February 18, 2009 11:05 PM 99 days to go

Home at last!

We had to stay at the hospital today until about 6 o'clock to complete all of the medication for the day before I could be released. More importantly, we had to get my medications for home, to learn what they all do and to understand when and how to take them. Some you do once, some twice, some three times, some even four times a day. Some you take with food, some you don't, and some you must take with a lot of water while for others it makes no difference. And you take then all different ways - caplets, pills, liquid, and even as a shot(a la insulin). They consist of antibiotics, vitamins, oral health care, and immuno-suppressants. Just keeping track of this stuff is to be a full time job. So be it! What else do I have to do anyway!

Coming home is always nice even though I will be confined here for quite a while. Over the next couple of weeks while my counts go down as before and then recover - I am looking at being somewhat of a hermit restricting visits to family members until we are sure as to the success of the transplant and the doctors say it is OK. After that, any visits can be done just as before.

How do I feel? Well, I don't think that I have acquired the ability to play the piano, to be a stand-up comic, to now have rhythm, to be a serial killer, or to do anything different than before. I feel exactly as I did before I went into the hospital including the fact that, once again, I dodged all of the side effects inherent in the 8 day bone marrow process. The doctors were again pleased and amazed at how well I have held up.

The big issue is to drink lots of water every day - at least 60 oz. Otherwise, some of the immuno-supressants could start to crystallize in my kidneys causing a lot of unnecessary side effects that could damage them. To come this far and then blow it for that reason doesn't make much sense to me so I have chosen the way of the camel!

I didn't mention it yesterday, but the timing of the transplant was within minutes of the time of day when I was born. Call it irony, coincidence, or whatever - but I cannot help but think that the hand of God had something to do with it and it further lent an air of solemnity to the transplant moment.

So off we go back to the clinic on Friday and Monday for a truly mini-dose of chemo and to see how my counts are doing in order to properly adjust the levels of some of my medications to respond to how my body is acting. After that, we aren't sure what the shedule of visits will be.

So, as we now formally enter the recovery phase, please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as there are still battles to be fought and won. We know that no matter the fight, God is always at our side.

What a comfort...

Bob