Joe and I definitely kept a low profile this weekend. We got unbelievable amounts of sleep with sleeping late each day, eat lunch, then an afternoon nap, dinner, watch TV and back to bed. It was kind of good just to exist but then it makes me think too much also. I miss our home, our family, neighbors, friends and our church. I know that everyone is with us in spirit but sometimes you just want to be hugged and cuddled. I suppose that I am a bit melancholy from knowing that we will be away from all that we love for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday since for the last 20 plus years we have rented a home in Hilton Head for the whole week. My boys and their families all come and stay under one roof. It is a true together time where we ride bikes, walk on the beach, play various board games, eat in and dine out, go to the movies, bowl, kayak and of course watch football. It is the "bring together" part that I will miss terribly and pray that Joe and I will find something special to do here in Houston on Thanksgiving Day. We are here to get Joe into remission so that there will be many more family holidays and new travels. The goal is not forgotten.
Tomorrow is a day at MDACC that ends with a consultation with the Mantle Cell Lymphoma expert Dr. Romaguera to discuss where Joe is, where he should be and what is next. We pray that Joe's blood and marrow is going in the right direction. There is no reason not believe that it is not but one always has doubts. The Lord has been carrying us through the daily battles and worries.
Joe and I have truly become closer than we ever been before. We have kept our vows that state "sickness and in health." I love the guy and he loves me. We stand by each other and know what is going in each of our minds. We are in sync. We will continue to walk this crooked trail and hope that the path will start to get straighter.
Hug a loved one!
Ciao.
MONICA SMITH AT MDACC 9/14/11
MONICA SMITH AT MDACC 9/14/11
Monday, November 15, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
More Platlets and the counts drop
Three days has passed since I wrote on the blog. Times flies when you are also not having fun. The walls of the studio are starting to close in and fells like it is smaller and smaller. The only way to make it feel bigger is to keep it neat and tidy which is not easy since it is small. Things have the ability to multiply on the limited counter and desk space. The backs of chairs seem to accumulate more clothes as well as unread and read newspapers on top of Max's kennel. Finding the motivation to tackle the chaos is lacking and there is always tomorrow.
Thursday was an off day from medical visits so we wanted to take advantage of it by taking a road trip to the Gulf of Mexico. The morning in Houston was gray and rainy with more rain in the forecast for the day so I wondered whether it was a good idea to do the drive. We left the hotel at 11AM with Max in the back seat. Max loves to travel and when we say, " Do you wanna go bye-bye?". He stands straight up and heads to the door. Max is a great traveling dog. Joe needed to have his Starbucks coffee and I thought that would be easy to do on the way to the Gulf especially since it seems there was a Starbucks on every corner but it turns out when you want one, you can not find one. I thought I knew where one was off of US59 but I never saw it. I drove around the area for 40 minutes before finding a Starbucks. There were no parking spots so I let Joe run in as I circled the block three times before he came out into the rain. I wondered whether we should just turn back and call it a day since it did not start well and also since the rain was coming down harder. I decided to still keep the plan.
At the dog park someone told us where to find the best place to have a dog run on the beach. They told us to head on 288 South and go till it stops. Most of the way was like an interstate highway before getting closer to the shore. There were no signs telling us how far it was to go so we kept going and going. There was no traffic and as we got closer to the coastline, the rain was thankfully dwindling. Lots of oak trees and pastures of cattle were by the road. Yes, there are really some very "long" horned cattle but also some Black Angus.
We finally made it to the town of Freeport which is the town near the coast about 2PM. We stopped to get gas which was a stop gate for people buying money orders who looked a bit scroungy looking. We keep on 288 until there was no more road but no beach either. The road ended at a refinery. My instinct took over and I turned left until I saw a sign that said Surfside Beach and Galveston where I turned right. Over the intracoastal waterway bridge we climbed and we saw the large surf of the Gulf of Mexico. There was a weathered Surfside Beach sign with some monstrous sand moving trucks moving in and out of the sand road. It seemed that was the place to go and so we did. Wow, it was beautiful with rows and rows of waves coming off the Gulf with clear blue skies and mild temperatures. Max did not know what to make of all the wide open space and the waves crashing onto the beach where we were parked. There was a sign that said there was a $10 parking fee to park on the beach but there was no one around so we just parked. Max ran around and around and followed me into the water to get my feet wet. The water was not too cold. Joe loved breathing in the salt air and knelt down to pet Max to take in the moment. It was a happy moment for all three of us. We stayed there about 30 minutes before we decided we were hungry for seafood. The beach does that to you. The one place to eat at Surfside
The Atlanta Falcons were playing the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night on national TV at 7:30PM this we were prepared to snuggle in the studio to watch the game. It was not on TV. Shamefully it was on the NFL Network and not available to us. I called around and found the game was at Applebee's on Westheimer. I had no idea that Westheimer was so long and that it went all the way to New Mexico. Thirty minutes later we found Applebees which was jammed pack with Veterans for their free Veterans Day meal. The bar was full but a Vet gave up his seat for me. Joe bought him a drink as a thank you and the Vet bought me a drink. Joe and I had a lovely time with the five vets seated near us. They thought I was hysterical as I watched the Falcons beat the Ravens. I tend to get deeply involved with the emotional part of the game. It turned out to be an unexpected great time.
Saturday was a day of rest. We slept very late that we had to eat lunch instead. We watched some football and we both took a long nap but we were still able to watch Georgia get beat by the Auburn Farmers. LOL. Dinner was at Cafe Moustache which was French. The place had ambiance with the good piano player. Service was nice. I had a great meal but Joe did not like his. Oh well! Now we are back "home" watching the Gators get slaughtered by South Carolina Gamecocks who are coached by Steve Spurrier. I must say that Spurrier has made a winner out of the Gamecocks who were the whipping boys of the SEC forever.
Tomorrow we will attend the 11AM service of St Philips Presbyterian around the block then have lunch followed by a day of NFL football. I may sneak out and get my battered nails done.
Joe still has a great attitude although he is weaker and going bald rather slowly. His white soft fuzzy hair is kind if cute to me and he has just enough hair to look like he has some hair. The hair on the back of his head is pretty sparse but I think he can wait a week before having to shave it off.
So our powerful Prayer Army please continue to pray that Joe's blood counts recover so that he can lead a normal life. Pray that infections stay away. Pray that he stays safe from cuts and internal bleeding. The Lord has been so good to us. I hope He does not mind us asking for Joe's good health to come back.
Ciao!
Thursday was an off day from medical visits so we wanted to take advantage of it by taking a road trip to the Gulf of Mexico. The morning in Houston was gray and rainy with more rain in the forecast for the day so I wondered whether it was a good idea to do the drive. We left the hotel at 11AM with Max in the back seat. Max loves to travel and when we say, " Do you wanna go bye-bye?". He stands straight up and heads to the door. Max is a great traveling dog. Joe needed to have his Starbucks coffee and I thought that would be easy to do on the way to the Gulf especially since it seems there was a Starbucks on every corner but it turns out when you want one, you can not find one. I thought I knew where one was off of US59 but I never saw it. I drove around the area for 40 minutes before finding a Starbucks. There were no parking spots so I let Joe run in as I circled the block three times before he came out into the rain. I wondered whether we should just turn back and call it a day since it did not start well and also since the rain was coming down harder. I decided to still keep the plan.
