Hello, friends! I went to Stanford on Monday for an xray, blood test, and a meeting with my doctor / nurse coordinator. Praise God, the x-ray and blood tests all look good. The doctor and nurse talked me through what would come next. I'll be going for an overnight stay at the Stanford hospital on Thursday for BCNU treatment. They want me overnight there because it can sometimes cause severe pain, especially in the head/face. It only lasts while the treatment is going on (3-4 hours), but they want you at the hospital so they can administer pain meds if necessary. The next day I'll be discharged with a rolling backpack full of IV fluids which I'll have to keep with me for the next day or two. On Saturday I go into the hospital for Melphalan (a derivative of mustard gas). Apparently that medication is usually handled well, but they'll have me suck on ice to prevent (or minimize) mouth sores. If all goes well, I'm still on track for my transplant on Monday!
So, tomorrow marks my last day of freedom before the health precautions kick in. I'm grateful for these past two weeks of being able to go outside, eat out, run errands, visit friends ... it will definitely be challenging not being able to have the windows open, not being able to eat out, having to wear a mask whenever I go outside. Still, God has been incredibly gracious to me. I'm thankful that I'll get to be at home while recovering from the transplant instead of at the hospital. I'm grateful that Jenn has gotten to take time off to be my caretaker. I'm blessed that Google has an awesome short term medical leave policy.
Onward!
-b
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