Tuesday, December 25, 2007

December 25 - Day Plus 20 - Christmas

This year, I have a greater appreciation for the phrase, "I'll be home for Christmas." Although I have been cooped up in the house for the last week, it has been a great week. Every day I am getting strength back and feeling better - still not great, but better.

I have been fighting a minor head cold, but it appears to be subsiding. Food is starting to taste better, just in time for the wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas dinners that my aunts prepare.

I am able to get out of the house without a mask as long as I go to a "controlled" environment where I know who is sick and who is not. It feels great to just drive again.

With not much else to do, I am still watching the Price is Right. It was a pretty bad week for Christmas Week. Usually they kick up the prizes for the shows taped to be aired the week before Christmas. This year, they were nothing special. I guess the economy is hitting everything.

Merry Christmas and thanks for checking in.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

December 19 - Day Plus 14

I took a day off from posting and just enjoyed being at home and relaxing. I guess it was quite appropriate that the movie Castaway was on tonight. Unlike Tom Hanks' character in the movie, I was not sad to say goodbye to my Wilson.

After three weeks in a hospital bed, my legs are like noodles. It will take some time to get my strength back. Without Wilson the IV, I can pace comfortably again. That should help build my legs back up. I've been feeling OK and eating pretty regularly. Things don't taste quite right yet. It'll probably be a couple more weeks until that's back to normal.

I owe you a Price is Right update from Monday. There was a priceless moment. A lady was in contestants' row trying to come up with a bid. She was absolutely clueless and kept turning around for help from the audience. Another lady in the first row told her what to bid, and she ended up winning. She turned around, put her hand up in the air, and began jumping up and down in celebration. Her pants fell down! No kidding! They didn't just come down a bit. They came down far enough that CBS had to blur out her backside - a classic moment.

I'll continue to post to this site periodically as I continue on the road to recovery. I cannot tell you how great it is to just be home. Thank you all for the countless emails, phone calls, thoughts, and prayers. Words cannot express my appreciation.

Thanks again for checking in.

Monday, December 17, 2007

December 17 - Day Plus 12

Short post today. Home Sweet Home! After a long morning waiting around to be released, I got cut loose at about 2:00. It'll be a great night's sleep tonight.

Great Price is Right today. Full update tomorrow.

Thanks for checking in.

Sunday, December 16, 2007

December 16 - Day Plus 11

I got a great night's sleep last night. I finished some reading at about 2 a.m. and drifted off. The nurse came in at 4 for the nightly blood draw and vitals check. She woke me from a deep sleep with five attempts to take my blood pressure. Seeing I was "awake" at that point, she decided it was a good opportunity to start a conversation. Fortunately, she finished her one-sided conversation, and the blood draw, just before I lost my temper. Unfortunately, I couldn't fall back asleep until 8. I gotta get outta here!

On that note, my numbers continue to improve. We've stopped all meds in anticipation of being released. Providing I can make it 24 hours without a fever or any other complications, I'm on my way home.

My TV highlights for the day are less then scintillating. From 5 to 8 this morning, I watched the non-stop coverage of the biggest blizzard of the century. You would think we got two feet of snow the way the TV coverage sounded. Now, of course, I have not been outside for three weeks, so maybe it was that bad. I highly doubt it, though.

The weather was bad enough to knock out the DirecTV local channels on the TV here for a period of time this afternoon. Fortunately, it was during the Lions game, so I didn't have to witness another debacle.

24 hours with no fever. I told the nurses that no matter what the thermometer says, nothing greater than 98.6 goes on the chart. Just in case, I'm keeping a cup of ice by my bed.

Thanks again for checking in.

Saturday, December 15, 2007

December 15 - Day Plus 10

Another good day with improving numbers. I'm hoping to be able to go home within a few days. Can't wait! I have a pretty crappy appetite these days, but I think it is because of the precautionary antibiotic they've been giving me. I think I stop taking it tomorrow because they're starting to wind down my meds.

It was a really boring day today. Only Division II college football on TV. One of the teams in the playoffs wears a uniform very close, if not identical, to Michigan's. That's strikes me as appropriate after this season.

Thank goodness for TNT movies today - watched Gladiator (again), Cinderella Man (again), and Lord of the Rings - the Two Towers (again).

Hopefully home soon.

Thanks for checking in.

Friday, December 14, 2007

December 14 - Day Plus 9

This is definitely an upward trend. Today was a pretty good day. My counts are climbing, my appetite is ok, and I am not feeling the need to sleep every hour. Everything is looking good enough that we're starting to actually talk about getting the hell out of here. That won't be for at least a few days, though.