At the dog park someone told us where to find the best place to have a dog run on the beach. They told us to head on 288 South and go till it stops. Most of the way was like an interstate highway before getting closer to the shore. There were no signs telling us how far it was to go so we kept going and going. There was no traffic and as we got closer to the coastline, the rain was thankfully dwindling. Lots of oak trees and pastures of cattle were by the road. Yes, there are really some very "long" horned cattle but also some Black Angus.
We finally made it to the town of Freeport which is the town near the coast about 2PM. We stopped to get gas which was a stop gate for people buying money orders who looked a bit scroungy looking. We keep on 288 until there was no more road but no beach either. The road ended at a refinery. My instinct took over and I turned left until I saw a sign that said Surfside Beach and Galveston where I turned right. Over the intracoastal waterway bridge we climbed and we saw the large surf of the Gulf of Mexico. There was a weathered Surfside Beach sign with some monstrous sand moving trucks moving in and out of the sand road. It seemed that was the place to go and so we did. Wow, it was beautiful with rows and rows of waves coming off the Gulf with clear blue skies and mild temperatures. Max did not know what to make of all the wide open space and the waves crashing onto the beach where we were parked. There was a sign that said there was a $10 parking fee to park on the beach but there was no one around so we just parked. Max ran around and around and followed me into the water to get my feet wet. The water was not too cold. Joe loved breathing in the salt air and knelt down to pet Max to take in the moment. It was a happy moment for all three of us. We stayed there about 30 minutes before we decided we were hungry for seafood. The beach does that to you. The one place to eat at Surfside
The Atlanta Falcons were playing the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night on national TV at 7:30PM this we were prepared to snuggle in the studio to watch the game. It was not on TV. Shamefully it was on the NFL Network and not available to us. I called around and found the game was at Applebee's on Westheimer. I had no idea that Westheimer was so long and that it went all the way to New Mexico. Thirty minutes later we found Applebees which was jammed pack with Veterans for their free Veterans Day meal. The bar was full but a Vet gave up his seat for me. Joe bought him a drink as a thank you and the Vet bought me a drink. Joe and I had a lovely time with the five vets seated near us. They thought I was hysterical as I watched the Falcons beat the Ravens. I tend to get deeply involved with the emotional part of the game. It turned out to be an unexpected great time.
Saturday was a day of rest. We slept very late that we had to eat lunch instead. We watched some football and we both took a long nap but we were still able to watch Georgia get beat by the Auburn Farmers. LOL. Dinner was at Cafe Moustache which was French. The place had ambiance with the good piano player. Service was nice. I had a great meal but Joe did not like his. Oh well! Now we are back "home" watching the Gators get slaughtered by South Carolina Gamecocks who are coached by Steve Spurrier. I must say that Spurrier has made a winner out of the Gamecocks who were the whipping boys of the SEC forever.
Tomorrow we will attend the 11AM service of St Philips Presbyterian around the block then have lunch followed by a day of NFL football. I may sneak out and get my battered nails done.
Joe still has a great attitude although he is weaker and going bald rather slowly. His white soft fuzzy hair is kind if cute to me and he has just enough hair to look like he has some hair. The hair on the back of his head is pretty sparse but I think he can wait a week before having to shave it off.
So our powerful Prayer Army please continue to pray that Joe's blood counts recover so that he can lead a normal life. Pray that infections stay away. Pray that he stays safe from cuts and internal bleeding. The Lord has been so good to us. I hope He does not mind us asking for Joe's good health to come back.
Ciao!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Tuesday and Wednesday: Mixture
Tuesday was our medical day off which means that we did not have to go to any medical center. The day was devoted to REST! I still had a mild cold so you know what that does to your energy level. Yes, a second cold since we came to MDACC and both of them caused by the temperatures in the hospital rooms which I call frigid. I hate being cold. Even with my heating throw blanket I got cold on my face as well as my little pug nose. For those who are caregivers who will stay with their loved ones you need to be prepared to dress warmly. It would not be a bad idea to even have a night cap. Not the liquid kind, but the kind you put on your head.
It is weird when I skip a day writing the blog that I can not remember what happened the day before. On Tuesday we started the day at Panera Bread which both Joe and I enjoy. While we were there, there was a massive amount of water falling from the ceiling next to the window that it looked like a zen waterfall until the ceiling tiles got so soaked that they collapsed with some real loud commotion. The employees were looking for anything that could catch the water and moving furniture and customers out of the way.
Each Tuesday is our weekly anniversary day at the studio suite so that means our room gets cleaned up. Since we had to be out of the room, we decided to go to Wendy's for lunch and take Max to the Dog Park. We get Max his own plain hamburger so he is not left out of having a special lunch. Joe enjoyed the hamburger and fries and real sweet tea! The day was just the perfect temperature for Joe along with a lovely soft breeze. It is fun to interact with the other dogs at the park. There was one dog who loved chasing a frisbee into the dog pool. Boy, he made some big splashes over and over again. When another dog got too close to his frisbee, he would take it to a big mud puddle and cover it with mud. What a sight to see and what a grand mess of fun! Max was way too cautious but he did take five poos which of course I cleaned up. The park wisely has plastic bags in dispensers so owners would have no excuse for not cleaning up after their dogs. Oh yes, there are always people who are not responsible but it is a large park so it is not too bad. I had purchased Max some orange tennis balls to chase after and hopefully jump into the dog pool. He never did jump in but he did get his legs wet up to his stomach so that was progress. He really wanted that ball back. We stayed at the park only for about 30 minutes since I did not want Joe to get worn out. Joe enjoyed watching Max and the various other breeds of dogs.
By the time we got back to the room it was all cleaned up so now it was time to take it easy which we did the rest of the day. Of course, we took a nap. I also did the laundry which there was a bunch. While I was folding the last dried batch, I started a conversation with Lee who is here with her husband from Toronto, Canada. They got here about 11/3 and will be here till the end of the month. Her husband as an advanced stage of colon cancer that has spread to his liver. The diagnosis was found out at the end of October. They have come to Houston to get the best cancer care they can get. She told that 20 years ago her 13 year old daughter had cancer and she had chemo for two whole years. She showed me a picture of that beautiful daughter who is now 33 years old. Lee has faith that they will win her husband's fight against his cancer. She is a very pretty trim lady and so friendly. I hope that we run into each other again in the coming weeks.
