T+15 The second biggest day!

BOX SCORE	5/22/2024
Element	Current	Std. Range	Trend
Hemoglobin	7.9	13-17	v
Platelets	83	140-375	^
ANC	3300	1800-8300	^

It's kind of ironic, I guess, that I failed to post on the second biggest day of my sojourn at OHSU Hospital. The first "biggest" day, of course, was transplant day. That was the main event, the raison d' être for being there. It was also biggest because it was a totally new experience and carried with it a certain amount of danger, or at least concern on my part, that something would go wrong, or I would get dreadfully sick afterward. Neither of those things happened.

Yesterday was the second biggest day, because it was the day I was discharged from the hospital and transitioned into the recovery phase of the treatment plan. It is uncanny to me how Dr. Meyers exactly nailed every step of the hospital phase right down to the very day that certain things would occur, including the day I would be discharged. In my last post I listed the criteria for discharge and pointed out that I had met all but one, ANC above 500. On Monday, my ANC was zero; on Tuesday it went up to 420; and yesterday, the predicted day of discharge it fairly leapt up to 3,300!! 

The day began with a blood draw around midnight. About 4:00 am I checked the numbers and found those posted in the Box Score above. I immediately informed Jill via text, although I was hoping she would sleep right through my text and get the news upon her awaking at her usual "get up." To say I was ecstatic would be to give my emotion short shrift. How I managed to go back to sleep for another hour, I cannot tell you. 

About an hour later, the night nurse came in with a bag of red blood cells (RBCs) and a bag of magnesium. She connected me to the IV pump, and I lay in bed another hour before arising and rehearsing in my mind all that needed doing, before discharge. Jill arrived a little after 8:00 am, and then she realized she had been so busy sanitizing our apartment and so excited for what the day held for us that she forgot her cell phone and her lunch. 

Dr. Leonard showed up earlier than usual to confirm that I would be going "home" and went over some general information about what will follow. Her PA told us that the appointment that had been scheduled for a blood draw at the clinic today would be cancelled because my ANC is so high. She said, "You get a day off. Have some fun." Next we did our mile's worth of laps around the oncology floor, and then we ordered lunch and began packing my things.

Our nurse later reviewed for us the precautions we need to take to protect me from infections. There was little new included, because 1) we have been dealing with immunocompromise for nearly three years and 2) the day nurse on the previous day had gone over it all. Her visit was followed shortly by a visit from the pharmacist with a shopping bag full of medicines. He reviewed each medicine, what it is for, and how to take it. Fortunately, he also gave us a written copy of the information. Once again we have been drinking from a fire hose of information. 

We left the hospital parking lot at 1:48 pm and headed for Marquam Manor. Upon our arrival, we found our assigned parking space occupied! There was no place to park on the street within reasonable walking distance, so we continued up the hill looking for a place to turn around. I called Matt, our landlord, and left a message asking him what he recommended. In the meantime, we drove around all over Marquam Hill, until we were thoroughly lost. "No worries," says I. "I'll just look up the route on Google Maps." Well, wouldn't you just know, by then there was no cell coverage in the hills. We continued to drive around until we found a place where there was cell coverage and got a map to home. 

About that time, I received a text from Matt, who was very apologetic. He had used our parking space to unload some materials for a home improvement project. He assured me that his car was now moved. And then we rounded a curve and found ourselves about a block from home! 

Upon our arrival, I realized that I had no distilled water for my CPAP machine. Jill to the rescue. She made a quick curbside pickup order at Fred Meyer. While we were waiting for the time to arrive for our pickup, I set to work installing our entertainment center to the TV. That went quickly, so I began reprogramming Pamela Pill Pusher, my often troublesome pill dispenser, for all the new meds. 

There was also some rearranging of furniture and putting away of my things, but it was fun knowing that we were feathering our short term nest. 

And that brings us to today, our day off, we plan to find a place to walk outdoors. I still need to figure out Pamela's programming, but otherwise we have no special plans, and especially no medical stuff to contend with. That will all resume with a bang tomorrow, when I have two morning appointments at the clinic, before the holiday weekend begins. 

It is so good to be "home" with Jill. For three weeks I not only had not been out of the hospital building, but I was not allowed even to leave the oncology floor after the transplant. Fresh air and freedom are good things. Take it from me, an unlicensed, retired dentist and recovering bone marrow transplant patient!!