First Appointment in HSV

It has been a few days since the last blog update and I am happy to report that things are going well. Dad is gaining more strength each day and has much more energy to do things. Sunday has been the first day that I have seen Dad stay awake all day without any cat napping.

Starting Monday Dad has been hitting the SBIR proposals hard. The proposals are all due Thursday so there is now a mad rush to get the proposals finished up. Dad has been writing intermittently all day and has draft versions of two different proposals ready to go.

Today was Dad's first Dr's appointment with his original oncologist. The appointment was about noonish so Dad took a long break during the day to get checked out. Mom came by and picked Dad up and stayed with him through the appointment. The verdict was that Dad's doctor said he was doing fantastic after just going though a bone marrow transplant. There was not any new information about diet or cat contact so until further notice dad is still cat quarantined.

Dad and I are busy still working on proposals and watching Discovery channel so that is all for today!

Back in HSV

Today has been Dad's first full day back in Huntsville. It has been decided that Dad will reside at Amanda and my's house until construction is finished out at the farm on internal sections of the house.

Dad is still pretty fatigued from the exploits of the last month but is working hard to get his strength back. Dad had a good breakfast of eggs made by Amanda and some juice to go with his meds. Mom was able to drop by for a few minutes today while I was at work and she left shortly before noon. I got back home to help Dad with lunch some time around noon. Dad had a good meal of cheese ravioli and was able to work a little bit after eating.

Dad and I watched movies and some Modern Marvels to pass the time until Amanda got home. Amanda made a nice diner of chicken fingers, broccoli and potatoes right before we all went out for a walk. We walked about 1/8 of a mile in 91 degree heat before Dad finally had enough. After the walk we settled down to watch a movie and are now on the second movie of the night.

Special thanks to Joan and Sue for helping out so much over the last few weeks. Dad appreciates very much all that you guys have done for him. Hope you have safe trip home and we look foreword to visiting the great north soon!

All for tonight!

LIBERATION DAY~ Sept. 1

Wt: 62.7 kg

Temp: 96.9

BP: 106/67

WBC: 4.16

Platelets: 112.8

LIBERATION DAY is finally here! Dr. Shelton says Rod is doing so well with his recovery, that she will release him from the BMT in Birmingham today. Rod has an appointment scheduled for Sept. 8 with Dr. G. in Huntsville for his next check-up.

Alex will be coming later in the day to pick up Rod and take him to Huntsville. He will stay at Alex & Amanda’s house for awhile as he continues his recovery. Being back in his home territory will make Rod a very happy camper. :-D

Joanie & Sue’s work here in ‘Bama is done. Tomorrow, the flight for them is going back to Wisconsin at 5:30pm. It was a great pleasure to be able to help out our dear brother during this rough patch in his life. We thoroughly enjoyed our “sibling bonding time” especially in light of the fact that we hadn’t spent this much time together since we were children! It was heartening and deeply rewarding to be able to be serve as Rod’s Recovery Coordinators for the past two weeks.

We were also very impressed with all of the doctors, nurses, and other support staff at UAB hospital, and most especially, those individuals at the BMT. Everyone was totally caring, competent, and compassionate. AWESOME+++

Pictured above it the Bell that patients get to ring on the day they get to leave the Inpatient BMT. Rod got to ring the Bell on Aug. 17, but almost seems like he should get to ring the Bell today! Next to the Bell is the plaque with the inspiring words of "Courage". The last photo is of a small quilt in the BMT that is also uplifting and heart-warming.

We are currently waiting for the staff to remove Rod’s Hickman catheter. Rod also has a hamburger and fries coming here for lunch...

THEN WE ARE OUTTA HERE!!!

Cheetos Rule the Day ~Late Blog Post recapping Wednesday, August 31

We expected this day to be lazy and laid-back, and it certainly was. Talk about your slow news day… this was it. Rod had a pass, so we did not have to go to the BMT for a check-up. Instead, we took it easy with napping, snacking, and spent the day in the slow-lane. It was great!

Joanie was the most active because she walked a 2 mile round trip to the convenience store, and brought back a few items we needed. Joanie also thoughtfully bought for us TWO bags of Cheetos. Sue and Rod both love Cheetos, and Rod benefits from their heavy salt load, so we were pretty excited. In fact, the gift of the Cheetos was the highlight of this low-key day! We received our Cheetos at about noon, but by 7:00pm, we had nearly consumed both bags. Yes, Cheetos rule the day!

Sue also went for a walk, and saw the same gray kitty in the usual spot. The cicadas were chirping loudly and seemed to be everywhere. Sue also came upon some cacti plants along the way. She didn’t think ‘Bama had cacti, so that discovery was quite interesting.

