Counting Down

Dessert at Black Cat, Boulder

Two hard days down. On Monday I had a trifusion line placed in my right chest. Officially a tunneled trifusion catheter. I was fearing this procedure, and the aftermath. It went better than I feared and I have survived. I was wheeled into a surgery room, hopped on a table, and they gave me Versed and Fentanyl which kept me conscious but happy. I was concerned initially because the drugs were not dripping and it appeared that my IV had pinched closed (It did take three tries to start an IV - my veins are all in hiding after chemo.) They forced it through and all was ok. They told me afterward that I did snore a bit. I only felt some pressure as they did their deeds. 

Afterwards Sharon and I went to the local Homewood Suites, checked in, got some dinner and then retired. I took Tylenol and an Ativan and was able to sleep. The incisions and tunneling from the catheter insertion were sore and the Ativan certainly helped me sleep. Below is an image of what they did to me, and perhaps because of the drugs, I am smiling. Oh, also on Monday I received another dose of Neupogen and then later in the day a Mozobil injection. I had Neupogen injections on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The latest ensure I have plenty of white blood cells and the Mozobil helps release stem cells from by bone marrow to my blood.

Early Tuesday morning we headed to the hospital again. This time for the apheresis. I was very nervous about this procedure but my nurse Neil was very calming and affirming. Our target today was to collect 10 million stem cells. The original estimate was that they would cycle my blood through the machine four times and hope to collect just over 9 million stem cells. Early on they determined that I was producing better than expected and could cut down to three cycles through the machine. And, at the end of the day I had produced and they had collected 10.43 million stem cells. As a result, I was finished sooner than expected and was able to be disconnected. The process was not uncomfortable but I remained somewhat anxious throughout. We are now home and I have rested and had a couple of glasses of wine so I am feeling better. The catheter insertion area is still tender and will remain so for a few days. Sharon has to add Heparin to my lines every day and I get the dressing changed next week. 

 

I will have this catheter for about 60 days - with Heparin flushes daily and dressing changes weekly. Two weeks from today I will be admitted to the hospital, go through R-BEAM chemo, and then get my stem cells back. After about three weeks in hospital I will be released to the Homewood Suites for a week and then home. My target date to getting back home is June 19.

Preparing for Apheresis

The Apherisis Machine

Blood Going In And Out

Stem Cell Collection Bag