've noticed how badly my hands have dried out from the constant handwashing. I took a shower and the water stung my hands and wrists from where the skin has been so badly treated. So its time to up the amount of times I put lotion on them to keep things moist.
Not much else to report today. Doctors feel everything is progressing well, and I was able to get a visit in from Kate which was nice. Its still probably too risky for a sick Isaiah to come visit. I guess this means I just have to sleep a bit longer to make the time fly by faster.
My white blood cells shrank from .039 to .031. So I'm still decreasing. I can't wait to see those numbers start coming up. Despite the high risk of infection I haven't spiked a fever yet. The bladder issues and the diarhea are the two most bothersome issues right now. The bladder problem I feel is slowly improving, but still not comfortable. This evening I've noticed how badly my hands have dried out from the constant handwashing. I took a shower and the water stung my hands and wrists from where the skin has been so badly treated. So its time to up the amount of times I put lotion on them to keep things moist.
Not much else to report today. Doctors feel everything is progressing well, and I was able to get a visit in from Kate which was nice. Its still probably too risky for a sick Isaiah to come visit. I guess this means I just have to sleep a bit longer to make the time fly by faster.
Day +4
Yesterday was day +4 after the transplant. The big issue from the day before was the bladder problem and urinary pain. Yesterday that subsided, but did not go away. I still have an intense urgency when it is time to go to the bathroom. Hopefully the progress continues and my bathroom experiences can return to nomal soon.
My blood counts are still dropping, although I think the latest ones might show my white blood cells have bottomed out. I get my blood drawn at least twice a day, and since staring Saturday morning my WBCs have gone from .151 to .102, to .059, to.038. With that rate of descent, I should probably bottom out without any white blood cells at some point today. The doctors came in just now and said that my neutrophils were at .003. Not many more of those cells to lose, and he expects about a week for the white blood cells to come up again. This period of time is when I am at my greatest risk of infection, and hopefully my counts start rebounding quickly.
During this same amount of time my platelets went from 55 to 22 to 10. Thats extremely low considering the desired range is from 147 to 347. So I have my first blood transfusion last night. Like the bone marrow transplant, it is a very simple tranfusion. Following the transfusion my platelets went up to just 16, and were down this morning to 13. So it looks like I'll be getting another platelet tranfusion today, as well as red blood cells.
I was supposed to go to a discharge meeting to give me information on what to expect as an oupatient transplant patient. With my bladder not working correctly, I did not want to go. My parents are there now and geting information. I also have a chest X ray scheduled for today, but I think that is just precautionary. I haven't had any problems with breating throughout this process. Ok...on to battle another day. Thank you all for your support.
My blood counts are still dropping, although I think the latest ones might show my white blood cells have bottomed out. I get my blood drawn at least twice a day, and since staring Saturday morning my WBCs have gone from .151 to .102, to .059, to.038. With that rate of descent, I should probably bottom out without any white blood cells at some point today. The doctors came in just now and said that my neutrophils were at .003. Not many more of those cells to lose, and he expects about a week for the white blood cells to come up again. This period of time is when I am at my greatest risk of infection, and hopefully my counts start rebounding quickly.
During this same amount of time my platelets went from 55 to 22 to 10. Thats extremely low considering the desired range is from 147 to 347. So I have my first blood transfusion last night. Like the bone marrow transplant, it is a very simple tranfusion. Following the transfusion my platelets went up to just 16, and were down this morning to 13. So it looks like I'll be getting another platelet tranfusion today, as well as red blood cells.
I was supposed to go to a discharge meeting to give me information on what to expect as an oupatient transplant patient. With my bladder not working correctly, I did not want to go. My parents are there now and geting information. I also have a chest X ray scheduled for today, but I think that is just precautionary. I haven't had any problems with breating throughout this process. Ok...on to battle another day. Thank you all for your support.
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