Now that I am feeling better, the stir craziness is returning. My best buddy Wilson is still with me, so it's still not easy to get around. I think I've been here something like 18 days already. I won't torture myself by thinking about what it's going to be like to leave these four walls and walk out of here. No tethers, no geographical restrictions, no constant interruptions. It won't be long now!

Pretty unremarkable Price is Right today. I have begun to notice some trends on the Family Feud, though. There was a family that won for five straight days. After winning five straight days, you would think they are pretty good at playing the game and would do well at the Fast Money round at the end where they play for $20,000. Wrong. They kept sending the same two people from the family for the bonus round. Pretty much every day, the first person would get 150 points, leaving only 50 points for the second person. Well, the second person failed to get the 50 points - I think every time. I mean, if you start with 150 points, you only need to hit one of the number one answers and you're pretty much home. Now I can forgive that once, maybe twice. But this family sent the same two players up every day! Don't change anything! Their loss, I guess.

We're on to the weekend now, so I won't have any game show updates for a couple of days - sorry.

Remember, I've turned on the posting option to let you say hello, so feel free to comment.

That's all for today, thanks for checking in.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

December 13 - Day Plus 8

I am hearing a faint song in the background - I think it is Bob Seger's "Turn the Page."

Albeit only a modest improvement, I had a better day today. I am cautiously optimistic, but I am hoping it's up, up, and away from here. I wasn't as nauseated, I wasn't as feverish, my head didn't hurt as much - all better signs. And, my counts are up today...from a dangerously low 0.1 to a whopping 0.2. Keep in mind, normal counts are around 10.0.

So, barring any setbacks, I think I'm on my way. I ate breakfast and lunch today - not from the foodservice here at the hospital, of course.

I managed to stay awake through the Price is Right. Pretty normal show today, but I am feeling the need for a little dissertation.

Did you ever notice how many of the contestants are not quite all there? For example, the show starts with four contestants bidding for a random prize. Their bid must be the closest to the actual retail price without going over. Unless you knew the exact retail price of one of the items, there should never, ever be a reason you would bid one dollar under someone who has already bid.

For example, if the person before you bids $1,000, why would you bid $999 unless you knew the price was $999. Well, people bid one dollar less than the person that just bid all of the time. I could understand bidding one dollar more because the rules are to be the closest to the actual retail price without going over, But, you should never bid one dollar less! And these aren't people that don't know how to play the game. They show up wearing t-shirts of Bob Barker and Drew Carey, claiming they've been watching the show for 30 years. Apparently the TV's been on, but they haven't been watching.

I have a whole theory on the Price is Right and MTV that I could share with you, but I don't really know who is reading this blog. So, I'd better save it for one-on-one conversation.

On that note, I am curious who is reading this blog. I've heard rumors that it's reached all the way to Armenia. I am turning on the ability for you to post back to the blog today, so please feel free to add a post to say hi and let me know you're out there.

As always, thanks for you concern and prayers and thanks for checking in.

December 12 - Day Plus 7

I am afraid to say that I am feeling a little better today. As long as I don't move, I do not have any discomfort. It appears that a couple of the busses have backed away and only one remains - it's parked on my head.

My counts are still very low, but may be showing the slightest signs of increasing. I am hoping tomorrow's numbers show an improvement.

It was pretty much a blah day. I got back to the TV routine with the Price is Right and Family Feud. I fell asleep during both, so no special events to report.

I am hoping I have turned the corner and am on my way back up. However, I know not to get too optimistic. I'll just take the fact that I am feeling better as a good thing and not get greedy - yet.

That's all for now. Thanks for checking in.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

December 11 - Day Plus 6

Well, it doesn't appear that I've bottomed out yet. Tougher day today. Hot spells, cold spells, fevers, and the rest of the fleet of buses showed up. They are parked squarely upon me.

Counts are still at zero. We've started booster shots, but it'll take some time for them to kick in.

Many of you have called, but I have not felt like talking on the phone. I'll get back to you when I'm feeling better.

It's now been two weeks since I checked in here to start this process. Some have said it seems like the time has flown by. Let me assure you, it hasn't. Hopefully I'll bounce back soon and head home.

That's all for now. Thanks for checking in.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

December 10 - Day Plus 5

Well, I now know what the bottom is like. At least, I hope this is the bottom and it doesn't get any worse. The bus is still parked squarely on top of me. My counts are at 0 and I have received blood and plateletes to replenish some numbers.

