Day + 5 (aka - 11th day in hospital)

Hi everyone. Hope everyone is doing well, I'm sure you're all busy busy busy with the holidays. I had a good day and just wanted to get something posted as I watch my adopted 'bowl' team, Cal-Berkeley Golden Bears, go up on Utah 14-0 in San Diego - at The Poinsettia Bowl. Boy, what I would give to be in San Diego, one of my favorite cities. I think I've mentioned I'm going to make that my first plane flight (when I can fly) to take Owen to visit SeaWorld.

Anyway, as I said, a good day. Still continuing with "the usual suspects." By that I mean slight nausea, low-grade headache, and a lack of energy. I went to the mirror this morning to brush my teeth, kind of turned around as I was brushing, and when I looked back at my pillow, I noticed dirt on it. I thought, they change those every day, what's up with the dirt. It wasn't dirt, it was hair. I got my hair cut pretty short about 12 days ago before coming in, but as hair tends to do, it has grown a bit. They told me I should expect hair to start falling out on around Day +7, but even though today was Day +5, it was obvious that I was just a bit early. I was able to easily pull out more, so I asked the nurse if they had a razor since I didn't want little hairs all over the place throughout the next couple of days. So, before my shower, I got another haircut, this time all the way down. Casey thought I looked cute, so since that's the only person who matters to me, I'm all good with the bald head.

I had a short visit from my mom and a longer visit from Casey. Very very nice. I've seen my mom the last three days (I think), but hadn't seen Casey for well over a week. I'm not sure I've seen her since admit day? Of course we did talk, but we wouldn't have had to, just having her in the room was beautiful. I wish she could climb in bed with me and snuggle under a blanket and watch a Harry Potter movie. As David Carradine would say, "Soon my son, be patient." Thank you grasshopper. By the way, I should mention that all the staff here told me after she left how beautiful my wife is. I'm like, duhhhhh. Then, after thinking about it a minute, I think they meant, 'you lucky SOB, how'd you do that?'

I ate a popsicle today (a whole one), a glass of grape juice and a can of gatorade.

It was my first day of platelet tranfusions. This is no big deal, and I know there will be a few more. They tell me noone get through a transplant without platelet tranfusions. I was warned earlier in the week to make sure I was using an electric razor and not to blow or pick my nose. Luckily, I was already complying on all accounts.

The thing that's key now is to just wait and wait until you see signs of your 'counts coming in.' This is also know as the beginning of engraftment. I was given back a very selected sample of my cells (nothing by CD34 stem cells, no other white blood cells at all), so I am going to be a few days behind someone who normally has an autologous stem-cell transplant. Of course, they're at zero now, but I might see some slightly positive numbers on or about Day +9 or 10. If all goes well, engraftment will start in earnest between Day +11 and 13. Might be a little long in some people. But, as with the hair loss, I'm predicting I'm going to be an early 'grower.'

Lastly, I asked them when I'm out of the woods as far as fevers go. For example, many transplant patients get "neutropenic" fevers anytime from when counts are at zero to a few days after the graft starts coming in. I'm not sure if you all know, but fevers are NOT good for people with MS, I think I've had maybe two in the two years since diagnosis, and I can attest to how bad you feel. You truly get an exacerbation of your symptoms with, for me, quite profound weakness. I wanted to know what percentage DON'T get the neutropenic fever at some point or another. The doctor said, "Well, the lucky ones are the 20% who don't get them." After doing some quick math, I deducted that I had about an 80% change of having a problem with this. So, I'm not really looking forward to that possibility. Anyone who has MS out there (or lives with someone who does) knows that you'd probably rather get mauled by a tiger than have a prolonged fever. Oh well, that could be a week or more away, no use worrying about that now. Maybe I'll worry about the fever thing when I get past the hurdle of actually eating solid food.

I can't believe tomorrow is Christmas Eve. WOW, time flies. Enjoy your Christmas Eve festivities everyone. Talk to you soon. Mike

In addition, by the end of writing this, Cal is now behind 17-14.