Last night Joe and I had dinner at Ninfa's on Navigation where Ninfa originated fajitas many years ago. The place was hard to find but we got to it. We knew that we found a winner since at 8:30PM on a Tuesday night there was a line outside to get it and the parking lot was full. Luckily most of the crowd was leaving so the dining room was not as filled as it could be, They also had a great outdoor patio. The place oozed with friendly atmosphere and also good Mexican food. Joe enjoyed two Chile Rellenos and I had a Chicken Chimichanga. Getting home was a bit of a challenge since I was not familiar with this side of town so we got a bit of a side tour of the downtown business district of Houston. Joe was patient as I used my navigational nose to get us "home" which I did by 10:30 PM. I took Max out as Joe took his handful of medicines. We watched David Letterman for awhile. We really wanted to watch Conan but the TBS station on our TV is just infomercials. UGH!
Today is Wednesday and this is the day of MDACC check in. Joe's hair is getting less and less and his monstrous spleen is getting smaller. Joe is sleeping great but has to wake up many times at night to pee thanks to the latrixPICC lines and give him his shot of Neupogin. Our first stop is the usual Panera Bread then we head off and start our day.
We had about an hour before the FAST TRACK at MDACC so we thought we go to COSTCO but it was too early. Since we had time to waste, Joe says to stop at a Car Wash where the staff was outside waving signs begging for business so I decided to stop there. Now we have another instance of Divine Intervention. The Owner/Cashier had one of those small white fluffy Bijohn Frischee who was friendly and so kissable as well as hugable which Joe and I enjoyed paying attention to. Joe started a conversation with the owner who has a sister, 43 year old Ellen, who is from Alpharetta, Georgia. She was flying in today to go to MDACC for treatment for Mantle Cell Lymphoma for the first time and will be seen by Dr. Romaguera. She has the same disease as Joe and will be seeing the same doctor as Joe. The owner asked if we would talk to his sister since she is so scared since she also as Diabetes. We gave him our phone numbers and email address to give to his sister. We warned him that each person reacts differently to their disease and that Ellen may not be ready to talk with anyone but she was welcome to contact us as a mentor and to ask questions. God sent us there. How else can one explain this? How can this all be by chance? Believe! Faith! Love! Compassion! Help thy neighbor!
We did not have to wait very long for Joe to get his vital signs and his blood drawn for Fast Track. About 30 minutes later the APN saw us and Joe's platelet level had dropped from 10 on Monday to only 6 today even after having 6 units of platelets on Monday. Joe and I were not at all surprised since our fellow comrades in the same fight told us what to be prepared for and they were correct. The APN ordered six more units of platelets to be done at the transfusion department on the second floor. It took a total of two hours from check in to check out for the entire process and we were headed out of the hospital by 3:15PM which was great. They gave Joe some Tylenol and benadryl before getting the platelets. The benadryl lowered his blood pressure and Joe took an hour and a half snooze on his back with a warm blanket on top of him as I sat, listened and watched. Joe felt good afterwards and said that he had dreamed of going to Starbucks to get a Caramel Frappucino. His dream wish was granted where he also enjoyed a double chocolate brownie. We stopped at Costco to see if they had some Khaki slacks but they were all too big for Joe. The only thing we bought there was a case of Caffeine Free Diet Coke for you know who. On the way down Richmond Avenue we stopped at T J Maxx where we were successful in finding some Khaki pants that fit him better with a size 34 waist. The ones Joe had were enormous on him and made him look sloppy and unkempt. I found a large long sweater and pants to keep me warm for the next extended visit a MDACC. I will be prepared for the next chemo on 11/29. From there we went at Joe's request to Sports Authority where Joe purchased some 5 pound hand weights, a pair of gray nylon shorts. He looks good in shorts and way more comfortable in them. I bought a paid of short thick socks since I wore the ones that I bought with me out.
We decided to stay in the studio tonight and watch the Country Music Awards. We had Barry's Pizza deliver a medium pie which all three of us enjoyed.
The weather forecast shows that it will rain this weekend so we are planning to drive down to the Gulf Coast tomorrow with Max and let him experience the ocean. We will have lunch some place down there. The drive is maybe an hour which will not be hard on Joe. If he starts to feel bad in any way, we will turn around and come back. Joe likes the idea so that is the plan tomorrow. We shall see.
Thank you for the positive e-mails, posts and cards. It means the world to us. I read the jokes to Joe and I love hearing him laugh. Our friend, Mike Morton, sends us some really funny ones as well as a bunch of others all over the world. Laughter is good. Love is wonderful. God is good.
Blessings to you all!
Bonnie
It is weird when I skip a day writing the blog that I can not remember what happened the day before. On Tuesday we started the day at Panera Bread which both Joe and I enjoy. While we were there, there was a massive amount of water falling from the ceiling next to the window that it looked like a zen waterfall until the ceiling tiles got so soaked that they collapsed with some real loud commotion. The employees were looking for anything that could catch the water and moving furniture and customers out of the way.
Each Tuesday is our weekly anniversary day at the studio suite so that means our room gets cleaned up. Since we had to be out of the room, we decided to go to Wendy's for lunch and take Max to the Dog Park. We get Max his own plain hamburger so he is not left out of having a special lunch. Joe enjoyed the hamburger and fries and real sweet tea! The day was just the perfect temperature for Joe along with a lovely soft breeze. It is fun to interact with the other dogs at the park. There was one dog who loved chasing a frisbee into the dog pool. Boy, he made some big splashes over and over again. When another dog got too close to his frisbee, he would take it to a big mud puddle and cover it with mud. What a sight to see and what a grand mess of fun! Max was way too cautious but he did take five poos which of course I cleaned up. The park wisely has plastic bags in dispensers so owners would have no excuse for not cleaning up after their dogs. Oh yes, there are always people who are not responsible but it is a large park so it is not too bad. I had purchased Max some orange tennis balls to chase after and hopefully jump into the dog pool. He never did jump in but he did get his legs wet up to his stomach so that was progress. He really wanted that ball back. We stayed at the park only for about 30 minutes since I did not want Joe to get worn out. Joe enjoyed watching Max and the various other breeds of dogs.
By the time we got back to the room it was all cleaned up so now it was time to take it easy which we did the rest of the day. Of course, we took a nap. I also did the laundry which there was a bunch. While I was folding the last dried batch, I started a conversation with Lee who is here with her husband from Toronto, Canada. They got here about 11/3 and will be here till the end of the month. Her husband as an advanced stage of colon cancer that has spread to his liver. The diagnosis was found out at the end of October. They have come to Houston to get the best cancer care they can get. She told that 20 years ago her 13 year old daughter had cancer and she had chemo for two whole years. She showed me a picture of that beautiful daughter who is now 33 years old. Lee has faith that they will win her husband's fight against his cancer. She is a very pretty trim lady and so friendly. I hope that we run into each other again in the coming weeks.
Last night Joe and I had dinner at Ninfa's on Navigation where Ninfa originated fajitas many years ago. The place was hard to find but we got to it. We knew that we found a winner since at 8:30PM on a Tuesday night there was a line outside to get it and the parking lot was full. Luckily most of the crowd was leaving so the dining room was not as filled as it could be, They also had a great outdoor patio. The place oozed with friendly atmosphere and also good Mexican food. Joe enjoyed two Chile Rellenos and I had a Chicken Chimichanga. Getting home was a bit of a challenge since I was not familiar with this side of town so we got a bit of a side tour of the downtown business district of Houston. Joe was patient as I used my navigational nose to get us "home" which I did by 10:30 PM. I took Max out as Joe took his handful of medicines. We watched David Letterman for awhile. We really wanted to watch Conan but the TBS station on our TV is just infomercials. UGH!
