T+2 A Prize in Every Box

BOX SCORE
Element	Current	Std. Range	Trend
Hemoglobin	7.6	13-17	^
Platelets	72	140-375	v
ANC	500	1800-8300	v

Yesterday, I wrote about a Prize in Every Box, as in Cracker Jack. Today, I am able to give you an example. Last night after I was asleep, I received a text message from my friend Brian, who is also battling AML. He had a high fever at home and was unable to walk, so his wife brought him to the ER around mid-day. The medicos got the fever down, but decided he needed to spend the night at the hospital.

The problem with hospital rooms is that there are never enough of them. So, in his text message, Brian wrote, "...they are trying to get a room next to you. So I can talk to you through the wall." It turned out that there was no room available, and he ended up in a little alcove on the hallway. Well, that was not ideal, but Brian always seems to maintain his sense of humor. This morning he wrote, "... I am behind the curtains on the right side of the hallway. Kind of like the wizard of OZ." 

Once I got my self put together, I walked down the hall and found the curtain. I asked one of the nurses if I could say hi to my friend, but he was sleeping. So, later, after Jill arrived, we both walked down there and had a nice chat with him. Jill wandered back to my room, when the conversation turned to reminiscences that were before her acquaintance with Brian. Shortly, Brian's wife arrived, and I took my leave. Jill and Rita got together later for some girl time. 

So the prize in the box today was Brian and Rita. We haven't been able to see them for several months, due to complications created by our medical situations not being in sync. I was in quarantine, or he was. 

Today's box had another prize, too. Two days post transplant, I was able to walk around the unit the requisite eleven laps to equal a mile. I felt pretty proud of myself, and my nurse was impressed. I seem to be doing really well, so far. 

Tomorrow and the next day, I will receive Cyclophosphamide, which will help to restrain the transplant from causing graft versus host disease (GVHD). On day +5, I will begin receiving a cocktail of medications, which I believe are all oral, to take over the control of my immune system and create a balance between a functional immune response and GVHD. 

 

Here's a graph of the transplant process drawn by one of the amazing nurses on 14K (the transplant unit). The red X is where we are as of today +2. The horizontal axis is the days, and the curvy line is the white cell count in my blood stream. Notice that days +3 &+4 appear above Cytoxan, a brand name for Cyclophosphamide (chemo). Day +5 appears above, Zarxio, Tacru, Cellcept. These are drugs that will take over after the Cytoxan has intercepted GVHD. Also notice the note "ANC > 500" in the upper right. That indicates that after my white blood cell count goes to zero or thereabouts (nadir) and then rises to >500, I will be able to leave the hospital with my new immune system and a fresh batch of white blood cells and join Jill at Marquam Manor.

Yep! A prize in every box!

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. (James 1:17)