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.