For the evening entertainment, we watched a PBS documentary on "Becoming Human". We learned of fascinating fossil finds of ancient hominids and ape-like cousins. This was particularly intriguing to Sue since she recently saw the movie “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”.

Rod felt good all day, and ate hearty meals with more gusto than previously. He also went to bed earlier than usual. We suspect that it is not so much that he was extra tired, but instead, we think it was because he wants Thursday to come faster. He will see Dr. Shelton on Thursday morning and he is expecting that she will give him his “discharge papers” so he can head back to Huntsville, much closer to home sweet home.

Dr. Shelton has Good News for Rod~ Late Blog Post recapping Tuesday, August 30

Dr. Shelton has Good News for Rod~ Late Blog Post recapping Tuesday, August 30

Temp: 97.5

WBC: 4.91

Platelets: 122.4

Weight: 62.9 kg

BP: low normal

Dr. Shelton was very pleased to see Rod for his check-up and said he looked GREAT! If Rod continues to do well, then it is imminent that he will be discharged from UAB in Birmingham and be transferred back to Dr. G, his oncologist in Huntsville. Dr. G. will then provide continuing care and check-ups for him. Huntsville, in northern Alabama, is much closer to Rod’s home & farm, near Gurley, AL. The plan is for Rod to stay with his son and daughter-in-law, Alex & Amanda, at their home in Huntsville for a period of time so as to be closer to Dr. G.’s office. Thursday, Sept. 1, is the likely day for Dr. Shelton to release Rod to the care of Dr. G. Rod was all smiles with this Good News!

On Day 30, (counting forward from the transplant on Aug. 5), Rod will have several diet and lifestyle restrictions lifted. Day 30 will fall on Sept. 4. That will be a significant landmark day highlighting the triumph of the transplant.

The next important day will be Day 60, which will fall on Oct. 4. On that day, Rod will see Dr. Shelton and have a scan to see if there is any cancer remaining; fortunately, it is unlikely that any cancer cells will have escaped the intense treatment he has undergone. Also, his new, fresh white blood cells are already mobilizing and eliminating most, if not all, rogue cancer cells. If there is evidence of any cancer on Day 60, then Rod will be treated with radiation, just to the problem area, and then he should be clear. Dr. Shelton said that even if they have to do this radiation, the cure rate is the same as if there weren’t any remaining cancer cells. This cure rate for a BMT is 50%.

Rod’s BMT was not so much a “transplant” as it was a “re-infusion”. The stem cells used were his own stem cells, which were harvested after high-dose chemo was used to kill off cancer cells. After harvesting, the stem cells were purged or cleansed to rid them of nearly all remaining cancer cells that managed to survive. When patients give their own stem cells back to themselves like Rod did, the procedure is called an autologous stem cell transplant. His cleansed stem cells were then given back to him on Aug. 5 by a process called re-infusion. Some patients cannot use their own stem cells, and must have donor cells instead, and so these people truly do have transplants. Typically, the patients using donor cells have a more difficult time and take much longer to recover. Happily, Rod’s bone marrow re-infusion has the highest success rate, fewer complications, and the most rapid recovery.

Over the course of the next year, Rod’s immune system will get stronger and stronger. He will still be at high risk for infections, however, and therefore, he will need to be careful to avoid sick people, crowds, dusty areas of any kind, germy environments, construction & remodeling sites, certain foods prone to harbor fungi & bacteria, and close contact with animals, including dogs, cats, birds, & horses. At the end of the first year, he will need to receive all of his childhood vaccinations over again. Then, his immune system will make the appropriate antibodies, and thus be even more powerful in fighting off infections.

For the first year, Rod will need to wear a medical alert bracelet that is engraved with the message: “Autologous BMT. Transfuse only irradiated and leuko-filtered blood products.” The reason for this is protect his newly growing white blood cells from being contaminated by “unprocessed” blood products. After one year, his doctor will decide if it is okay to lift this restriction.

Since we still don’t have internet at the apt., we all zealously took advantage of the free wi-fi at the hospital while Rod got his IV fluids and check-up. Joanie and Sue were on laptops, while Rod used his Kindle to check his email and the news. Joanie and Sue were especially parched, and our thirst for internet access was somewhat assuaged.

Once Rod got the good news from Dr. Shelton, he wanted to leave ASAP. We totally understood how he felt, and hurriedly packed up our laptops and other items when told we could go, and then headed quickly for the exits. Rod was given a “pass” by Dr. Shelton for Wednesday, so we will not return to the hospital until Thursday.

Once back at the apt., we all took satisfactory naps. After our rest, Joanie made another super supper, using some fresh supplies she had just purchased, and Rod ate up some good portions. His appetite continues to improve, and his energy is coming back, albeit slowly.