Today is Wednesday and this is the day of MDACC check in. Joe's hair is getting less and less and his monstrous spleen is getting smaller. Joe is sleeping great but has to wake up many times at night to pee thanks to the latrixPICC lines and give him his shot of Neupogin. Our first stop is the usual Panera Bread then we head off and start our day.
We had about an hour before the FAST TRACK at MDACC so we thought we go to COSTCO but it was too early. Since we had time to waste, Joe says to stop at a Car Wash where the staff was outside waving signs begging for business so I decided to stop there. Now we have another instance of Divine Intervention. The Owner/Cashier had one of those small white fluffy Bijohn Frischee who was friendly and so kissable as well as hugable which Joe and I enjoyed paying attention to. Joe started a conversation with the owner who has a sister, 43 year old Ellen, who is from Alpharetta, Georgia. She was flying in today to go to MDACC for treatment for Mantle Cell Lymphoma for the first time and will be seen by Dr. Romaguera. She has the same disease as Joe and will be seeing the same doctor as Joe. The owner asked if we would talk to his sister since she is so scared since she also as Diabetes. We gave him our phone numbers and email address to give to his sister. We warned him that each person reacts differently to their disease and that Ellen may not be ready to talk with anyone but she was welcome to contact us as a mentor and to ask questions. God sent us there. How else can one explain this? How can this all be by chance? Believe! Faith! Love! Compassion! Help thy neighbor!
We did not have to wait very long for Joe to get his vital signs and his blood drawn for Fast Track. About 30 minutes later the APN saw us and Joe's platelet level had dropped from 10 on Monday to only 6 today even after having 6 units of platelets on Monday. Joe and I were not at all surprised since our fellow comrades in the same fight told us what to be prepared for and they were correct. The APN ordered six more units of platelets to be done at the transfusion department on the second floor. It took a total of two hours from check in to check out for the entire process and we were headed out of the hospital by 3:15PM which was great. They gave Joe some Tylenol and benadryl before getting the platelets. The benadryl lowered his blood pressure and Joe took an hour and a half snooze on his back with a warm blanket on top of him as I sat, listened and watched. Joe felt good afterwards and said that he had dreamed of going to Starbucks to get a Caramel Frappucino. His dream wish was granted where he also enjoyed a double chocolate brownie. We stopped at Costco to see if they had some Khaki slacks but they were all too big for Joe. The only thing we bought there was a case of Caffeine Free Diet Coke for you know who. On the way down Richmond Avenue we stopped at T J Maxx where we were successful in finding some Khaki pants that fit him better with a size 34 waist. The ones Joe had were enormous on him and made him look sloppy and unkempt. I found a large long sweater and pants to keep me warm for the next extended visit a MDACC. I will be prepared for the next chemo on 11/29. From there we went at Joe's request to Sports Authority where Joe purchased some 5 pound hand weights, a pair of gray nylon shorts. He looks good in shorts and way more comfortable in them. I bought a paid of short thick socks since I wore the ones that I bought with me out.
We decided to stay in the studio tonight and watch the Country Music Awards. We had Barry's Pizza deliver a medium pie which all three of us enjoyed.
The weather forecast shows that it will rain this weekend so we are planning to drive down to the Gulf Coast tomorrow with Max and let him experience the ocean. We will have lunch some place down there. The drive is maybe an hour which will not be hard on Joe. If he starts to feel bad in any way, we will turn around and come back. Joe likes the idea so that is the plan tomorrow. We shall see.
Thank you for the positive e-mails, posts and cards. It means the world to us. I read the jokes to Joe and I love hearing him laugh. Our friend, Mike Morton, sends us some really funny ones as well as a bunch of others all over the world. Laughter is good. Love is wonderful. God is good.
Blessings to you all!
Bonnie
Monday, November 8, 2010
Monday 11/8: Full day at MDACC as outpatient
Joe and I both slept really good last night with Max waking me up at 5:30 AM needing to go do his business. I put a jacket on and sandals and took him while I was in my leopard nightwear.....Grrrrrr. Max got freaked out again when the garbage men came to pick up the large trash container. The large noise scares the daylights out of him so he went poo only partially. It did not take much to go back to sleep until about 9AM when Max started pacing like crazy meaning he had to go really bad. It was now daylight so I did not want to go out in my leopard nightwear but poor Max could not hold it in any more and took a few large pellets by the door. I still took him out but he is so keen on the noises that he lowers his head and tail and wants back into the building.
Since I had developed another little cold, I decided that I would stay up and go to CVS and buy more cough medicine. Since I was already out, I wanted to get some other needed stops done such as the post office, grocery store, and Panera Bread before we headed to MDACC for Joe's Fast Track Check-In at 11AM. It was another gorgeous fall day in Houston with comfortable temperatures and blue skies. We saw two small puffs of clouds in the distance.
Joe checked in to get his blood drawn for Fast Track and get his Vitals checked. The nurse sent us off to lunch for an hour to wait for the lab work to be completed. We saw the PRN about 2PM when it was determined that Joe would need a platelet transfusion since his platelets has dropped from 14 the day before to 10 now. Normal low is 140. Low platelets are dangerous since that is what makes the blood clot. It was also noted that Joe had a bloody nose which is not a good sign. Remember we had asked about a platelet transfusion before he left the hospital on Sunday since I was aware that he was going to need one. I would have thought that it would have been better to have given it to him on Sunday.
Our appointment for the out patient platelet transfusion was at 3:30pm so we had an hour to kill. The PRN who gave the transfusion orders recommended that we go down to the transfusion department right away since they may get us in sooner. Well, that did not happen. Joe did not get called in till about 4:15pm and all I wanted was a nap but it was too cold in the place to get comfortable. The transfusion went smoothly with no effects and we left the place at 6:45PM.
Joe wanted some Texas BBQ at Goode's on Kirby. There were a bunch of people on line which made me nervous since Joe is not suppose to be around a bunch of people. We ate outside where there was less people and listened to the country twang music as we ate our BBQ.
It was great to see that Joe took Max out for a walk which gave me a small break from all the duties. Now Joe is sitting on the couch with his head back, mouth open, eyes shut with his arm around Max. Precious sight to see. It is only 9:30 PM here but I bet we are in bed by 10PM since the day really wore us both out.
Tomorrow there are NO medical appointments so I may be able to sleep late and take it slow. The weekly maid comes in tomorrow so when she comes we will take Max to the Family Dog Park. He will like that and it will be good for Joe also.
Good night one and all, May your night be peaceful with pleasant dreams.
Ciao,
Bonnie
Since I had developed another little cold, I decided that I would stay up and go to CVS and buy more cough medicine. Since I was already out, I wanted to get some other needed stops done such as the post office, grocery store, and Panera Bread before we headed to MDACC for Joe's Fast Track Check-In at 11AM. It was another gorgeous fall day in Houston with comfortable temperatures and blue skies. We saw two small puffs of clouds in the distance.
