October 21, 2013

by kpw413

Today is ASCT +5.

Haven’t felt real great today. It seems I have some mucositis at the back of my throat abotu the epiglottis is located. This makes it somewhat painful to swallow or even difficult to swallow. My CBC numbers also came down (the wrong direction on these), the WBC, ANC, and platelets. We’ll have to see how this all progresses this week. All of these are side effects post my high dose chemo a week ago.

I spoke with the Nurse Practitioner, Kate, and asked how much more down I may go. Kate said that I might yet feel a little worse before Day +9 (Friday) and that I may have reached a bottom. She said that about 80% to 90% of transplant patients will need platelets or other antibiotics that I am not on now. Day +9 is the usual earliest that the transplant cells engraft in the marrow and start doing their job. It can be as late as Day +11.

Kate also told me that my catheter will come out before I am discharged. That is welcome news. I can almost feel a regular shower now in anticipation.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for my healing, and for the healing received for whom we pray: Leighton, Barbara, Berris, Herma, Nicola, Sylvia, Mike, and Joe.

Amen.