You may notice that I have gotten rid of the .5 for the day’s post. That seemed important in the early going and now the medical team is focused on going forward by a simple day numbering scheme.

The other reason is that I have been discharged from the hospital and spent the day in our apartment today, that is except for the 3-hours in clinic this morning.

Big picture I seem to be doing as expected. I am very fatigued although I am told this is because I am more active no longer sequestered to my hospital room. As an example, if you have been to the Fred Hutch clinic you know it stands at the top of pretty steep hill. While I was in prep mode for the transplant I would always walk up the hill. After the transplant I am anemic so no real stamina. This morning we took an Uber up the hill. And after the appointment we walked down back to our apartment. The walk is a bit less than a 1/2 mile. Doesn’t sound like much however it was a big emotional motivator.

Going forward we will have clinic visits every day for IV supplements of Magnesium and Potassium. The next big day will be day +28 when I will undergo bone marrow biopsies to indicate how deeply rooted the new cells are. Today, the scoreboard continues to look good.

As Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz, there is no place like home.

Larry and Sharon

Like the Cubs who lit up their scoreboard today, so are my cell counts. It was once said that chicks dig the long ball, and my counts are definitely out of the park for just about day +16. As an example my ANC today was 920, platelets was 257,000 and HCT = 29.

My team is planning for my next steps and discharge from the hospital. When I was first admitted here on May 31, I asked the team if I would be out for the summer solstice. At first they said it was unlikely and with each passing week the likelihood improved. Given the uptake of the new cells has gone so well, the team will be planning to discharge me prior to the Summer Solstice. I can’t wait to let the sunshine in.

Hope you are well.

Larry and Sharon

Today is a good day for our scoreboard watching. All three critical numbers rose to solidify the fact that the new cells are engrafting and working. The excitement of the team here from the attending docs down to the nursing staff has been cheering me on today. with joy that I may be discharged out of the hospital over the next few days. The goals here are for my cells to continue to grow and I can prove that I can be supported without IV medications – only oral. Here then is today’s scoreboard:

ANC – 550 (up from 180)

Platelets – 194,000 (up from 135,000)

HCT – 28 (up from 26)

My brother is a Superhero and here at Fred Hutch, their expertise is such that they would allow a donor over age 60, which is the age cut off for many programs. The nurses who rotate in for my care often ask where my home is and then follow up with how did I chose Fred Hutch. The answer is a no-brainer.

As I am quarantined to my room, the view from here could be an added factor to my healing. A patient is usually not treated to this beauty:

As the minutes, hours and days roll on. today a Madonna song popped into my head – “hung up.” The chorus is a repeating “time goes by so slowly.” The lyrics don’t apply to my situation, just the chorus. You know I am pretty much a take no prisoners type of guy, so living what feels like minute to minute is a challenge for me – one I will graciously accept.

Larry and Sharon

Today has. been a day for scoreboard watching. There are 3-teams of concern. The 3-teams are: ANC counts – the actual white blood cell count needed to protect me against bacterial infections, the Platelet counts – the cells needed to protect me from bleeding, and lastly my HCT – the red cell count needed to circulate enough oxygen around my system so I am not too short of breath. I reported some scoreboard results yesterday and here is today’s full report:

ANC – today was 180, a marked climb from 30 the previous day and zero two days prior.

Platelets – today’s number was 135,000, well within a protected range and double the 64,000 from yesterday.

Hct – 26 – This one is still dropping a bit and if it sinks one more number to 25, that is when a transfusion would be indicated.

My team was all smiles today as the new white cells and platelets have begun to ‘engraft” and grow. Fingers crossed the red cells will follow soon.

One new small problem is given my runny nose and cough, respiratory viral testing came up positive for Rhinovirus – yes the common cold. In the big scheme of things not so bad although I am now prohibited from leaving my room and walking the halls as a protection to the other dozens of immunocompromised patients here.

Lastly, I appreciate the comments on my new hairdo, or lack of one. What I am finding is how cold my head is now. I was not a hirtuis guy and I guess any hair covering is better than none. As i write this now, I reflect back on my Nana, who told me as my hair was thinning, that grass does not grow on a busy street.

Thanks again for all the support.

Larry and Sharon

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