Joe checked in to get his blood drawn for Fast Track and get his Vitals checked. The nurse sent us off to lunch for an hour to wait for the lab work to be completed. We saw the PRN about 2PM when it was determined that Joe would need a platelet transfusion since his platelets has dropped from 14 the day before to 10 now. Normal low is 140. Low platelets are dangerous since that is what makes the blood clot. It was also noted that Joe had a bloody nose which is not a good sign. Remember we had asked about a platelet transfusion before he left the hospital on Sunday since I was aware that he was going to need one. I would have thought that it would have been better to have given it to him on Sunday.
Our appointment for the out patient platelet transfusion was at 3:30pm so we had an hour to kill. The PRN who gave the transfusion orders recommended that we go down to the transfusion department right away since they may get us in sooner. Well, that did not happen. Joe did not get called in till about 4:15pm and all I wanted was a nap but it was too cold in the place to get comfortable. The transfusion went smoothly with no effects and we left the place at 6:45PM.
Joe wanted some Texas BBQ at Goode's on Kirby. There were a bunch of people on line which made me nervous since Joe is not suppose to be around a bunch of people. We ate outside where there was less people and listened to the country twang music as we ate our BBQ.
It was great to see that Joe took Max out for a walk which gave me a small break from all the duties. Now Joe is sitting on the couch with his head back, mouth open, eyes shut with his arm around Max. Precious sight to see. It is only 9:30 PM here but I bet we are in bed by 10PM since the day really wore us both out.
Tomorrow there are NO medical appointments so I may be able to sleep late and take it slow. The weekly maid comes in tomorrow so when she comes we will take Max to the Family Dog Park. He will like that and it will be good for Joe also.
Good night one and all, May your night be peaceful with pleasant dreams.
Ciao,
Bonnie
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Sunday: Checked out!
Joe received two pints of blood on Saturday but it did not give him a boost of energy that he normally gets. Part B Chemo with the Rituzimab raged inside his body trying to kill those lymphoma cells and the toxins they give off as the die. Joe is just exhausted and sleeps more than he has ever slept before. The pooper drug mixture to help his body to expel the toxins is working but he hates the running to the potty and the mess it makes. Joe makes me throw away his underwear that had gotten stain. He just does not want to see it and wants it out of his sight so it is out of his mind.
It was about 8;30 PM when I headed to the "suite" to walk Max and give him some TLC. As soon as he does his business, he rushes back to the building as he can not wait to get back into the safety of the studio. On the way back to the hospital, I stopped at Randall's Supermarket and picked up a sandwich, chips, pretzels, cokes, OJ. Joe just loves the no pulp Tropicanna OJ in the 1/2 gallon container. My objective was to get back to the Joe by 10:30PM CST to watch Saturday Night Live which turned out to be a repeat of the Sue Sylvester hosting which was a good one. Since we had slept so much the day before, we stayed up and watched an old Richard Pryor concert. Joe loved Pryor and Joe laughed just as hard as he did the first time he saw it umpteenth years ago.
The clocks got set back in hour last night so even though we hit the pillow at 2AM, it was "Groundhog Night" where it was 1AM all over again. Joe had requested that one of the nurse's aide turn down the temperature in the room a few degrees as I slept. I semi woke up freezing cold, throat parched and scratchy and not happy tropper. The thermostat was cut down to the 50's!!!!!! I took a buck and 4 four quarters down the hall to the caregiver's room to the vending machine where another spouse was in a deep sleep snoring away with the TV blaring. The dang vending machine registered the dollar but when I put the coins in........nothing!! I hit the coin return button nothing....hit the button for the Coke.....nothing....put in another quarter.....nothing! Shook the machine....nothing... I went back to the room for another dollar bill and could not locate one but I dug up four quarters to ask the nurses to exchange it for a dollar bill. The third nurse had it. Head back to the vending machine where $1.00 was registered and put the dollar bill into the slot.....nothing!!!! I was now really pissed. One of the male nurses came out to help. He put in another quarter ....nothing. I mumbled disgracefully back to the room with the service phone number off the vending machine. Unfortunately, there was a real person at the end of the phone line as I stated my experience with the 9th floor Coke vending machine. Hey, what did I expect, someone to deliver a raging half asleep cold middle aged white lady, a coke. LOL. Poor Joe, stating very little and that if I was cold, to put up the temp and that is when I saw how low it was set. Good grief, I would get sick again! I grabbed my wallet as I went down to the first floor where the 24/7 Cafe was. Thank goodness no one else was there except the poor cashier who was sitting in the corner sulking of having to rework the hour that was lost to Daylight Savings Time. I told her that anyone who worked the night shift deserved triple time pay. I had my crazy striped pajamas on with socks on and my half asleep look, my hair disarrayed. I am sure she thought I was NUTS! I was at the particular moment but I got my Coke! Yeah! Yes, it was good as I gulped it down to relieve the parchness of my throat, I went back to sleep and woke up at 9AM! Good job!
I left the hospital at 9:30 to go back to the studio to tend to Max and I wanted to attend church service at St Philips Presbyterian. As I turned into the Homestead Studio's parking lot, the familiar ring tone of my cell alerted me Joe was calling. "Great News!," he states. " Dr Hagermeister says I could go "home" and please come back and get me." So after a quick walk with Max, I headed back over to MDACC to be with Joe. He wanted OUT right then and there. I warned him that it could take a couple of hours for the release papers to be completed. He had everything stacked and ready to go. He asked me to remove his IV lines and I said no way could I do that and that he would have to call the nurse to do that which I knew was not going to happen. I am sure there were lots of previous patients that as soon as they were unhooked, out they went before they were formally released which his assigned shift nurse confirmed to me later. Joe sat in the chair as I got into the comfortable hospital bed and fell fast asleep. Finally the supplies had arrived and now we took the trek down to the pharmacy to pick up $500 of medicine that cost us $32 out of pocket thanks to Joe's AT&T retiree medical benefits.
About 1:30PM we were on our way out of MDACCMadelines. Lunch consisted of their scrumptious Tomato Basil Soup, Potato Galette with Mushroom gravy, and a tuna salad on wheat for me. Joe enjoyed it.
Unpacking the car and putting stuff away, preparing lunch, taking care of Max, cleaning up the lunch dishes, took its toll on me so we both headed to the comfortable king size bed and took a solid couple hours nap. Joe continued to rest in the real bed after I had gotten up. I got a little stupid cough from the cold room temperature on Saturday night at MDACC. Aggravating! We are now watching 60 minutes with Joe on the couch with a throw blanket over his legs. He looks at home.