I've been nauseated and tired, so I am pretty much just sleeping the day away. I even slept through the Price is Right today!

I did manage to sneak in a made-for-tv version of the Poseidon Adventure - it was awful.

Monday, December 10, 2007

December 9 - Day Plus 4

The bus has arrived! I had a pretty good run of feeling ok, but that has come to an end. My counts have bottomed out and it feels like someone has parked that bus on top of me. I have been sleeping for about 48 hours straight. I did wake up for the end of the Lions game just to make sure they didn't screw up and actually win it. I am starting to get supplements for things that are dangerously low, like magnesium and potassium. I'll probably get some blood and plateletes as well.

That's all for now.

Saturday, December 8, 2007

December 8 - Day Plus 3

Another quiet day today, so a short post. Counts are back down so I think the bottom-out is coming. I had a lot of visitors today, but all I wanted to do was sleep. I did my laps around the ward and ate a little. We'll start booster shots in a couple of days to get the stem cells pumping, but they need a little more time to get settled in before we start.

Beyond that, just kicking back and watching TV. I watched Gladiator for the 47th time and am now watching Under Siege for the 15th time.

Thats all for today. Thanks for checking in.

Friday, December 7, 2007

December 7 - Day Plus 2

Another pretty uneventful day. My counts actually went up today. I asked if that meant I get to go home tomorrow, but they told me it's probably just an abnormal reading. If they're elevated tomorrow, I'll push harder on going home sooner than later. They just keep telling me that it's very wishful thinking, but not out of the question.

I ate a good breakfast, lunch, and dinner today, so the appetite coming along doing pretty well.

More importantly, there was a very exciting finish to the Price is Right today. The showcase was very tight. The first bidder passed on the first showcase and bid on the second. His bid was only $400 away - a sure winner. The other bidder was only $150 off and won both showcases! It doesn't get any better than that.

They finally got the Discovery Channel working here. Apparently the whole ward was out and they had to replace the router. I've got all of my shows back now, so there's more to pass the time.

Finally, an observation after watching a day full of cable news. Do you think we'll eventually forget about September 11th like we've forgotten about December 7th? I think that's a regrettable and sad transformation in American history.

That's all for today. Thanks for checking in.

Thursday, December 6, 2007

December 6 - Day Plus 1

Today was very uneventful. I ate a some today - pizza for lunch and soup for dinner. It's holding well. My counts dropped a little more, but I am feeling pretty much the same - maybe even a little better.

Some of you have asked for me to handicap when my counts will be back up and I'll be able to go home. Chemo wipes out rapidly dividing cells, like stem cells and cancer cells. It did not effect my existing white blood cells, platelets, red blood cells, etc. My remaining cells of these types are the ones that existed prior to starting the chemo. They are living out their natural life cycle, and will soon die out.

Stem cells usually monitor the levels of these other cells and replace them as they die out. With no stem cells to replace them after the chemo, it's now a race between the decline of my existing cells and the speed of engraftment of the reintroduced stem cells. More than likely the stem cells will lose this race and I will bottom out for few days with virtually no immune system. They're telling me it'll be anywhere from 10 to 21 days before my counts recover to the point that I can go home. My goal is the short end of this range at 10 days. We'll see.

Now on to the important stuff - like the Price is Right. Today's show was pretty uneventful. The first contestant actually claimed to have driven from Washington DC to California just to be on the show. Now that's commitment! The most expensive of the showcase options was only $25,000. Pretty lame prizes.

Daytime TV is pretty scary - Judge Joe Brown, Judge Judy, Ellen, Oprah, Springer. I don't watch any of that crap. The commercials are even worse. Nothing has changed. In fact, I feel like I have warped back in time to when I was home sick from grade school - Sam Bernstein commercials (his kids are now in the ads), Colonial Penn Life Insurance, Devry Institute, and, let's not forget, the Hoveround wheel chair. Did you know that they guarantee Medicare will pay for it or it's free? More on all of this next week.

As you can see, it's pretty dull here and I am beyond stir crazy. It's a blessing and a curse that I am feeling OK - a blessing because I am doing well and not having any severe side effects, a curse because I feel good enough to not be here.

That's all for tonight. Thanks for checking in.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

December 5 - Day Zero

Reunited and it feels so... eh.

