The last week or so I haven't spent much time reading those fluffy books, that I do enjoy. You know the ones-----you can skip a lot of words and still get the gist of the story as you watch CASTLE on TV. However I have started to read an interesting spy book but I have to read and think about what is written and all the details or I miss the important parts and facts of the story. It is also very exciting, the espionage, the Russian spies so infiltrated into American life that one particular spy, is the most renowned US air force pilot. He is able to fly a very particular plane with his mind.!!!!!!!!!!!!
Today was the day for our trip to the BMT clinic at Tom Baker Cancer Centre. We had some questions to ask plus Dr. Bahlis had planned, 3 weeks ago, that today he would do the bone marrow aspiration to see what the state of the myeloma (cancer) is in the marrow. We are praying that the chemo and transplant will have been successful and the myeloma would be gone. The wait at the lab was a longer than usual so I could get into my book.
The nurse took Bob's vitals and then our nurse came to discuss concerns etc with us. Here the information gets...........I don't know...almost scary. First off, all of the information we were given before transplant was how to be so careful because of the lack of immunity that Bob has. Today his WBC is at 8.7 which is well into the normal range. The neutrophils are at 3.6 which is also well into normal. These are the body's fighters of infection, from what I understand. However, the bloods memory of immunizations has been diminished--to what point we don't know. Bob would still be susceptible to measles, chickenpox, TB and almost anything out there. We have been keeping well out of any groups of people. We have had adult, healthy visitors come and spend some time with us. Thank you. Bob and I walk outside and he doesn't wear a mask. He wears the mask getting to our car and in any stores. Bob has only been in stores early in the day, or when there aren't many people present. I am a rule follower and we have followed the rules. WELL
Today the nurse reaffirmed that Bob could now eat whatever he wants to. His appetite is still not great but he will usually eat something. The mask he wears is really only good for about 15minutes, then the moisture from the nose and mouth destroys the effectiveness. We do have some of those better industrial ones that we may use in some situations. Bob was told that he will get sick and all we watch for are fevers. The worry is pneumonia. However we need to phone in any colds etc.
Bob is still to only go into stores or malls early in the day. We are to stay away from sick people of any size. However we can see our grandkids (little ones) should they have no runny noses or coughs. The older grandkids have visited grandpa already. It is like---do what you want---but be careful.---Even a road trip!!!! All this before the 100 day mark. We are at day 40. Unheard of in some medical circles. Makes me a bit nervous.
Bob's hemoglobin was 107 today----down a bit from 2 weeks ago. The platelet count is at 120, which is still below normal, creatine is 87 so that is a good sign.
Today we also had a meeting with the pharmacist. The oncology pharmacists all seem to be young women.----Great field to promote----. The plan is to get the pain under control. We now have a plan----kinda the same, kinda different. Bob has any drug available to him to help with pain, hmmmm (also scary for me). AND, Oh, Dr. Bahlis is away.............so we wont know what the transplant did as far as defeating the cancer for a few more weeks. We needed to wait for the young Dr. we had last time to come and see us. No real reason----just because. So the wait became kinda long but sheesh, would the nurses stop popping in to check on us and mention something else. I am back into the book. This is a fictional book but Bob and I always say that a fictional book may have some truth in it. The big deal is ANTARES ------- Advanced Neural Transfer and Response System..which is a method for digitizing and transmitting neural impulses from the human body to a computer, and vice versa. Not so fluffy, this book but very interesting!!!!! Here is our young doctor checking in on us, he lets us know that Dr. Bahlis will be back next week and will discuss which small dose of chemo drug Bob will go on, to the keep the myeloma at bay.
Pray with us for no cancer and no pain in Bob's hip.
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