After supper, Sue took a short walk around the neighborhood. When she got back, Joanie took a short walk about the neighborhood, too. We both saw the gray kitty at its house, lying in exactly the same spot as always. When Joanie saw the kitty, it was getting a bit wet from the owner’s lawn sprinkler, but seeing as it was a very warm and humid evening, we are sure the kitty enjoyed the cooling spray.

Becky and Bill called and had a nice, long chat. They are doing well, although their kitty, Aurora, keeps them hopping with her mischievous adventures.

For the evening’s entertainment, we watched another episode of “Star Trek: The Original Series”. Rod tried some popcorn to go with the show, and he said the popcorn tasted pretty good. Certainly the popcorn was not as good as our Dad’s popcorn, but it was still quite agreeable to the taste buds.

We are all looking forward to another relaxing day on Wednesday, hanging out at our cozy, comfortable apt., and with no doctor visit necessary.

Late Blog Post recapping Monday, August 29 ~ A lazy, laid-back day.

Rod can't have real flowers (because they carry bacteria) so we got him a cool bubble balloon decorated w/ fake flowers. Debby & Rod are pictured.

Some of the many cards and gifts Rod has received. Keep 'em coming, folks, they are very inspiring!

The little fruit jellos pictured above were a very special and honored gift from Mr. Kitagawa, one of Rod's good friends from Japan.

Monday was very quiet, and we just took it easy. Very Nice!

Joanie took a hike to the little convenience store nearby to pick up a few supplies. It was about 2 miles round trip, but she enjoyed the walk and racked up mileage on her pedometer.

Joanie and Sue called our Dad (Robert Clark) and filled him in on Rod’s progress. Dad said he was doing fine, except for the 10 chipmunks that he captured who were eating his tomatoes. Rod was taking a siesta when we called Dad, but we will call Dad again on Tuesday, in-between his bridge games, so Rod can chat with him directly.

The afternoon was nap time for all of us. Like we said, it was a lazy, laid-back day.

Joanie cooked up an enjoyable supper of meatloaf, baked beans, pears, and oatmeal cookies. The oatmeal cookies weren’t as good as Becky’s cowboy cookies, but we nonetheless gobbled them down with gusto. For a rich snack later in the evening, Rod ate a half of a Mounds candy bar. His appetite is getting better, and his sense of taste is slowing returning.

P.J., the manager of the apt. building, called to let us know that they found out why we have lost our internet connection. There is no internet in the building because the router is malfunctioning. They will have to replace the router, and it may take some time. Having no internet access at the apt. is pretty rough on us three internet-addicted nerds. Tomorrow, Tuesday, we plan to take all three of our laptops to the BMT clinic and work on our email, blogs, etc., while Rod is getting his IV fluids.

The evening entertainment was watching the movie “Galaxy Quest”. It’s a comedy, a spoof on the sci-fi genre, in particular, “Star Trek”. We all got some good laughs out of this lively movie.

Rod felt pretty good all day, other than being tired and low-energy. He didn’t walk today, thinking that yesterday’s walk was over-doing it. We are happy to say that the Monday Mission of resting, relaxing, and rejuvenating was successfully accomplished.

Late Blog Post recapping Sunday, August 28 ~ A very good day.

Photo: Rod and Joanie taking a walk in our hilly, historic neighborhood. On the left is the Dog Park.

We lost internet access at the apt. on Saturday morning, so that is why this is another (very) late blog post. (We have internet access when at the hospital, so that’s how we will get this blog post up.)

Sunday was a very good day! Rod had a short check-up at the BMT Outpatient, just getting IV fluids as usual, and checking vitals. Rod’s blood pressure continues to run on the low side, but his temperature is steady and normal telling us that the infection is under control, and his meds are doing their job. His weight is on the upswing- 139.9 lbs. They did not take blood, so no WBC, RBC, or Platelets count for Sunday.

Dr. Shelton was pleased to see Rod smiling more. He still has fatigue, but she said it will take time to gain back his energy. Because he is relatively youthful, and because he was in good shape and had good fitness prior to the cancer starting, he is most likely going to have a speedier recovery of his energy level.

Dr. Shelton said that staying POSITIVE is extremely important to Rod’s recovery. Rod has every reason to be positive, in her professional opinion, because he did so well with the bone marrow transplant, and because he is making excellent progress. Dr. Shelton said being positive and optimistic will go a long, long way to enhancing the recovery, and to getting him back to a healthy “normal” lifestyle.

Rod has received lots and lots of encouraging and heartfelt wishes, visits, cards, and gifts from family and friends. This outpouring of support is greatly appreciated and deeply meaningful to Rod. Thank you so much to ALL OF YOU WONDERFUL CARING FAMILY & FRIENDS because your support and thoughtfulness have made a POSITIVE difference, and that is literally “just what the Doctor ordered”!

