08/03/09 Second Week of Treatment in Boston

8/03/09 Wow can't believe we have been here a week already. Last night was tough not much sleep Joe did not feel well continued to have the chills and lots of bone pain. We need to be up by 5:00 am on week days so we can be to BMC by 8:00 I usually get up first and shower and then get Joe up. He needs to take his meds first and then I have to wrap and cover his catheter this is a process that we have perfected, we use a zip lock baggie that I cut down the middle and slide the tubes into and then I tape all sides down around the edges this way it will not get wet when Joe showers. Joe had a rough morning he has a tough time showering it really takes a lot out of him, this morning he ended up throwing up when he got out of the shower. He said he was exhausted. I had him rest for a few minutes before we left for the hospital, today is a big day... Stem Cell Collection Day. We arrived at Moakley Bldg right on time, now our apartment is a mile away but it usually takes about 30 minutes to actually get there by the time I bring Joe to Moakley and then I have to drive over to the parking garage park and walk back. The traffic is crazy but Joe said I am actually getting pretty good at driving here. We get to the Stem Cell Transplant Center at 8:00 am and they take Joe's BP and weight then they get Joe hooked up to the machine that is going to collect his stem cells. The machine has tubes that hook to the catheter that is in Joe's chest one tube is used to remove blood from Joe and the other is used to put it back in. The blood that is being taken out is ran through a centrifuge which separates blood plasma and the blood product that contains the stem cells and they are put in separate bags. I am sure there is a better medical way of explaining the process but it is late and I am getting tired. Joe's bones and back are still very sore and he is still has the nausea. This makes the thought of laying in the bed for the next 5 or 6 hours uncomfortable. When the doctor comes in to see him we let her know this and she is going to prescribe some pain meds and something to help the nausea. Joe will be on the machine most of the day until about 2:00 then they will unhook him and send the collection down to the lab to count how many stem cells were collected. They prescribe Oxycontin for the pain and Joe is a happy camper after that no more pain. He sleeps on and off and I watch the Devil wears Prada. At noon the Nascar race comes on Joe watches that and I go and get him a sandwich. At 1:30 they unhook him and send his blood down for the stem cell count, this will take a few hours. They check Joe vitals again and he has gained six lbs from the collection, this is mostly fluid so they will need to give him lasix. At about 4:30 they come to see us and we get great news they collected 24,000,000 yes.... twenty four million stem cells this is just unheard of but it explains all the bone pain. The Growth Factor injection were doing what they were supposed to, most people might get half that amount on the first collection. Joe is so happy, it makes all the pain worth it they also tell him he will not need the injections for tomorrows collection and they only need about 6,ooo,ooo more yeah!!! So tomorrow will be a shorter day he probably will only be on the machine for a few hours. I have attached some pictures.