A yin and yang type of day today. On the downside I continue to be significantly affected by my local symptoms and a general one of overwhelming fatigue.

Having said that, and on the upside my team is very excited because today the lab counted 30 ANC cells. THey said the new cells are now beginning their work and in a few more days I should have much less of the symptoms I am experiencing. I will tell you though that I am not going to count my chickens before they are hatched.

The second piece of good news, and this depends on how sensitive you are to your own look, is that my hair is definitely falling out. So this afternoon we took the big step of shaving my head. Even though my hair has been pretty short, a fair amount came off during the buzzcut process. Here is my updated look – and yes I kept my mustache thinking if it falls out so beit.

That’s it for now. Take care,

Larry and Sharon

Here I am, same place similar time as I write these end of day posts. No big changes today same GI upset, mucus cough and sinus congestion.

What did change today is very subtle. For the last several days, my blood counts in looking for white blood cells – the signal that the new cells are beginning to take root found none.That meant the lab would report a white cell count of <0.11 and due to that there were too few ANC cells to count.

Today’s report said my total white blood cell count was 0.12 allowing them to count cells. The ANC cell type that we are most interested was reported as Zero. None to count but at least we are in the game. I was told that in tonight’s blood test counts they expect to see some ANC cells. That would be wonderful showing the process is working. And when we reach a count of 500, I will be considered safe for discharge from the hospital. Not knowing how long it will take to go from zero to 500 we are patiently waiting.

Hope you are well.

Larry and Sharon.

I am astounded by how the human body can handle so many insults to its systems and survive. That is where I find myself today. The side effects of the chemo I received continue. Two new ones popped up today. One involves too much information for this post, and that is worsening nausea with some added dry heaves, retching if you will, of some mucous.

The other one is kind of funny and I was told this would happen, loss of hair. Yes whatever hair I had on my head is now shedding its way off. The attending doc told me today that this may be the time to just shave it off. I will give it a couple more days before I go that route. I did not think this would happen because in the past as a result of all the chemo regimens I kept my hair. It tells me that this time around is significant and drums home for me the ill effects of these transplant chemo preps is going to like my hairline, recede, hopefully soon. And one clue that I may be getting to the end of the worst is that my poops have become solid enough that we are no longer worried about diarrhea and the incidence of an intestinal bacterial called C-diff. (I know, once again too much information. But hey, I am keeping these posts as an honest journal, not to be too sugarcoated.)

Sharon and I watched the Tony award show tonight. I am looking forward to the days when we can once again attend theater.

Be well,

Larry and Sharon

Inching my way to when my team tells me I will begin to feel better. Having said that, we are still on the nominal curve. It’s not that I am feeling so terrible, it’s just that the fatigue and GI symptoms such as nausea tend to wear me down as it is pretty unrelenting. Today I did walk one-tenth of a mile around the halls.

In some ways I feel as if I am in the story Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and in that I am falling down the rabbit hole. I know there will be a bottom, just can’t see my way to that yet.

That is it for now. Take care,

Larry and Sharon

Another day and another report from my team that I continue on a nominal course. Yes, I have some issues, fatigue, GI upset, cough, and if you can believe it hiccups.

My appetite has been problematic. The dietician comes in almost every day and gives me advice about what to order for my meals and snacks. I try most of them and can’t stand the taste. So I do the best I can. The threats are that if I don’t have enough intake I could be a candidate for a feeding tube or total IV feedings. Neither of these is preferred by me but I can’t fight what needs to be done.

I am told my condition will continue to slide a bit before the new cells kick in. One hour, one day at a time.

I am being supplemented and received my 2nd platelet transfusion last night. Everything here is being monitored.

Take care,

Larry and Sharon