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.