I've got my cells back and am doing OK. It was actually more discomforting than the chemo, but it only lasted about an hour. More cramping than nausea. The only scent I got was an acidic taste in the back of my throat - I won't tell you what it tasted like. It was so strong that I was only barely able to kill the taste with Altoids. The predominant opinion is that it smells like creamed corn, which I cannot smell because I am too congested.

I am not sure what I am more excited about today - my re-birthday or the deal the Tigers pulled off yesterday. Look out Red Sox and Yankees!

There was a tie on the big wheel on Price is Right today. Two people got $1 on the wheel and won $1,000. In the spinoff, the guy won $5,000, but only got 5 cents. The girl beat him with something like 25 cents and went to the showcase. Because the cell reinfusion was done while it was on, I didn't pay attention to the results of the showcase. I don't know if it's better to take the for sure $5k, or risk it in the showcase.

My counts are down again today, but are not in a free fall. They're pretty close to zero, so there's not much room to free fall anyway. I am guessing I'll be at zero within a few days. Hopefully, my returned cells will get busy quickly and get that immune system going again. The sooner it does, the sooner I can go home.

I can hardly believe I've been here 8 days already. Luckily, I had never spent a night in the hospital before last week. With all of the trouble I got into when I was a kid - hit by a car, wiped out on a mini-bike - it's a miracle this is the first time.

My neighbor got to go home today. To clear up some confusion, she's in the room next door, not sharing a room with me.

I'm feeling OK as I head off to try to sleep. Thanks for checking in.

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

December 4 - Day Minus 1

Today was a pretty lazy day. Most importantly, no chemo.

Between vital sign tests, blood draws, beeping IV pumps, and general disturbances, you really can't get more than a couple hours of uninterrupted sleep at night. As a result, I sneak a couple of naps in during the day.

The Price is Right was good this morning. Somebody got a dollar on the big wheel, but missed any bonus money on the bonus spin. I am not a Drew Carey fan yet - he's pretty funny, but doesn't build up the excitement like Bob Barker did.

They encourage me to walk the floor to get some exercise. Sixteen laps around the ward is a mile, so I did that. I ate a little today, but not much.

Outside of that excitement, just a lazy day. My counts continue to drop and the fatigue is kicking up. It's all been tolerable, thus far.

Tomorrow is day zero and I get my cells back. I am told to expect the the freezing agent to have a very pungent and distinct smell. Some people have said it smells like garlic, some tomato soup, and some creamed corn. I guess I will have my own opinion after tomorrow. Any visitors will also be able to have their vote counted because the agent is passed out of the body through the lungs, so all can smell it. My neighbor is hoping to go home tomorrow before my transplant so she doesn't have to live through the smell again.

That's all for today. Thanks for checking in.

Monday, December 3, 2007

December 3 - Day Minus 2

Chemo is over! As of 9:30 this morning, I got my last drop of chemo - God willing, forever. Surprisingly, I am still feeling pretty good. I had three pumps connected to my IV pole (which my brother named Wilson after Wilson the volleyball from Castaway) since I checked in. There is now only one, and that'll be with me until I check out. It's a good feeling to have that all behind me.

I have not eaten anything much. I don't feel hungry, so I don't feel like I am missing anything. The food service brings me three meals a day. I have not touched any of it since the first day. They brought meatloaf today. Seriously, who eats meatloaf? It's still sitting on the window sill if you're hungry.

Tomorrow's a day off for rest. Of course, I tried to accelerate the schedule and skip the day off, but they told me I need to let the chemo work its way through my system before getting the cells back. Oh well. I'll try anything to get out of here faster.

Thanks for all of the prayers, good wishes, phone calls, and emails. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the support.

Sunday, December 2, 2007

December 2 - Day Minus 3

Well, we're getting there. Six days down and only one to go! And, I'm holding up better than I thought I would be at this point. Only one bout of nausea today, and that was the Lions game. It really turned my stomach. I'm still tolerating the chemo without nausea, though. I have not really eaten anything over the last few days, but I'd rather not press my luck. People tell me I look good, all things considered.

Unfortunately, I believe that these early days are the easy part. My counts are starting to drop, but not as precipitously as they will in the coming days. Everyone laughs at me when I say that I am going home a week after I get my cells reinfused. I just tell them that we all have to have goals.

The people here at Karmanos are very nice and attentive to my needs. I just love my 4 am vitals check! I am not sure they always get my humor and, as a result, they've classified me as "trouble."

The schedule from here is chemo in the morning and then a break until Wednesday. That'll be my "re-birthday" when my cells are reinfused. I am not sure if we'll have cake, but we definitely will next year!