We left the BMT quite early, before noon, and came straight back to the apt. Joanie made us all a tasty lunch of spaghetti, and Rod ate a good-sized portion as his appetite is starting to kick up its heels. After that, Rod did some work on his laptop, we lounged and dozed, or in Sue’s case, crashed hard for a high quality nap.

It was a most beautiful day in Bham in ‘Bama. Warm in the low 90’s, a little less humidity than usual, and with a pleasant breeze (probably thanks to Tropical Storm Irene). We went for a walk in our historic, hilly neighborhood. Most buildings are older and made of richly colored red bricks from the abundant red clay in this area. We cruised over by the dog park, and saw some of the same doggies from yesterday’s walk. We also saw a lazy, but cute, gray cat relaxing in a fenced-in yard in front of its house. This kitty was lying in the exact same spot as yesterday. We walked a good half of a mile today, which was terrific for Rod to do, despite his fatigue. Exercise is important to his recovery, but it must be increased gradually.

Upon our return to our apt., Joanie whipped up another appealing meal. She took Amanda’s advice and made Rod a meal of Hamburger Helper w/ cheesy noodles, with a side of green beans. For dessert: a wickedly chocolaty w/ creamy center Swiss Roll.

For the night’s entertainment, we three avid Trekkies watched the recent movie “Star Trek” (the prequel). We’d all seen it at the theater, but enjoyed seeing it on DVD, as it is truly a fun and entertaining movie.

Rod was given a “pass” by Dr. Shelton and does not have to go to the BMT on Monday. We are all looking forward to a relaxing and laid-back full day at our apt. Hopefully, our Internet will be back up soon. We did talk with the manager of the apts., a nice lady named P.J. She assured us that they are working on the problem and should get us all back online before too long.

We are expecting that Monday will be a pleasant day and we plan to walk the neighborhood and take in more pretty scenery, sites and critters. Sue has been to Alabama several times, but she never realized what an interesting and beautiful state it is till this visit. She can readily see why Rod chose this state to settle down in and to raise his family. It is a delightful state chock-full of Southern charm and super-friendly folks!

Late Post

Rod's Stats:

Platelets: 109,900

WBC: 4.9 (Better Low Normal)
Temperature: 97.6 degrees
BP: Normal

Today the blog has been delayed by a lack of internet access at the apartment where Dad, Joan and Sue are staying. Hopefully the internet problem will be resolved shortly before everybody decided to go hang out at the hospital for intent!

Dad went into the hospital for his normal check up and everything went well. It sounds like Dad will get Sunday off for some R&R. Dad mentioned that he can never get any sleep at the hospital because they wake him every 3 hours for vitals. Anybody staying in the room with him also get woken up every 3 hours as well...

Saturday Mom came down for a visit to talk about the horses and to finalize several of the new contracts Dad has coming up. It sounds very much like Dad will have lots of work to do when he finally gets back to normal life. For those of you that know Dad well working in his favorite hobby! Also, other good news is that

Dr. Chung (Dads professor at UAH) would like him to graduate next year after running just a few more plasma computer simulations. That it certainly something to look forward to!

Today I had to do a bit of shopping for everybody and then was able to head down to visit. Unfortunately I did not make it down to Birmingham until about 5;00 so it was a late visit. Today was also the first time the Self Reliance Systems, LLC sponsored BBQ Team was able to compete and they did very well overall! When I finally got to BHam we unloaded the car and the Aunts were able to head off for a walk.

Dad and I chatted for a while about all the normal work items, upcoming work items, Leaf news, SBIR news etc. All more proof that Dad is ready to head out! The Aunts returned after about 45 minutes where we turned out attention to some chow. The decision was made to order some pizza. A funny bi-product of the pizza order was Joan and Sue's discovery of the 'front door' of the apartment. The apartment layout requires that if you park in the back you have to labor up 2 flights of stairs....but if you walk around the front you just head inside. I am sure the new discovery will benefit everybody in the future.

After dinner we all set down and were able to have several good conversations on web page fabrication, software and smart phones. It is agreed that technology moves at almost an exponential rate and it is so very hard to keep up with all aspects of it! Hopefully Joan and Sue will be getting their new iPhones soon! ;-)

Hopefully today the internet access will be restored and the blog will resume as normal!

Discharged At Last

Rod's Stats:

Platelets: 81,6000

WBC: 4.61 (Low Normal)
Temperature: 97.7 degrees (Has been normal for several days)
BP: Normal

BIG EVENT ONE:

Today was a very GREAT day. The most wonderful event was Rod was discharged from the hospital and got to go “home” to the apartment. He has been miserably sick with an infection since Monday night, but medication and his own “new” white blood cells have conquered it. He is feeling much better!

