April 5 - Was T -6 now T -5 - Launch sequence in process

Thanks again to all who've helped through the GoFundMe site (and off line) - we are two-thirds of the way there!  Thanks for sharing my blog.

Yesterday was my first day of chemotherapy.  It was rough... but not how you might believe it was.  The chemotherapy with Cytoxan and fluarabine, although taking about 5 hours was pretreated with Zofran IV.  No nausea or major side effects. This kind of therapy is 'myelo-conditioning' therapy.  [Myelo - meaning bone marrow].  With some chemotherapies, the treatment is myeloablative (that is they TOTALLY wipe out the bone marrow).  With 'myelo-conditioning' therapy, they don't totally wipe out the bone marrow but come close.  Of course, the total body irradiation I receive at T -1 (day before transplant) will further drop the white blood cell counts (along with the red cells and platelets).

The challenge I have are the various injuries I have had in my lifetime (ejected from car, run off the road by teenagers on my bike, hitting a deer at 46 mph on my bicycle, etc., etc.) have now 'come home to roost'.  I have used limited amounts of ibuprofen to effectively help me through the day, swim, etc.  Now, I can't use ibuprofen due to it's ability to mask fever since I will soon be neutropenic (with little to no white cells to fight infection).  So, I REALLY ACHE in all those areas of my old injuries.  Uninterruped sleep would be a blessing.  Oh well... committed to this process.  Really, NO TURNING BACK!

 A PRAISE: On Easter Sunday, Marc Roberson, our pastor at Riverton annointed Erika and I at the altar with the prayer team and church praying for us.  What a moving experience with the Holy Spirit!  We will trust in and praise God!

Maintaining perspective will be important.  Paul, in the Bible had an affliction that he asked God to remove 3 times.  He accepted it and in fact wrote in Romans 12:12 "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" (NIV).  I will persevere as the true trials are yet to come knowing that God is at my side.  Thanks again for your continued prayers as you help us during this time.  Jan and I are so appreciative.

A SIDEBAR:  Jan, my wife, has been a true trooper and the Ever-Ready bunny with energy beyond imagination.  Where I can sometimes only barely walk across the room due to pain, she's moved us back into our apartment in Baltimore.  She continues to be a positive force in my life.  Please keep her in prayer!   I am truly blessed by her!

T -5 today - same chemotherapy... The pre-launch continues...

Comments

  1. AnonymousApril 5, 2018 at 7:24 AM

    Be well my friend. Just got hooked up to 5 hours of magnesium myself but that's a cakewalk. You are always on my mind.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ellie figginsApril 6, 2018 at 8:23 AM

    I hope you had a nice Easter. I am praying for you, Jan & your family. You take care & do what the Dr. tells you to do. lol they use to tell me that all the time. See you soon.

    ReplyDelete

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