I am sitting in the middle of an exciting week.
First, my blood numbers were good on Monday. White Blood Cell count was up, almost double last week, and my platelet count jumped from 69 to 108. All in all, pretty good.
On Tuesday, I went and had a far infrared sauna. There was some problem here. When I was at the colon hydrotherapy place that has the sauna last week, Helen the receptionist was away. I think she was upset and sick about the fact that I had missed an appointment earlier in the week. My visits are probably the highlight of her week.
In any event, when I made the booking for Tuesday, the fill-in entered my name as Joe. I almost was not allowed to come in because Joe had priority. Would you believe, I went back to my car and made up fake ID in the name of Joe and all was resolved?!
Earlier on Tuesday, I had to go to Morton Plant Hospital for pre-surgical testing. After visiting about three desks. a woman took me to weigh me and take my height.I learned that I was an inch taller than I thought. Pretty soon, I may be drafted by the NBA!
She then pointed me to a room and indicated that the patient should sit in the right chair. I am glad that I was not impatient at that time because if I was sitting in the left chair, I could not have seen the clerk who would have been hiding behind her computer screen.
When I saw the nurse, I think I passed the tests. I successfully identified a scalpel and a stethoscope and correctly guessed my blood pressure numbers within 10.
I am looking forward to Friday when I have my hernia surgery. It is supposed to be a day procedure, but I may start throwing up just to be able to stay over night. That way, I will get my own TV, have my morning newspaper delivered, have a great menu to order from and get a chance to practice creative writing on the white board. Did I mention that I like Morton Plant Hospital?
Finally, the first of my book rolled off the presses yesterday. I had to review it before it went into full print and e-book format. I think it looks good. There are still things to be done to get to full distribution. I expect everything to be set by the third or fourth week in July. Save the date, July 27. More details to follow.
Wednesday, June 26, 2019
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
Just to avoid chemotherapy
What an interesting, action filled week!
You may recall that my white blood cell count was low a week ago yesterday. I personally felt that I needed a shot (two actually) of neupogen, which boosts the white blood cell count, I didn't get it last week, but I sure needed it this week and so I had a shot yesterday (Tuesday) and today, I feel a little energized as a result. I will look forward to seeing the numbers next Monday.
Now the really interesting news. I have had some trouble with hernias over the past few months. Usually, I can pop them back in, particularly, my left one. However, on Thursday, I sneezed really hard and the right one popped. By the end of the afternoon, I was in such pain that the research manager took me to the hospital.
Eventually, I got some painkiller by IV and relaxed enough to allow the doctor to pop it back in. When I got the painkiller by IV, it was suggested that I be given anti nausea medicine also, but I told them that I never get sick. When I sat up to leave, I found out that never is no longer true. After an hour to recover, I tried to get up again, got my feet off the bed and moved, in a short time, from never to twice.
As a result, I was given a free (to me) night's stay at Morton Plant hospital for observation. When I got to the room, three times was sort of a charm. I was kept all the next day to see if I could keep food down. I did and I must say that the food service at Morton Plant is wonderful. There is a great menu and you order what you want, when you want it by phone and it is delivered to you within 45 minutes. I could happily have stayed longer.
In your room, they have a white board to provide all the information about you, the patient. It has a list of the people looking after you, various vital statistics like blood pressure and blood sugar counts, et cetera. They also have a list of goals for the day.
I was left to my own devices for much of the afternoon and added the goal of "becoming the all knowing god of the universe" to my goals for the day. When Sarah came to discharge me, I pointed out that I had not achieved all my goals. She looked and saw my entry on the board and broke out laughing. She had never seen any patient write on the board before. I was released notwithstanding my failure to achieve all my goals for the day.
I left the hospital early Friday evening and have had to be careful since. I am seeing the surgeon tomorrow and expect to have an operation on Friday June 28.
Meanwhile, I cannot have chemo because the Avastin that is part of the chemo process inhibits recovery from surgery. The oncology doctor is okay with this.
The lengths that one has to go to avoid chemo!
You may recall that my white blood cell count was low a week ago yesterday. I personally felt that I needed a shot (two actually) of neupogen, which boosts the white blood cell count, I didn't get it last week, but I sure needed it this week and so I had a shot yesterday (Tuesday) and today, I feel a little energized as a result. I will look forward to seeing the numbers next Monday.
Now the really interesting news. I have had some trouble with hernias over the past few months. Usually, I can pop them back in, particularly, my left one. However, on Thursday, I sneezed really hard and the right one popped. By the end of the afternoon, I was in such pain that the research manager took me to the hospital.
Eventually, I got some painkiller by IV and relaxed enough to allow the doctor to pop it back in. When I got the painkiller by IV, it was suggested that I be given anti nausea medicine also, but I told them that I never get sick. When I sat up to leave, I found out that never is no longer true. After an hour to recover, I tried to get up again, got my feet off the bed and moved, in a short time, from never to twice.
As a result, I was given a free (to me) night's stay at Morton Plant hospital for observation. When I got to the room, three times was sort of a charm. I was kept all the next day to see if I could keep food down. I did and I must say that the food service at Morton Plant is wonderful. There is a great menu and you order what you want, when you want it by phone and it is delivered to you within 45 minutes. I could happily have stayed longer.
In your room, they have a white board to provide all the information about you, the patient. It has a list of the people looking after you, various vital statistics like blood pressure and blood sugar counts, et cetera. They also have a list of goals for the day.
I was left to my own devices for much of the afternoon and added the goal of "becoming the all knowing god of the universe" to my goals for the day. When Sarah came to discharge me, I pointed out that I had not achieved all my goals. She looked and saw my entry on the board and broke out laughing. She had never seen any patient write on the board before. I was released notwithstanding my failure to achieve all my goals for the day.