BIG EVENT TWO:

The second wonderful event

was a surprise visit by two of Rod’s business associates shown in the photo. At left is Matsuta-San, on the right is Richard Newton, and the guy in the middle, with the big smile is our dear brother Rod. He was VERY pleased to have these gentlemen visit him. Rod is such a super guy even business associates make an effort to visit him.

PATIENT DISCHARGED:

As anyone who has been hospitalized knows, the time between when the doc says you will be discharged and when you actually get out of the building is a long, long waiting period.

Dr. Shelton told us about 1:00 pm that Rod was ready to go home. About 1:10 pm we were packed up and sitting on our suitcases in the hall. Well not quite, but it was almost like that. Well about 4:00 pm one of the staff saw us and said, “Are you still here? I thought Mr. Clark was discharged.” Upon hearing that we said there hadn’t been any action. So she made some calls and within a half hour we were ready to go. Joan was to go get the car, the hospital would provide a luggage carrier and wheelchair and Rod and Sue would be escorted to the Patient Discharge Door where Joan would pick them up.

If anything can go wrong, IT WILL!

So all was going well... Until…Joan got to the car and found that the battery was dead. Oh great!!!! Fortunately there was a UAB security officer nearby who gave Joan a number to call a UAB service for patients and families, who discover dead batteries, flat tires, etc. Joan called the number with great relief and then waited after alerting Sue and Rod what the hold-up was.

RESCUED:

While Joan was waiting for the service, a lady who came to retrieve her own car, kindly offered to provide a “jump.” I thanked her profusely and said that help was on the way. Shortly a man arrived on a motorcycle. He had a device with jumper cables, which worked wonderfully and the car started on the first try. Joan then VERY happily then drove to pick up Rod and Sue and we arrived at the apartment with no other mishaps. Thank Goodness!

(We have since determined that an interior light was left on for about 24 hours and that is probably what drained the battery.)

HOME SWEET HOME ALABAMA:

Though it was very cozy with the three of us living in Rod’s hospital “suite,” we are glad to have room to spread out again. The apartment now seems HUGE.

CHORES:

Sue spent much of the evening doing loads and loads of laundry. Rod has to have clean clothes and sheets every day and they have to be washed and dried on HOT. Laundry is a big and very important task. Sue also got Rod’s medicine regimen organized. Joan made a spaghetti, butter, salt and pepper supper for Rod and he ate a big helping plus some Becky Cowboy Cookies. Joan also did some major cleaning in the kitchen.

SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY:

We have been so impressed with Southern hospitality. All the citizens are so friendly and helpful. We feel well taken care of by the Alabamians, during many issues, including emergency room and dead battery problems. The medical staff and support staff caring for Rod was super caring and respectful to him and also to Sue and Joan in spite of the fact that they let no question or concern go un-addressed. Hmmm! Maybe they discharged Rod just to get rid of Joan and Sue.

~Star Trek The Original Series ~ A fine way to wind down the day

We are very happy to report that Rod continues to improve- Temps are always normal now, and the meds are definitely kicking in to control the infection of C-Diff. The docs and nurses were all pleased with his progress today. They are considering discharging Rod on Friday afternoon, so we are keeping our fingers crossed that this will transpire.

Eva's friend, Jessica, did a super nice thing for Rod today. We'd Skyed Eva yesterday and mentioned that Rod needed a couple more comfortable hoodies and a beanie. Eva is in Bolivia, but she emailed Jessica, and asked her to pick up these items. Jessica, bless her heart, bought the items and dropped them off for Rod at the UAB Hospital. Joanie and I weren't in Rod's room at the time of Jessica's visit, so we were disappointed that we didn't get to meet her. We hope to have another opportunity to meet her and thank her personally for her kindness.

Joanie and Sue went back to the apt. for a couple of hours to wash clothes and to do some cleaning. Joanie is a Cleaning Machine. Germs are never safe from her watchful eye and her bottle of Lysol. She scrubbed down the bathroom within an inch of its life. She will be doing more cleaning to make sure the apt. is tip-top clean for Rod's imminent return.

Joanie is the driver in Bham. She is top-notch. Today, Joanie was quite proud of herself when a stranger asked her for instructions/directions. She explained to him how to use the parking lot we usually use, which is two blocks from the hospital. Joanie claims she is "directionally challenged," but one would never guess that to see her in manuvering in Bham!

The parking lot we use is very old, rough, and "primitive," but also close to the hospital, convenient, cheap, and easily accessible. They have you pay in advance by putting your day-fee of $4.50 in a small slot on a big, rusty, ancient, metal board. The note on the board says a computer will monitor your payment. Sure doesn't look like there is a computer anywhere near this unusual parking lot.

The rest of the day was laid back and restful. For the highlight of the evening, Rod and Joanie watched a couple of episodes of "Star Trek The Original Series". Rod, Joanie, and Sue, too, have been avid TREKKIES since childhood. We three are all crazy for Sci-Fi in general, but nothing tops Star Trek TOS.

