Healing

I feel that each day I get a little bit stronger and feel a little bit better. This week Sharon and I went to UCHealth for blood tests and a visit with our favorite nurse practitioner, Keri. My blood counts are doing very well and Keri says I am ahead of the curve. It has now been 30 days since my stem cell transplant. I still have daily nausea, but not as bad, my taste buds are recovering but not there yet, my neuropathy is still there with sensitivity in my hands and tingling in my feet. I do not have my strength back but it is coming.  I am walking faster but not yet to my normal speed. Sometimes a little wobbly but not too bad. One month down and only two to five to go. Yep, three to six month recovery.

Yesterday I had an outing all on my own. I drove to Rocky Mountain National Park to visit with Joan who was camping there. I managed an hour drive each way and about an hour visiting with Joan and took a short walk while there. Trekking poles come in handy when walking. Then in the evening we went to Comida and met Chris, Amanda, and Judy. I wasn't fully able to enjoy the food but it was nice to get out. Sharon especially needed a night out away from home and socializing with someone other than me.

Today while trying to figure out why out solar shades would not come down I discovered that the GFI in he basement that controls one basement outlet and our outdoor outlets had tripped. The freezer was plugged into this in the basement. Oops. Everything was done for and at room temperature. The biggest loss was the gravy that Larry made when he was here last. I think we will put him to work when he visits this weekend. I have switched the freezer power to another outlet. Hopefully we will not see this happen again.

How is it that a restaurant advertises "tapas" when there is little to nothing on their menu that would or should be considered tapas? Why do so many people fall for it? I've been to Spain, I know tapas, and what is generally advertised here is NOT tapas. Rant over.

Still No Hair!

 

A Week At Home

Biggest news this week is that the tri-fusion line is out! On Thursday morning the line was removed so that I no longer have a Christmas ornament dangling from my chest. Wednesday's blood tests were all good with my white blood cell count at 3.1, red blood cell count at 3.37, hemoglobin at 9.9, platelets at 240 and neutrophils at .07. I did need a neupogen injection to bring up the neutrophils but all the other numbers are looking good. 

I have been eating more but I still have no appetite. I've had bouts of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Yuck but they are getting better. I sleep a lot during the day, but do get out for short walks. Sharon continues to put up with me, she is tougher than I am. Today she booked flights for John, Kristie, Avery, and Anika to come here at the end of July. Larry and Dave are coming next weekend, Peg and Suzanne will be here sometime in July and maybe we'll even see Katie this summer. Lots of visitors!

Bird Watching

101°

Guarding the Stairs

 

Yuck

I woke this morning to dry heaves. I am wondering how long these will continue. Nausea, no appetite, listless, no energy, neuropathy, and no taste. I feel I am still feeling the effect of melphalan and to tomorrow makes three weeks since they gave it to me. Sharon is doing her best to feed me but it is hard with no appetite and few working taste buds. 

Home!

Ah but it is nice to be home. I slept well last night and woke up feeling more energy than I have in a while. It is good to sleep in my own bed, shower in my own shower, cook chicken on my grill! I have had not problems walking up and down stairs which means I am getting stronger and more exercise than I got in the hotel or the hospital. I am laying low today and taking it easy. I've had two naps already and it is just now noon! My exercise has been going up and down stairs and walking around the house. Yep, taking it easy.

We spent all afternoon at UCHealth getting IV antibiotics (the last round) and blood tests and an interview with the Nurse Practitioner. My numbers are all good and rising. I was happy to get out of there and head home.

 

Recovery

Sharon just informed me that recovery from melphalan takes 40 - 50 days. This could explain how I feel and what it going on. It is far and away the nastiest chemo drug I have been exposed to. I am now 16 days out from my stem cell transplant, 17 days from melphalan and am still experiencing nausea, loose stools, and fatigue. I also have almost no appetite, no taste, still losing hair, and generally feeling yucky.Tomorrow evening we will head home. Perhaps that will help!

In The World

I escaped my three week confinement. I left Percy behind in the hospital room and made a run for it - though in a wheelchair. I am now sitting outside in the sun in the courtyard of Homewood Suites.

Sharon busted me out around 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, got us checked into the Homewood Suites and me settled in the room. I felt bad that she has to do everything. because I still have little strength. She then went to the store and got us fixings for dinner - my first non-hospital meal. I couldn't eat much but I was happy to be out!

It was odd sleeping in my non-hospital bed because it did not continually inflate and deflate and no one came in to give me meds and check my vitals through the night. Because I the lack of interruptions I didn't sleep as well! 

Sunday was great. I had coffee and cereal an the morning then had the best shower in weeks. Showering with Percy was a pain. Now I don't have to drag an IV pole with me into the shower. After showers we went downstairs and tried to sit outside - but it was a bit too chilly. But, within minutes there was lots of excitement at the Homewood Suites - no power. Xcel Energy had a local outage and we were included. No lights inside, no elevators, and the fire department came to visit - people were stuck in the elevators! Sharon and I hung out in the lobby and watched the excitement.

We went to UCHealth for a scheduled appointment which included a blood test and an IV antibiotic. Walking here and through out the  day provided me with more exercise than I have had in weeks. It was good for me.

• Blood test results: 
• Red blood cells 2.74
• White blood cells 3.5
• Hemoglobin 8.1
• Platelet 10
• Absolute Neutrophils 2.7

All of these number are good except for the Neutrophils. Hopefully those will be up tomorrow.

I rang the bell as I left the isolation unit.

First glimpse of freedom

 

Friday June 9th - Day 10

First, blood count updates. White cells up to .6 and red at 2.5 with platelets at 14 and hemoglobin at 7.6. I've got improvement and did not need whole blood or platelets today. The doctors are encourage and today told me I would be out of here this weekend which certainly energized me! They have been doing some wavering and saying perhaps Sunday, but they are doing everything to get me out of here on Saturday. All I have to do is get through tonight without a fever and for my blood counts to continue to improve. Here's hoping!

I've been really bad at blogging this week. Part of my reason is not having a comfortable place to sit and type. Working on a hospital bed table while sitting on an uncomfortable chair does not encourage writing. I have been distracted yesterday and to a lesser extent today my the Comey testimony to Congress.

After hearng I may leave!

Sharon is at Comida.