Moanin’ and Burpin’

Look, somehow I got let out of the hospital six days early. The Basement period was rough and I owe a huge debt to the care team that was assigned to me. I was actually a bit surprised and taken aback that I was getting released so quickly after over a week of feeling like hammered shit. I had been laid up moaning and burping but somehow from outward appearances had started feeling marginally better and my labs showed that my little German swimmers were doing their thing.

I moved into the engraftment period. My little German swimmers have found their way to my bone marrow, have set up shop, and are now creating white blood cells and platelets and generally doing what they’re supposed to with a flourish. Once again, I have many people to thank for my early breakout. To be able to breathe fresh air after being cooped up on the ninth floor for three weeks was liberating and made me very happy.

So, I’ve been at home since Saturday. I kind of feel off still but every day I seem to feel a little bit better. Post-transplant my symptoms have been GI related and some hand tremors. I still am not big on eating. Mark got me these Chai Tea Atkins Protein Shakes. I’ve had two so far and both times they came right back up. There will no longer be Atkins Protein Shakes in my future. I’ve been out walking short distances a couple of times (except yesterday-we shall not speak of yesterday) I know how therapeutic walking is, but I get so exhausted and my right ankle throbs like a motherfucker. Walking around in my neighborhood is so much better thank making loops of the ninth floor.

The amount of pills I have to swallow three times a day is ridiculous. When I was living in Murfreesboro and managing Dad’s medication, filling up his pill trays I felt overwhelmed sometimes. Mark is managing probably five times as many. I also have the central line in my chest, and once a day he has to flush the ports with Heparin, which is also a big pain in the ass. Heparin decreases the clotting ability of the blood and helps prevent clots forming in my blood vessels.

I’m not complaining. I’m thankful for so many things. I’m a lucky man.

The stem cell transplant was only the phase of this situation I have going on. I’ll be going back to Emory at least twice a week for I don’t know how long. The most crucial days are the first one hundred days. My immune system will be jumpstarted by then. But then in a year I will have to get every one of my childhood vaccinations, which will be a huge pain in the ass. Also, I’ll be getting a third bone marrow biopsy at some point. The drugs were so much better at Emory I didn’t feel a thing.

I am filled with gratitude for everyone who’s checked in on Mark and me, by texts, Facebook and phone calls. Y’all keep asking me if there’s anything we need and if you can do anything to help. We’re good for now. It means so much to Mark and me. Keep us in your thoughts.