Joanie has a chair on one side of Rod, and Sue has another chair on the other side of Rod. It's like a "Rod Sandwich". Today, we figured out how to make the chairs recline flat so that it makes a pretty decent bed. Much more comfortable for sleeping than sitting/slumping half-upright as we did the past two nights.

Notice that Rod is wearing a "UWSP Pointers" T-shirt in the photo above. Hmmm... wonder where he got that little item? :-)

Joanie and Rod are sawing logs in dreamland. Sue is heading there soon, too. Buenos Noches!

Improvement is the name of the game

August 24 was a better day... Rod's temp stabilized at normal. No more fever! The culprit for the infection was found- C-Diff. At 5:00am, the targeted medication for C-Diff, Flagyl, was started. In a day or so, the Flagyl should knock down the infection. And, Rod's WBC count is super high today, fighting this infection.

Dr. Shelton stated that Rod is improving and she is very confident that all will be well soon. Rod was concerned that getting the infection was a big set-back, but she assured him it was not. Almost 100% of BMT patients have some problems or issues afterwards. Dr. Shelton says she is not worried and that Rod's infection will be cleared up in a couple of days and he can be discharged back to the apartment we are all staying at while he recovers.

The staff has been enormously helpful and we feel that Rod is in very good hands. Our favorite nurse has been Kelsey. She is as sweet as can be and just totally delightful.

Tonight, the 3 of us Skyped with Dr. Eva Clark (Rod's oldest daughter), who is in Bolivia conducting a medical research project on the Chagas parasite. Infectious disease is her specialty area. Joan and Sue had never Skyped before, and found it to be a really great way to communicate! Seeing and talking with his daughter LIVE helped cheer up Rod a big bunch.

And, finally, some photos!

First- Rod, Sue, and Joanie taking laps. Notice how skinny Sue is.

Second & third- Dr. Shelton discussing with Rod the progress he is making.

Fourth- Our fav nurse, Kelsey, checking Rod's vitals.

Fifth- Joanie and Rod are tuckered out.

The Bone Marrow Transplant has been proven SUCCESSFUL

The GOOD NEWS is that the Bone Marrow Transplant has been proven to be SUCCESSFUL!!! Rod's WBC count today is 14.5 !!! This means that his own body is making a TON of brand new White Blood Cells. Dr. Sheldon said tonight that Rod is making WBCs like a normal person, on this, Day 18, after the Bone Marrow Transplant on Aug 5, which was Day 0.

The news is a double-edged sword... the bad news is that Rod's blood pressure continues to run low, and more significantly, he started with a low-grade fever last night. We took him in to the BMT center at about 10:30pm, and they gave him IV fluids and started a broad-spectrum antibiotic, then at about 2:00am, sent him with us back to the apt.

We went back to the BMT center at about 10:oo am today. More tests and cultures were run to try to figure out what is causing the fever. It could be C-Diff again, but so far, nothing is coming back positive. The doctors want to find out what is causing the fever/infection so they can give him a specific antibiotic targeted at that bug. But, in the meantime, he was give a couple more rounds of other broad-spectrum antibiotics as a pre-emptive measure. All day long, his temps went up and down, up and down, but never got higher than 102.

Dr. Sheldon believes the fever will be conquered tomorrow, and then Rod will feel much better. He fell asleep about an hour ago, and is hoping to get some good rest. Joanie and Sue are sleeping in his room and will be keeping watch in case he needs anything in the night.

We are actually not on the BMT unit because all of the inpatient rooms were in use there. They moved us up to the ninth floor, and we are in the Oncology center. The staff here is incredibly caring, accommodating, and thoughtful. The room is fairly big, too, and quite comfortable.

In regard to the echocardiogram which Rod had done on Monday, all is normal with his heart signals. The chemo apparently did not do any damage there, thank goodness.

Todd and Victoria came down today, and it was great to see them and they visited with Rod for a bit. He was sleepy and not feeling the best, but became more comfortable and talkative with them! Vic and Todd also did more shopping for us today, which as always, is a great help.

We have been very impressed with people we have met in Birmingham (Bham). Even total strangers on the street are super friendly and offer to help. Bham folks in 'Bama have treated us wonderfully and it is appreciated more than words can say.

*Rod's Recovery Coordinators*

WISCONSIN CHEESE to start this day

WBC: 3.69 Platelets: 75,8000 Weight: 63.0 kg Monday, Aug. 22, was another busy day, but not quite as intense as yesterday

Rod had a scrambled egg with a little WISCONSIN Mozzarella CHEESE, oatmeal, raisins and OJ for breakfast today. Eggs are working out as he can taste them and they taste like eggs! Yay!Rod’s appetite is continuing to improve daily, and he hasn’t needed to take a nausea pill for the last 2 days.

