Day -6: Last Day as an Outpatient!

Today was Dad's fourth day of Busulfan treatment. Only one more day of Busulfan to go! Unfortunately today was Dad's last day as an outpatient as well. Tomorrow he will be admitted to the BMTU at 3pm.

The Busulfan treatment went pretty much the same as it has for the past two days--Zofran, then IV fluids and Busulfan for several hours. We were out by 1pm.

Dad and I posing outside of Hope Lodge

We ate lunch and then headed back to the Hope Lodge to pack up all of our stuff and to clean our room. Leaving the Hope Lodge was a bittersweet experience! Although Dad would certainly rather be at home in Huntsville, the staff and other residents here have made us feel extremely welcome and comfortable. We will look forward to coming back after Dad's hospitalization is over.

Mom came down from Huntsville this afternoon, and we switched places, as she wanted to be present for Dad's hospital admission. She reports that the basement of their house has been completely sealed, and that the work cleaning the air conditioning is almost done. Their house should be all ready for Dad to move into once he is well!

As far as how Dad is feeling today, he is still hanging in there like a champ! He continues to eat well, and has not yet experienced the nausea expected from the Busulfan. The only side effects so far are the ones that we mentioned yesterday, some change in taste and a little bit of disorientation. Also, Dad's left arm (the one damaged by the recurrent lymphoma in February) is getting a little bit stronger and less numb each day. He has been very strict about doing the exercises the physical therapist taught him every day. Such a good patient!