Our new medical schedule shows that the next round of chemo will not be until 11/29 which means we will be here until at least December. Joe asked Dr Hagermeister if he could go home to Atlanta in the meantime and the doc highly advised against it. Joe needs to stay near MDACC in case he needed medical care. Joe must be very careful about picking up infections which can be deadly if not aggressively taken care of which MDACC knows how to take care of. We will be here over Thanksgiving and miss our annual Thanksgiving week with the family at Sea Pines on Hilton Head Island. I will find something special to do Thanksgiving Day for sure. The Great One has been directing this adventure into the known so I know that it will all work out. We will find the rainbow even in the storm.
Now to figure out what to bring in for dinner!!!
Joe platelets are down to a low 14 but the doctor stated a platelet transfusion was not needed at this time. I will list his CBC results another time.
Ciao my family and friends!
Bonnie
It was about 8;30 PM when I headed to the "suite" to walk Max and give him some TLC. As soon as he does his business, he rushes back to the building as he can not wait to get back into the safety of the studio. On the way back to the hospital, I stopped at Randall's Supermarket and picked up a sandwich, chips, pretzels, cokes, OJ. Joe just loves the no pulp Tropicanna OJ in the 1/2 gallon container. My objective was to get back to the Joe by 10:30PM CST to watch Saturday Night Live which turned out to be a repeat of the Sue Sylvester hosting which was a good one. Since we had slept so much the day before, we stayed up and watched an old Richard Pryor concert. Joe loved Pryor and Joe laughed just as hard as he did the first time he saw it umpteenth years ago.
The clocks got set back in hour last night so even though we hit the pillow at 2AM, it was "Groundhog Night" where it was 1AM all over again. Joe had requested that one of the nurse's aide turn down the temperature in the room a few degrees as I slept. I semi woke up freezing cold, throat parched and scratchy and not happy tropper. The thermostat was cut down to the 50's!!!!!! I took a buck and 4 four quarters down the hall to the caregiver's room to the vending machine where another spouse was in a deep sleep snoring away with the TV blaring. The dang vending machine registered the dollar but when I put the coins in........nothing!! I hit the coin return button nothing....hit the button for the Coke.....nothing....put in another quarter.....nothing! Shook the machine....nothing... I went back to the room for another dollar bill and could not locate one but I dug up four quarters to ask the nurses to exchange it for a dollar bill. The third nurse had it. Head back to the vending machine where $1.00 was registered and put the dollar bill into the slot.....nothing!!!! I was now really pissed. One of the male nurses came out to help. He put in another quarter ....nothing. I mumbled disgracefully back to the room with the service phone number off the vending machine. Unfortunately, there was a real person at the end of the phone line as I stated my experience with the 9th floor Coke vending machine. Hey, what did I expect, someone to deliver a raging half asleep cold middle aged white lady, a coke. LOL. Poor Joe, stating very little and that if I was cold, to put up the temp and that is when I saw how low it was set. Good grief, I would get sick again! I grabbed my wallet as I went down to the first floor where the 24/7 Cafe was. Thank goodness no one else was there except the poor cashier who was sitting in the corner sulking of having to rework the hour that was lost to Daylight Savings Time. I told her that anyone who worked the night shift deserved triple time pay. I had my crazy striped pajamas on with socks on and my half asleep look, my hair disarrayed. I am sure she thought I was NUTS! I was at the particular moment but I got my Coke! Yeah! Yes, it was good as I gulped it down to relieve the parchness of my throat, I went back to sleep and woke up at 9AM! Good job!
I left the hospital at 9:30 to go back to the studio to tend to Max and I wanted to attend church service at St Philips Presbyterian. As I turned into the Homestead Studio's parking lot, the familiar ring tone of my cell alerted me Joe was calling. "Great News!," he states. " Dr Hagermeister says I could go "home" and please come back and get me." So after a quick walk with Max, I headed back over to MDACC to be with Joe. He wanted OUT right then and there. I warned him that it could take a couple of hours for the release papers to be completed. He had everything stacked and ready to go. He asked me to remove his IV lines and I said no way could I do that and that he would have to call the nurse to do that which I knew was not going to happen. I am sure there were lots of previous patients that as soon as they were unhooked, out they went before they were formally released which his assigned shift nurse confirmed to me later. Joe sat in the chair as I got into the comfortable hospital bed and fell fast asleep. Finally the supplies had arrived and now we took the trek down to the pharmacy to pick up $500 of medicine that cost us $32 out of pocket thanks to Joe's AT&T retiree medical benefits.
About 1:30PM we were on our way out of MDACCMadelines. Lunch consisted of their scrumptious Tomato Basil Soup, Potato Galette with Mushroom gravy, and a tuna salad on wheat for me. Joe enjoyed it.
Unpacking the car and putting stuff away, preparing lunch, taking care of Max, cleaning up the lunch dishes, took its toll on me so we both headed to the comfortable king size bed and took a solid couple hours nap. Joe continued to rest in the real bed after I had gotten up. I got a little stupid cough from the cold room temperature on Saturday night at MDACC. Aggravating! We are now watching 60 minutes with Joe on the couch with a throw blanket over his legs. He looks at home.
Our new medical schedule shows that the next round of chemo will not be until 11/29 which means we will be here until at least December. Joe asked Dr Hagermeister if he could go home to Atlanta in the meantime and the doc highly advised against it. Joe needs to stay near MDACC in case he needed medical care. Joe must be very careful about picking up infections which can be deadly if not aggressively taken care of which MDACC knows how to take care of. We will be here over Thanksgiving and miss our annual Thanksgiving week with the family at Sea Pines on Hilton Head Island. I will find something special to do Thanksgiving Day for sure. The Great One has been directing this adventure into the known so I know that it will all work out. We will find the rainbow even in the storm.
Now to figure out what to bring in for dinner!!!
Joe platelets are down to a low 14 but the doctor stated a platelet transfusion was not needed at this time. I will list his CBC results another time.
Ciao my family and friends!
Bonnie
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Saturday 11/6 Coping with Disappointment
Joe and I slept in different rooms last night with Joe in the hospital and I was with another male at the studio apartment with Mr. Max, our golden beloved dog. It was to get me a break and a good night's sleep since the previous one there was only 2.5 hours or less. With the chemo finished, it seemed like a good time to do it.
On the way home I stopped to have a glass of wine and some dinner at P F Chang's on Westheimer which was packed to the gills. I had dinner at the bar where I felt like a lonely single again but I needed a decent tasty meal and I got it. Max was laying in his kennel bed and was happy to see me. Hallelujah! He took a quick pee and finally a poo before aggressively pulling me to the door to be let back in. He knows exactly what doors and floors to go to. I went to bed about 11:30 PM and woke up about 8AM. After a hot shower and taking Max out I headed to Panera Bread around the corner to get my sesame bagel and Joe a Cobblestone. The sky is bright blue with a crisp cool air. The birds are very plentiful here and make massive groups. They also chirp like crazy in the mornings and after the sun just goes down. Saturday the Freeways are without traffic jams so getting to the hospital was a breeze. I stopped at the 24/7 Hospital Cafe and got Joe a cup of Starbuck's coffee to bring to his room.