About 9:30 am we left for the hospital. While waiting for Rod to be infused with his fluids via IV, the three of us took a walk down memory lane talking about Grandma Essie Clark’s house and various childhood activities. It was fun to hear about our different perspectives on the same events. We were giggling and laughing very hard, so we had to close the door to our room so as not to disturb the other staff/patients.

One of the memories was of “snipe hunts” that were popular back in the day. Rod said that Cousins Larry H. and Jack R. initiated Cousins Mary R., Russ H., and Rod into the fine tradition.But then he also told me that the three of them researched “snipe” in Grandma’s library to find out more about this highly “dangerous” animal. He also said Grandma provided the books for the research, but did not reveal the scam directly. That cracked us up.

At noon, Sue and Joanie went to get lunch for Rod and us as he was still hooked up to the IV. We brought him another huge baked potato, Dr. Pepper, and potato chips. His nurse Lydia said that more salt in his diet would help raise his low blood pressure and Dr. Pepper has phosphorous, too, which Rod also needs. Interesting, hey… a nurse recommending soda and chips to a patient?!

After a visit with Dr. Shelton and Nurse Practitioner Lydia, the three of us trooped down to first floor and Rod had an echocardiogram. This was to assess for any damage around the heart (possibly caused by the chemo). More about this later. Then we got to leave for the day at about 2:00pm.

At the apartment, Sue and Rod took naps while Joan did computer work and made a nutritious supper of a boxed New Orleans bean and rice dish, creamed corn, saltine crackers, cottage cheese and peaches. For dessert, we had Becky’s homemade & delicious cowboy cookies (based on Mom-aka. Gina Clark’s-recipe) and Robin Aycock’s outstandingly scrumptious pound cake.

After cleaning up dishes and the kitchen and doing some laundry, we got caught up on Eva’s and Gena’s blogs. Nick has a blog, too, and we will get to his tomorrow.

Everything is going pretty well. The only negative was that Rod was having occasional brief dizzy episodes, Fri-Sun. Because of a dizzy spell, he had a slight fall at 5:00 am Sunday morning just as he entered the bathroom. He is okay and was not seriously hurt. He broke his fall by hitting his chest on the bathroom sink and he got a little cut on his upper lip. Joan was up at the time, in the kitchen, and Sue was sleeping, but we both heard him fall and rushed to him, got him up, cleaned up his lip. He said he thought the dizzy spells, and thus the fall, was the result of getting up too fast from his bed. His blood pressure has been running low and he needs more hydration to help raise his blood pressure.

We then decided that one of us would sleep in the second bed in his room to be with him when he needed to get up again. Sue told him to sit up and wait a good two minutes and then stand slowly to let the blood get back to his head. So he took that advice to heart and there have been no more falls or any significant dizzy spells.

We discussed all of this with the Dr. Shelton on Sunday and she agreed that he probably was rising too fast, but just to be on the safe side, she ordered an EKG, CT chest X-ray, and a CT scan of his head to make sure there was no internal bleeding and all the tests came back just fine. The echocardiogram today was also to rule out any problems that might cause dizziness. We will get the echo, and also some culture results, tomorrow. Rod is also drinking the majority of his water and other liquids before 7 pm so he does not need to get up as often in the night.

Ever since we arrived on Aug 19, the three of us are having a great time together and sharing lots of laughs and memories. Our sibling-comraderie is wonderful! If Becky were here, it would be perfect. J

The division of labor between Sue and Joan is working out well. Sue’s most important roles are recording and dispensing Rod’s medicines, keeping records and asking questions of the doctors/nurses. She is very thorough and detailed. She also is our hygiene manager, and develops our safety practices for keeping germs away from Rod. Her secondary jobs, include phone communications with the “kids”/Debbie/ hospital, and doing the laundry which is a big job as Rod has to have clean sheets and clean clothes every single day.

Joan’s major job is driving to and from the hospital and any other transportation needs. Joan also cleans and prepares meals.

And, we are taking turns sleeping in Rod’s room to be available if he needs us during the night.

Well, sorry not to be posting any photos tonight, but at least this is a nice, long blog entry.

~ Rod’s Recovery Coordinators~

Rod’s Recovery Coordinators

Rod’s Stats:
WBC 3.0
Platelets 60,000
Temp 98.5
Weight 140.1 lbs. (63.5 kg)

Sisters Sue and Joan have taken over as “Rod’s Recovery Coordinators.”

We had a really long and busy day today. We spent about 6 hours at the hospital while Rod got his IV fluids and medicines to support anything he was lacking. The doctor is a very nice woman and seems very caring and knowledgeable. She spent a good long time answering questions and checking Rod over thoroughly. He is doing great and is progressing faster than most patients do.

