We met with the Doc today - finally. He was in rare form and spent a lot of time with us. He too thought we were going home, and NO we are not, and you were away at a conference and then you whimped out on Tuesday during the ice storm, but WE made it in! I razzed him to no end. He took it like a good sport and then moved heaven and earth, (well his nurse Donna did) to get Dave started on the transplant process today. So we were off to the new clinic and Dave is on the beginning of his 4 day chemo run now. The doctor thought it was funny that Dave wasn't all that excited and that I was bound and determined to drag him across the finish line. :) A lighter moment of fun in what really we should consider is nothing but horror. But in truth, it is what it is... and continuing to march forward is the only way out. So I don't like this clinic as much as the other one. Its in the older part of the hospital and so more old fashioned, but the care continues to be top rate, so we'll be just fine. They are treating Dave up front more aggressively on the nausea this go round since he had trouble the first time.
We will finish up and get the actual transplant of new stem cells on Dec 23rd. At least that is the current schedule. Then its 15 days give or take before they release us to go home after that. So right this second we are 4 days behind our original schedule, but it afforded Dave more than a week of relief from any sort of treatment. He finished his stem cell collection early, and then we weren't able to meet with the doc, so he got a good week+ off, except labs and such. He needed it.
So the big news for us was that the doctor told me "that was quite a paper you left for me to read." Speaking about the hyperbaric research paper on Stem Cell Mobilization. He wasn't so sure the Dir would be all that interested. I mentioned that the collection doc sure was and I thought she would be the one to take it forward. He brightened up at that and said I was exactly right as she was on the front lines of collection problems for patients. He said, "all we need are 10 patients" to get some serious results and it will become part of our arsenal to help patients get stem cells for transplant now and for the future. So it was a lively conversation that was pleasing to all of us. He has agreed to write a letter on our behalf to have insurance pay us for our expenses. So we are hopeful to get some reimbursement.
Our Gremlins will be here on Saturday and we are looking forward to seeing them. I figure they will sleep the first half of their trip here recovering from exams. So they'll be sleeping and Dave will be sleeping, the dog will be sleeping, so emmm, I think I'll be chatting a lot on WhatNow? :)
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all! - Lori