Joe had all his belongings all stacked up and the Murphy bed pulled up with the belief he was going to be released today. I braced him that may not happen but he still held onto that belief. His last blood work from 5AM had his red counts low and with no doubt that he would get a transfusion. Dr. Hagermeister, his on call Lymphoma Doctor, told Joe that he was pleased with Joe's progress and that his spleen had decreased in size some more. The tumorlysis was still happening which was not a had thing but they still need to keep a close eye on it to assure that it would not shut his kidneys down. He told Joe that he would be staying in the hospital until at least Monday. From that point on Joe started to sleep again and could not stay awake. It was even difficult for him to get his eyes open for the eye drops that he gets four times a day. When he gets the red blood cells, he will be more alert and have energy.
Our pastor, Caleb Clark, from Eastminster Presbyterian, called me at 12:26 pm and that he has arrived at Hobby Airport in Houston. I advised him that we were still in the hospital and gave him instructions as to where were located at the massive Texas Medical Center Complex. Caleb arrived here about 1:20 Pm and spent two fantastic hours with us. He bought with him the hearts and spirit of our church. We felt the church with us. Joe perked up when Caleb arrived and talked about his medical journey in detail. Caleb and I got lunch from the downstairs cafeteria and ate in the quiet area of the hospital called The Park. There are tables with umbrellas and the sun shines through the roof glass. It makes it feel like one is outside and not in the hospital. Over lunch I described how God has directed us and ways that I feel could not just be coincidental. How so many little pieces of our lives have now come together and made us stronger in union of Joe winning against the Lymphoma. When we arrived back on the 9th floor hospital room, Joe had eaten a small part of his grilled shrimp with fries lunch. Joe lit back up when he saw Caleb. Joe said it felt like "home" to him and that he could feel the spirit of our church membership through Caleb. The most meaningful part of Caleb's visit was the celebration of the Lord's Supper together. Caleb read the perfect scripture where we are all one body and when one part of the body suffers, the whole body suffers just as Eastminster is the body and is hurting cause Joe is hurting. As Caleb was about to administer communion, in walks the nurses with the Blood to give Life to Joe. Now, how meaningful is that! Caleb was moved spiritually with that message from God as Joe and I were. Caleb gave us big hugs as he left to fly back to Atlanta. We told him to give the same hugs from us to our church community. We are making it through this treacherous journey through the power of their prayers and concern. Joe told Caleb again that he feels the love and prayers from everyone. He can not wait until he is able to join everyone with the celebration of a church service and a communion together. May God bless everyone. Thank you Eastminster Presbyterian for sending Caleb for the most meaningful touching communion and scripture message of our lives.
Now for a little college football for Joe and a nap for Miss Bonnie.
Here are Joe's most recent blood counts.
11/1 11/5 11/6
White Blood Cell Count (4-11) 56.1 7.4 7.7
Red Blood Count (4.5-6.0) 3.02 3.09 2.53
Hemoglobin (14-18) 8.9 9.0 7.5
Hematocrit (40-54) 29.4 28.9 23
Platelet Count (140-440) 76 26 21
Neutophil % (42-66) N/A 83 na
Lymphocyte % (24-44) N/A 16 na
Basophil % (0-1) n/a 1 na
Neutrophil % n/a na na
Lymphocyte Absolute Count(1-4.8) n/a 1.18 na
Basophil Absolute Count (0-.1) n/a .07 na
Creatinine Serum (.7-1.3) 1.02 1.17 1.15
Sodium Serum (135-147) 136 136 135
Potassium Serum (3.5-5.0) 4.4 4.5 5.1
Chloride Serum (98-108) 103 102 104
Carbon Dioxide (23-30) 32H 28 25
Blood Urea Nitrogen (8-20) 23H 44 44
Lactate Dehydrogenase (313-618) 935H 749 na
Uric Acid Serum (2.6-7.1) 6.6 6.7 4.6
Phosphorous Serum (2.5-4.5) 3.8 7.4 5.7
Calcium Serum (8.4-10.2) 8.4 7.6 na
Magnesium Serum (1.8-2.9) 2.2 2.6 na
Ionized Calcium (unknown) n/a 1.01 na
Peace of Christ be with you and Bless you forever and ever,
Bonnie
On the way home I stopped to have a glass of wine and some dinner at P F Chang's on Westheimer which was packed to the gills. I had dinner at the bar where I felt like a lonely single again but I needed a decent tasty meal and I got it. Max was laying in his kennel bed and was happy to see me. Hallelujah! He took a quick pee and finally a poo before aggressively pulling me to the door to be let back in. He knows exactly what doors and floors to go to. I went to bed about 11:30 PM and woke up about 8AM. After a hot shower and taking Max out I headed to Panera Bread around the corner to get my sesame bagel and Joe a Cobblestone. The sky is bright blue with a crisp cool air. The birds are very plentiful here and make massive groups. They also chirp like crazy in the mornings and after the sun just goes down. Saturday the Freeways are without traffic jams so getting to the hospital was a breeze. I stopped at the 24/7 Hospital Cafe and got Joe a cup of Starbuck's coffee to bring to his room.
Joe had all his belongings all stacked up and the Murphy bed pulled up with the belief he was going to be released today. I braced him that may not happen but he still held onto that belief. His last blood work from 5AM had his red counts low and with no doubt that he would get a transfusion. Dr. Hagermeister, his on call Lymphoma Doctor, told Joe that he was pleased with Joe's progress and that his spleen had decreased in size some more. The tumorlysis was still happening which was not a had thing but they still need to keep a close eye on it to assure that it would not shut his kidneys down. He told Joe that he would be staying in the hospital until at least Monday. From that point on Joe started to sleep again and could not stay awake. It was even difficult for him to get his eyes open for the eye drops that he gets four times a day. When he gets the red blood cells, he will be more alert and have energy.
Our pastor, Caleb Clark, from Eastminster Presbyterian, called me at 12:26 pm and that he has arrived at Hobby Airport in Houston. I advised him that we were still in the hospital and gave him instructions as to where were located at the massive Texas Medical Center Complex. Caleb arrived here about 1:20 Pm and spent two fantastic hours with us. He bought with him the hearts and spirit of our church. We felt the church with us. Joe perked up when Caleb arrived and talked about his medical journey in detail. Caleb and I got lunch from the downstairs cafeteria and ate in the quiet area of the hospital called The Park. There are tables with umbrellas and the sun shines through the roof glass. It makes it feel like one is outside and not in the hospital. Over lunch I described how God has directed us and ways that I feel could not just be coincidental. How so many little pieces of our lives have now come together and made us stronger in union of Joe winning against the Lymphoma. When we arrived back on the 9th floor hospital room, Joe had eaten a small part of his grilled shrimp with fries lunch. Joe lit back up when he saw Caleb. Joe said it felt like "home" to him and that he could feel the spirit of our church membership through Caleb. The most meaningful part of Caleb's visit was the celebration of the Lord's Supper together. Caleb read the perfect scripture where we are all one body and when one part of the body suffers, the whole body suffers just as Eastminster is the body and is hurting cause Joe is hurting. As Caleb was about to administer communion, in walks the nurses with the Blood to give Life to Joe. Now, how meaningful is that! Caleb was moved spiritually with that message from God as Joe and I were. Caleb gave us big hugs as he left to fly back to Atlanta. We told him to give the same hugs from us to our church community. We are making it through this treacherous journey through the power of their prayers and concern. Joe told Caleb again that he feels the love and prayers from everyone. He can not wait until he is able to join everyone with the celebration of a church service and a communion together. May God bless everyone. Thank you Eastminster Presbyterian for sending Caleb for the most meaningful touching communion and scripture message of our lives.
