Ladies and Gents, The Pain Begins

Just finished my dose of chemotherapy! My blood pressure dropped slightly but nothing to worry about. I'm a made man...They gave me VP-16...VP-16? that just sounds like its dangerous. Anyway, tomorrow could be another story.

Bad chemo in...bad chemo done...in next 7-21 days my body suffers for this....

The Big House

I've finally made it! Am now officially an inpatient at Stanford Hospital.  All is still going well...still the dire warnings but there is enough attention to detail here that I feel I'm in good hands. At about 2 - 4 I will receive my chemo - they say this one is no joke and is 5 times more potent than anything I've had before...ugh.  If I'm lucky, today and tomorrow will go well and I head into the transplant on tuesday with a little bit of wherewithal.

Yesterday I finally had my nauseous moment. Right after my last session of radiation I got back to my room and started scarfing my lunch - within minutes of finishing it I felt this overwhelming need to get it out of me! Just huge roars! Again and again...and then it was all over.  All is well now. I can expect a little more of the same soon because they say it takes a while before all this poison gets out of your system. My mouth is supposed to become infected too. Anyway, my bro has been big again -- he is all set for the transfusion. There is almost no doubt that we will be up and about sooner than later.

I did it! A graduate of Stanford!...or just a certificate saying I was able to finish my radiation treatment.

Radiation Days

Well, I just completed day 2 of my radiation treatment.  I have two days to go but only 5 more sessions. So far, knock on wood, I am taking radiation well. Some fatigue but no nausea, burning, rashes, diarrhea. Each session I get the juice for nearly 8 minutes and I still walk out of there like a champion! On Saturday, after the 4 days of radiation, I am admitted to the hospital and given a very high dose of chemo.  We have been warned that the next 10-21 days after chemo will be the most miserable of my life...I'm good at miserable so we'll see how bad it really is. The good doctors of Stanford are set on destroying me and then, using my brother's bone marrow, building me back up.

By the way, my brother has been a real champ! Helping with appointments, meds, driving, friendship, etc...really having a good time when you consider the circumstances.  Ok, tomorrow I write longer and provide an introduction. Adios friends!  Peace to all - Hopefully I'm here everyday for the next three months so check in when you can! Jess

I have to wear a mask when walking around the clinic or outside.  My trusty bag is at my side.

Here I am receiving radiation. The set up is rather crude - almost looks like a torture chamber or hangman's box. There are two metal plates that protect my lungs. I also rotate sides - once in front, next the back, etc.

Stanford May Not Be All That.....

Very rough first day...Left Galt at 4:30am with my brother for a 7am appointment.  Had a catheter placed in my chest,  radiation marks/ measurements made on my body and then, at about 3, had a continuous IV drip started. Well, sometime around 4 the nurse noticed a hole in my catheter tube and I had to go back to the surgery room to have it repaired - whose fault was this? who knows, but it cost me some blood, time, and a little bit of pain....and then getting my clothes after the operation was an even bigger fiasco! Too tired now -- Probably wasn't as bad as I thought. Anyway, at the end of the day, I got a bag full of fluids to follow me throughout the week. Tomorrow we start radiation!