D Day Minus 2

Hi everyone,

Well, our guys feeling okay. His counts are dropping.....wbc is 2.0, but hgb and platelets good enough that he doesn't need any transfusions. He's getting a little restless in the isolation, so he's trying to keep his mind occupied, but he's also pretty fatigued from the meds. Both chemo drugs are done, and he has started on the immunosuppresant cyclosporin. He's also on 2 antibiotics, an antiviral agent and an antifungal agent. Also something called glutamine which is supposed to sterilize the bowel(in as much as it can be, I guess). He also has a special mouthwash and he's taking his antibacterial shower every am. So here's hoping all the bases are covered.

Bob's been reading and watching TV, and would like to blog, but the HUP computer guy never came, so he is still not online. We tried ourselves today and were going to set it up even if we got a warning, but it never even let us get that far, just kept saying no connection. AHHHHH! I've said it before, I LOVE computers. Anyway, I reminded him about solitaire and such that you can do w/o the internet, so he was playing spider solitaire when I left. As before, he said the nights are the hardest times.....your mind wanders to places you don't want to go. And also like last admission, there are interruptions thru the night for vitals, and labs(morning labs are drawn at 3am, so the docs have the results back when they make rounds)that make it difficult to sleep. Bob has a bunch of dvds that his bro. Bill and s-i-l Anne took down on Sunday when they visited, and today I took down Queen: Live at Wembley Stadium. Bob loves the group Queen, but kept saying didn't we already see this movie?(The Queen). Geez, that chemo is getting to more than his white cells, me thinks. He also has 2 books(and thank you to Bill T, I did get your message and will be over to get the books soon, I hope), but the one I took in today he has to read wearing gloves.

So, we are on target for the transplant on Friday. I also should probably explain about the actual transplant, b/c a few people have asked me about the "operation". The stem cell transplant is actually a lot like getting blood. We're told the stem cells look like pink platelets(usually straw-colored). There may be 1 or 2 bags, and it will take approx. 1-2 hrs. to infuse. This is probably going to happen Friday afternoon, since the stem cells are taken from the donor that morning and flown to HUP(could be from anywhere in the continental U.S.), and Bob will get them fresh. So George, we already know that they will not be treated w/ preservatives or antibiotics, but Bob did chuckle at your suggestion. They can be treated w/ preservatives if the donor/recipient schedules are conflicting(like our gal Deb who had the shingles when she was supposed to be getting her sct).

At any rate, that's the procedure. And we are on schedule. So please keep us in your prayers and direct your most positive vibes to room 7008 Rhoads. But, I'll be in touch before the sct. Hopefully tomorrow, computer geek guy will come to 7008 and direct his good vibes to Bobs laptop. Than we will be a'bloggin.

All our love and thanks,
Bob and Mo