Now for a little college football for Joe and a nap for Miss Bonnie.
Here are Joe's most recent blood counts.
11/1 11/5 11/6
White Blood Cell Count (4-11) 56.1 7.4 7.7
Red Blood Count (4.5-6.0) 3.02 3.09 2.53
Hemoglobin (14-18) 8.9 9.0 7.5
Hematocrit (40-54) 29.4 28.9 23
Platelet Count (140-440) 76 26 21
Neutophil % (42-66) N/A 83 na
Lymphocyte % (24-44) N/A 16 na
Basophil % (0-1) n/a 1 na
Neutrophil % n/a na na
Lymphocyte Absolute Count(1-4.8) n/a 1.18 na
Basophil Absolute Count (0-.1) n/a .07 na
Creatinine Serum (.7-1.3) 1.02 1.17 1.15
Sodium Serum (135-147) 136 136 135
Potassium Serum (3.5-5.0) 4.4 4.5 5.1
Chloride Serum (98-108) 103 102 104
Carbon Dioxide (23-30) 32H 28 25
Blood Urea Nitrogen (8-20) 23H 44 44
Lactate Dehydrogenase (313-618) 935H 749 na
Uric Acid Serum (2.6-7.1) 6.6 6.7 4.6
Phosphorous Serum (2.5-4.5) 3.8 7.4 5.7
Calcium Serum (8.4-10.2) 8.4 7.6 na
Magnesium Serum (1.8-2.9) 2.2 2.6 na
Ionized Calcium (unknown) n/a 1.01 na
Peace of Christ be with you and Bless you forever and ever,
Bonnie
Friday, November 5, 2010
An Extended Stay at MDACC for Friday night, 11/5/10
Joe will be staying another night at MDACC to keep the brakes on tumorlysis from hurting his kidneys thusavoiding dialysis. The med crew is confident that protecting the kidneys will be successful. I wonder how long Joe will be staying here. Our pastor, Caleb, will be flying to Houston tomorrow from Atlanta. His flight will arrive around Noon. I wonder if we will be out of the hospital. We have no idea.
Joe ordered a cheeseburger, french fries, cheesecake and ice tea! A real gourmet meal, huh! I hope he eats it since the meds that cost $5000 a dose requires food in his stomach. It is 5:40pm late Friday afternoon. The nurse will bring me a copy of his latest blood results before she goes off shift at 7PM. Tonight I may stay in the studio apartment. It all depends on how Joe is doing.
I called Pastor Caleb and advised him to call us when he landed since we are not sure where we will be. Hopefully, we will be back in the studio apartment. God willing. He said that he was looking forward to seeing us and giving us a hug. I told him I could sure use a huge hug after the last 48 hours.
The Blood tests were completed to check only certain aspects of the blood that affects the kidneys to control the effect of tumorlysis. Here is a partial list showing the normal range and what it was on other dates
11/1 Monday (no chemo) checked in
11/2 and 11/3 two days of MethoTREXate
11/4 one day of Cytrabine
11/5 Rituzimab started at 1AM stopped at about 9AM
11/1 11/3 11/4 11/5AM 11/5PM
Creatinine Serum (.7-1.3) 1.02 .97 .90 1.09 1.17
Sodium Serum (135-147) 136 139 135 137 136
Potassium Serum (3.5-5.0) 4.4 4.2 4.3 5.3H 4.5
Chloride Serum (98-108) 103 100 100 101 102
Carbon Dioxide (23-30) 32H 33H 27 25 28
Blood Urea Nitrogen (8-20) 23H 21H 27H 40H 44H
Lactate Dehydrogenase (313-618) 935H 731H n/a 770H 749H
Uric Acid Serum (2.6-7.1) 6.6 n/a 7.6H 10.6H 6.7
Phosphorous Serum (2.5-4.5) 3.8 4.9H 5.4H 6.5H 7.4H
Calcium Serum (8.4-10.2) 8.4 8.0L n/a 8.1L 7.6L
Magnesium Serum (1.8-2.9) 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.0 2.6
Ionized Calcium (unknown) n/a n/a n/a n/a 1.01L
I am about ready to leave for the evening and get a decent meal on the way back to the studio apartment where I will spend the night. My phone will be right next to the bed in case Joe needs me.
A good night for solitary prayer and thankfulness.
Ciao!
Bonnie
Joe ordered a cheeseburger, french fries, cheesecake and ice tea! A real gourmet meal, huh! I hope he eats it since the meds that cost $5000 a dose requires food in his stomach. It is 5:40pm late Friday afternoon. The nurse will bring me a copy of his latest blood results before she goes off shift at 7PM. Tonight I may stay in the studio apartment. It all depends on how Joe is doing.
I called Pastor Caleb and advised him to call us when he landed since we are not sure where we will be. Hopefully, we will be back in the studio apartment. God willing. He said that he was looking forward to seeing us and giving us a hug. I told him I could sure use a huge hug after the last 48 hours.
The Blood tests were completed to check only certain aspects of the blood that affects the kidneys to control the effect of tumorlysis. Here is a partial list showing the normal range and what it was on other dates
11/1 Monday (no chemo) checked in
11/2 and 11/3 two days of MethoTREXate
11/4 one day of Cytrabine
11/5 Rituzimab started at 1AM stopped at about 9AM
11/1 11/3 11/4 11/5AM 11/5PM
Creatinine Serum (.7-1.3) 1.02 .97 .90 1.09 1.17
Sodium Serum (135-147) 136 139 135 137 136
Potassium Serum (3.5-5.0) 4.4 4.2 4.3 5.3H 4.5
Chloride Serum (98-108) 103 100 100 101 102
Carbon Dioxide (23-30) 32H 33H 27 25 28
Blood Urea Nitrogen (8-20) 23H 21H 27H 40H 44H
Lactate Dehydrogenase (313-618) 935H 731H n/a 770H 749H
Uric Acid Serum (2.6-7.1) 6.6 n/a 7.6H 10.6H 6.7
Phosphorous Serum (2.5-4.5) 3.8 4.9H 5.4H 6.5H 7.4H
Calcium Serum (8.4-10.2) 8.4 8.0L n/a 8.1L 7.6L
Magnesium Serum (1.8-2.9) 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.0 2.6
Ionized Calcium (unknown) n/a n/a n/a n/a 1.01L
I am about ready to leave for the evening and get a decent meal on the way back to the studio apartment where I will spend the night. My phone will be right next to the bed in case Joe needs me.
A good night for solitary prayer and thankfulness.
Ciao!
Bonnie
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