Second week in Atlanta

Monday – 9/18/06
Chest/head congestion worsens. No fever.

Tuesday – 9/19/06
Karin is up at 5 am to shower, me ~20 minutes later. Start the Neupogen shots twice a day today (6 am & 6 pm). Have to get it out of the refrigerator 30 minutes early to let it warm up (5:30). Start taking Levaquin antibiotic today – can’t be taken within 2 hours of any calcium, so the time depends on when I eat breakfast. Apt at 7 am, leave at 6 am. It is well worth the early start to avoid traffic. My white count is getting pretty low (1.5). My blood is low on Potassium, so they start me on supplements 2X per day. They take a chest x-ray to rule out any infection. Outpatient radiology on the 9th floor (1 floor below the clinic). This has to be one of the few x-ray rooms anywhere with windows the entire width of the room. This office is decorated like a fancy study. X-ray is negative. They start me on a new decongestant/expectorant (name) 2X per day to try to clear my head and chest. New dressing on the catheter before we leave.

Thursday – 9/21/06
99 oF temp most of the day. Likely due to the Neupogen.

Friday – 9/22/06
7 am apt at BMTG. Karin had picked up some cheese bagels and chocolate doughnuts at Target for breakfast, both are good. Blood work and visit with a PA. New dressing. We start March of the Penguins DVD. I am neutropenic today, almost no white blood cells (<0.4). My platelets are low (86), they consider giving me platelets, but decide not to yet. I’m on house arrest now. I can’t be around people in any public place. I wear a mask from the clinic to the car beginning now. They say that I can walk in the neighborhood. Karin and I walk ~ 2 miles. Karin and Paul go for Mexican dinner and get me takeout. Paul picks up Marie at the airport back from Scotland. Low grade fever continues through the night 100-100.4 oF (100.5 oF is the panic point) some sweating- both physically and mentally.

Saturday – 9/23/06
100 oF temp in the am. Call BMTG to let them know. They request that I come in for labs and blood cultures to rule out infection. We go in around 9 am. New dressing, my incision still oozes a good bit especially during the night. Finish March of the Penguins DVD (thanks Royce & Sarah). The PA today says that I have to wear my mask for my walks- I’ll be so cute. Karin leaves to find some lunch, and of course as soon as she walks out the door to go to the hospital, they release me. Her phone is low on charge and sitting across from me when I call it. McDonalds $ menu because nothing looks good in the cafeteria. We leave around noon. Everything is OK. Still very neutropenic, but tiny signs of growing white cells (0.4). My potassium is still low so suppliments 3X per day now. No one in the parking deck pay booth (maybe normal for Saturday) we save $4. I nap till~3 pm. No walk today. Hip bones and femurs start aching and hurting from the marrow working hard to make stem cells (because of the Neupogen). Karin hits some tennis balls with her mother. They have league play tomorrow. I soaked in a very hot tub. Helped the aching a tad, but made my fever worse. Take Oxycodone for the pain. Temperature OK after dinner 100 oF. Thankfully, no hospital trip tonight.

Sunday – 9/24/06
My fever is better for the majority of the day Sunday. I feel the tingling in my scalp that my hair will fall out soon. Karin plays tennis on Marie’s team. She didn’t win, but she had fun, except it was quite hot and humid after am rain.