So Much to do, So Why Why Weigh?
Blogging Tunes: Howard Stern - 4/5/2010 / TPiR
Today is day +12 and we are in full recovery mode. My WBC counts have skyrocketed from < 1.0 to almost 9 in the last two days. ANCs (neutrophils) aren't back yet, but they are probably in the 4 range. This means that the new stem cells have engrafted and have begun producing white cells. This is a major milestone, I'm "ahead of the norm" according to my Nurse Practitioner, and if all goes well, I should get to go home by the end of the week. Of course this "go home" won't be like last time where I was biking within a week. I'm going to be tired and on major meds, potentially even IV, for quite some time. I'll also need to go UCSF twice a week (Mondays and Thursdays) until around day +100 -- the big milestone: when they do a bone marrow biopsy to see what's there.
So the news is good, but it hasn't been all fun and games. The initial chemo took all of my energy (and my hair) and they've been giving me this other chemo through out the recovery -- methotrexate -- which makes you feel like ass. In fact, this weekend was extremely rough: major mouth and throat pain; bone pain, low appetite, weight loss, extreme fatigue, congestion, and then some. If it weren't for the morphine and the oxycodone (which isn't quite the same as oxycontin) I don't know how I would have gotten through it.
The plethora of sports on TV and the internet were extremely therapeutic as well. I watched just about all of The Masters and every Phils game (other than the Saturday Fox blacked out one -- listened to that). Even watched some NYY/BOS and some Giants with Brown.
Speaking of Giants, can I just point out the difference between Bay Area sports writers and Philly sports writers? Look closely at this picture (click it to enlarge.)
The fan the caption mentions is wearing an EAGLES cap, for God's sake. Now I can't imagine a Phillies fan wearing a ton of Phillies gear with a Niners cap, but if there was some such fool, I can guarantee you the Philly paper would not feature him. Ah, Bay Area sports - enjoy your one championship. That's all you're getting for at least 10 years.
What else? Oh, I said the chemo took my hair. Here's a photo from yesterday:
OK, incredibly tired. Gotta nap.
I will kick its ass,
-jg
Today is day +12 and we are in full recovery mode. My WBC counts have skyrocketed from < 1.0 to almost 9 in the last two days. ANCs (neutrophils) aren't back yet, but they are probably in the 4 range. This means that the new stem cells have engrafted and have begun producing white cells. This is a major milestone, I'm "ahead of the norm" according to my Nurse Practitioner, and if all goes well, I should get to go home by the end of the week. Of course this "go home" won't be like last time where I was biking within a week. I'm going to be tired and on major meds, potentially even IV, for quite some time. I'll also need to go UCSF twice a week (Mondays and Thursdays) until around day +100 -- the big milestone: when they do a bone marrow biopsy to see what's there.
(White Blood Cell count went from 0.3 to 0.6 to 2.8 to 8.9 in the last few days)
So the news is good, but it hasn't been all fun and games. The initial chemo took all of my energy (and my hair) and they've been giving me this other chemo through out the recovery -- methotrexate -- which makes you feel like ass. In fact, this weekend was extremely rough: major mouth and throat pain; bone pain, low appetite, weight loss, extreme fatigue, congestion, and then some. If it weren't for the morphine and the oxycodone (which isn't quite the same as oxycontin) I don't know how I would have gotten through it.
The plethora of sports on TV and the internet were extremely therapeutic as well. I watched just about all of The Masters and every Phils game (other than the Saturday Fox blacked out one -- listened to that). Even watched some NYY/BOS and some Giants with Brown.
Speaking of Giants, can I just point out the difference between Bay Area sports writers and Philly sports writers? Look closely at this picture (click it to enlarge.)
The fan the caption mentions is wearing an EAGLES cap, for God's sake. Now I can't imagine a Phillies fan wearing a ton of Phillies gear with a Niners cap, but if there was some such fool, I can guarantee you the Philly paper would not feature him. Ah, Bay Area sports - enjoy your one championship. That's all you're getting for at least 10 years.
What else? Oh, I said the chemo took my hair. Here's a photo from yesterday:
(I'm starting with the Man in the Mirror)
OK, incredibly tired. Gotta nap.
I will kick its ass,
-jg
you'll definitely kick its ass!!!!
ReplyDeletesending you good vibes from Brussels
M&M
May you continue to be "ahead of the norm" and may you get home with your family soon! xoxo L.
ReplyDeleteJG
ReplyDeleteSound very tough, but glad to hear you are ahead of the norm!! Awesome shirt - I like the Michael Jackson quote with the Jerry shirt.
Don't know if my comment from last week posted or not. Tell me if you are looking for someone else to play on-line crib with!
Aaron
yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat news!!! :)
ReplyDeleteDude.. You look bad-ass with no hair. Like a kung fu monk. Kickin' ass.
ReplyDeleteAlways loved that Jerry shirt. :)
Congrats on the WBC counts!! Keep it up.. Really encouraging to hear you might be sleeping in your own bed sooner than later.. YAY!! :-D
Hugs,
jxn
Thinkin on you! Great to hear the good news. Makes the pain and suffering worth it (easy for me to say!). ;-) It is really crazy to think about the stem cells just figuring out what to do...amazing, really.
ReplyDelete*hug*
Mary
Wow great numbers, you over-achiever. You're up in the normal range already, if this layman is reading the internets correctly. So weird that you predicted it - "felt it in your bones!"
ReplyDeleteAwesome Jaggu... K'ingIA
ReplyDeleteIn this self-portrait you remind me of the bad guy from The Mummy -- who, incidentally, I always thought was hot. :)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm0903677/
-Meko