When we returned to the apartment about 3 pm, Alex, Amanda, Vic and Todd came over and we spent the evening visiting. Rod, Sue and I were all very pleased to see them and have their company.

Rod ate chicken soup, cottage cheese, peaches and two of Becky’s cowboy cookies for supper, took his medications and went to bed. He was tired but had a good day.

We are pretty tired too. We will write more tomorrow.

Day 4: A Busy Day

Sherlock

Dad and Bill hanging out in the living room

Dad's food

L to R: Sue, Dad, Joan, Me and Todd

Before

After! Dad cleaned his plate!

Joan and Dad

Bill and Robin delivered the Aunts to our apartment last night. We were so happy to see them that we stayed up until 2:00 am talking! This morning we had a leisurely breakfast of oatmeal, toast, coffee, tea (for me), and a protein shake for Dad. We stayed busy the rest of the morning with chores such as laundry, dishes and cleaning. Todd arrived around lunch time and we sat around the table chatting and munching on cheese curds and oatmeal cookies for a while. After lunch Todd and I left to test drive some cars. When we returned after a few hours we took Joan and Sue to the near by market to pick up some much needed groceries. The highlight of our day was dinner at Bill and Robin's house. We thoroughly enjoyed a delicious meal of chicken casserole, squash casserole, green beans, rolls and cranberry sauce, courtesy of Robin, as well as the excellent company. We had pound cake with strawberries and whipped cream for desert (no strawberries for Dad). After some post dinner socializing Joan, Sue, and Dad headed back to the apartment in my car. I am driving Eva's car. Todd and I are staying here at Bill and Robin's and heading back to Huntsville tomorrow afternoon. I am happy to report that Dad seemed to be feeling pretty good all day today and didn't have any more fainting spells!

Day 3: Second Day as an Outpatient

Dad and I both got up between 7:30 and 8:00 this morning. We started off the day with some oatmeal and coffee (tea for me). Dad can't taste sugar, among other things, because the chemotherapy temporarily destroyed his taste buds. Also things taste different, for example he says water and Gatorade taste "salty".

Dad and I made our way to the BMT unit for his daily check up around 10:00 am. The nurse took blood samples for blood work and hooked him up to an IV and pumped him full of fluids. I took some fantastic pictures of dad getting "juiced up". We had company in our room today. They were a couple who I would guess were in their 60's. The man had some kind of bone cancer and was in the process of having his stem cells harvested. He said his arm had been damaged from the cancer, just like Dad's, but he now has full use of it again. I think that made Dad happy and hopeful about regaining use of his own arm. Eventually Dr. Lydia came in to talk to us. We chatted with her about dogs for a while. She has a lab and a black German Shepard, just like Dad's dog, Stella. We discovered that both black German Shepards are deathly afraid of thunder storms! Then Dr. Lydia looked over the log we have been keeping of Dad's food intake and she informed us that Dad has improve his diet because he is not getting enough nutrition. All Dad wants to eat is bland carbs (noodles, grits, oatmeal) because his tummy and taste buds are still messed up from the chemotherapy, but she said he is going to have to branch out to other foods. The doctor suggested that Dad have a baked potato for lunch so I went down to McAllisters, which is basically in the hospital, and picked up two giant baked potatoes for Dad and I. I am happy to say that Dad ate most of his baked potato and even some bacon. At that point Dad was all done getting "juiced up" so they let us go. Dad was pleased that he doesn't have to come back until Sunday, so he gets a day off tomorrow to relax and spend with family.

When we finally left the hospital Dad was pretty pooped, so we decided to go back to our quaint little apartment so Dad could take a nap. When Dad woke up we checked his e-mail. He had 600 and something new messages! Then Todd called me and Al called Dad and we both talked on the phone for a while. After that we read Eva's Bolivia blog and worked on a 750 piece penguin puzzle that I found in the closet. They really thought of everything here! Around this time we decided to try a walk before dinner and when Dad got up he got dizzy and almost fell forward. I caught him and put him on the couch where he lied down and put his feet up. It took him a few minutes to get oriented. Needless to say we decided to skip the walk and get some dinner, so we ordered a cheese pizza from Domino's. After dinner Dad was able to stand up and walk around without getting dizzy. Dad and I were supposed to pick Joan and Sue up from the airport tonight, but we are on the second floor and the stairs down are very steep and very hard, and I didn't want to take any chances with Dad on the stairs after that episode. So, my husband's wonderful parents, Bill and Robin, agreed to collect Joan and Sue from the airport, so I could stay here with Dad and we would not have to risk a tumble down the stairs (thank you, Bill and Robin!). Dad was getting pretty tired so he decided to take a nap until everybody arrives. We are eagerly anticipating the arrival of Joan, Sue, Bill and Robin!