I left the hospital early Friday evening and have had to be careful since. I am seeing the surgeon tomorrow and expect to have an operation on Friday June 28.
Meanwhile, I cannot have chemo because the Avastin that is part of the chemo process inhibits recovery from surgery. The oncology doctor is okay with this.
The lengths that one has to go to avoid chemo!
Wednesday, June 12, 2019
How persuasive am I?
This has been a very busy week. There has not been a lot of quiet time. Quiet time and rest is good and I need to work to schedule this.
Part of the problem is that the Stanley Cup Finals and the NBA finals are both running and despite my best intentions, I end up watching these until the end. Then, I wake up in time to play tennis.
Add some bridge club obligations and you will get tired just hearing about my schedule.
My blood tests yesterday were decent except that I would like my white blood cell count and my ANC numbers to be higher. If they go down, there is a chance that I will have to get more neupogen shots instead of chemo next week. I begged, pleaded and tried to cajole the nurses to give me neupogen yesterday to no avail. Perhaps, I should have tried crying. Or looking cute and helpless. Or, maybe I should have fainted on the floor. I don't think anything would have worked. They are so mean.
I did get the time for a far infrared sauna yesterday. The only time available was from 1 to 2. I arrived a few minutes late. I finished on time and opened the door just a crack so that the receptionist Helen could see only my head and said that I would be finished by 2:30. She is on to me now and knew that I was kidding.
Where I get my sauna is not open on the weekend and when Helen asks when I would like to come next, I always say "On Saturday or Sunday. So far to no avail on this matter also.
But I am making progress. I found out that Helen lives near the center and yesterday, she said that she could maybe do it after church. I think she was serious but told me that since she moved she had not had a chance to go. I said that I would go with her, and that is apparently under consideration. I just hope that she doesn't go to the Russian Orthoodox church. I might be guilty of collusion.
Dilemma, the hockey game is in the final period of game 7 and I still have to have my soak. Tough choices.
Part of the problem is that the Stanley Cup Finals and the NBA finals are both running and despite my best intentions, I end up watching these until the end. Then, I wake up in time to play tennis.
Add some bridge club obligations and you will get tired just hearing about my schedule.
My blood tests yesterday were decent except that I would like my white blood cell count and my ANC numbers to be higher. If they go down, there is a chance that I will have to get more neupogen shots instead of chemo next week. I begged, pleaded and tried to cajole the nurses to give me neupogen yesterday to no avail. Perhaps, I should have tried crying. Or looking cute and helpless. Or, maybe I should have fainted on the floor. I don't think anything would have worked. They are so mean.
I did get the time for a far infrared sauna yesterday. The only time available was from 1 to 2. I arrived a few minutes late. I finished on time and opened the door just a crack so that the receptionist Helen could see only my head and said that I would be finished by 2:30. She is on to me now and knew that I was kidding.
Where I get my sauna is not open on the weekend and when Helen asks when I would like to come next, I always say "On Saturday or Sunday. So far to no avail on this matter also.
But I am making progress. I found out that Helen lives near the center and yesterday, she said that she could maybe do it after church. I think she was serious but told me that since she moved she had not had a chance to go. I said that I would go with her, and that is apparently under consideration. I just hope that she doesn't go to the Russian Orthoodox church. I might be guilty of collusion.
Dilemma, the hockey game is in the final period of game 7 and I still have to have my soak. Tough choices.
Wednesday, June 5, 2019
Justice
Bob here.
I cannot tell you exactly where Charlie is, but he can't be far away. :)
I thought that I would throw in my two cents worth. If he can make his blogs into a book, then maybe I can get in on the action also.
His blood test results were interesting. Some improvement in red blood cell count, platelets and hemoglobin, but the white blood cell count, while better than last week, was lower than he anticipated. He thinks that he may have to get more neupogen shots next week.
He had a little more protein and ketones in the urine, Hopefully this will improve.
He seems to have good energy so far and I am sure he is looking forward to my departure tomorrow. I hear his energy flags a little after I go. Do you think it is because he misses me? No, I don't think so either.
The interesting development this week is that the research manager started getting a cold and decided to try some of Charlie's Lypo-spheric Vitamin C. She thinks that it tastes awful. Little did she realize what Charlie deals with daily. Justice! She took five packets over two days it it cleared her cold symptoms right up.
Here is a list of his top (or bottom) five tastes that have to be dealt with each day:
1. Essiac Tea
2. Beet Root Juice
3. Lypo-spheric Vitamin C
4. Black Seed Oil
5. Pecta-Sol C
To modify a popular saying: Try it, you might not like it!
I cannot tell you exactly where Charlie is, but he can't be far away. :)
I thought that I would throw in my two cents worth. If he can make his blogs into a book, then maybe I can get in on the action also.
His blood test results were interesting. Some improvement in red blood cell count, platelets and hemoglobin, but the white blood cell count, while better than last week, was lower than he anticipated. He thinks that he may have to get more neupogen shots next week.
He had a little more protein and ketones in the urine, Hopefully this will improve.
He seems to have good energy so far and I am sure he is looking forward to my departure tomorrow. I hear his energy flags a little after I go. Do you think it is because he misses me? No, I don't think so either.
The interesting development this week is that the research manager started getting a cold and decided to try some of Charlie's Lypo-spheric Vitamin C. She thinks that it tastes awful. Little did she realize what Charlie deals with daily. Justice! She took five packets over two days it it cleared her cold symptoms right up.
Here is a list of his top (or bottom) five tastes that have to be dealt with each day:
1. Essiac Tea
2. Beet Root Juice
3. Lypo-spheric Vitamin C
4. Black Seed Oil
5. Pecta-Sol C
To modify a popular saying: Try it, you might not like it!
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