Saturday, December 1, 2007

December 1 - Day Minus 4

Well, the chemo is starting to catch up with me. I've got four doses to go - one this evening, two tomorrow, and one on Monday. The nausea is slowly creeping in, so we'll have to see how this evening's session goes. I'm hoping it'll hold off for a couple more days so I can get outside of the chemo window. Then, it's on to dealing with the fatigue of my immune system bottoming out.

Other than that, just hanging in the room watching tv and playing video games. They should have a weekend edition of the Price is Right. Bummer with the TV in the room, all of the channels work except the Discovery Channel. No MythBusters, Dirty Jobs, or Man versus Wild.

Evening chemo went ok. Mild nausea, but still holding everything together. Two more rounds on Sunday, and a quick one on Monday. Almost through with part one!

Thanks for checking in.

Friday, November 30, 2007

November 30 - Day Minus 5

Things are much better today now that I am off of the anti-nausea drugs that were causing my drowsiness (oh, and mini-seizure). I slept well last night in my big boy bed, only to awaken at 4:30 in the morning. That was OK, since I fell asleep at 7 or 8 the night before.

It was a pretty normal day. After my morning session, I am half way through with the chemo! It's a little milestone that only I am tracking, but it's downhill with the chemo from here. Fortunately, the side effects have been minimal and I am taking the doses without incident. I hope that lasts for the next few days.

I jinxed myself today when I asked my doctor how long I would have to leave the catheter in my chest in. She said probably up until I was released from the hospital, or maybe even a little after that, depending upon my counts. She was wrong. It came out an hour later when I stood up from a chair with my foot on the tube - out it came. They put a mini one in my arm that should get me through the rest of the process. And, yes, I will be more careful going forward.

One more dose coming tonight and off to bed.

Thanks for checking in.

November 29 - Day Minus 6

I am becoming quite friendly with my IV pole. It goes everywhere with me. I am beginning to get a feeling of what having a conjoined twin would be like.

I'll be getting chemo for 7 straight days. This is day number 3. I pretty much slept all day. I had a reaction to one of the side drugs that prevents nausea. We won't be taking that drug anymore. That was the drug that was making me sleepy, so I guess I'll be more alert the rest of the way. Nausea is in check and I'm feeling pretty good, but I'm not risking the food they serve here. That could be dangerous.

It's pretty boring, but the TV's been keeping me company. Drew Carey is doing OK as a replacement for Bob Barker, but he's still a little stiff.

Eventually, my counts will get very low. We're starting to track them daily now. They should bottom out shortly after day 0, then it's up, up, up, and out of here. I keep telling the nurses that I am going home next week. They just laugh at me.

That's all for now... thanks for checking in.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

November 28 - Day minus 7

The way this all works is relative to the day I get my cells back. That is day zero. The days leading up to day zero are referred to as day minus blank. Today is day minus 7.

We got off to a bad start when I was checking in and the nurse asked me why I was here. That was a little alarming, but we quickly got over it and got down to business. I requested, and received, a larger bed. The first one was quite small and uncomfortable. The new bed is larger and uncomfortable.

Treatments are underway to and I am holding up well. No nausea yet. I have been extremely tired, but that's a result of the drugs I'm getting to prevent nausea. I've pretty much been sleeping for the last 24 hours.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Here We Go Again

Well, what a difference a year makes. In case you have not heard, I've had a pretty fun year. If you detect some sarcasm, you're right. After finishing up chemotherapy for Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in September 2006, I began going through checkups every three months.

At the six month marker, I had some suspicious lymph nodes show up on a scan. I opted not to do a biopsy because it would have been major surgery to get to the location of the nodes. The nodes had grown by July to the point where a biopsy could be done with a needle. In September, my worst fears were confirmed - I was dealing with a relapse.

That was the bad news. When you are in a situation like this, you look for good news. The good news was that the disease was not that widespread and that there was a proven treatment with a high cure rate. Of course, that rate is not 100%, so don't stop praying.

I started chemotherapy treatments treatments in September. Unlike last Summer, this mix of drugs really knocked me out. I got the treatments over three days, and pretty much slept for the next three days. Then, I would be back on my feet and feeling pretty normal. No real nausea to speak of, just a feeling like someone parked a bus on top of me.

After just two cycles of these treatments, I am again in remission. There is no detectable sign of the disease on my latest tests. With that good news, those treatments are over...

Unfortunately, that's not the end of the road. The next step is a big one. I will be undergoing what is called a stem cell transplant. This is similar to a bone marrow transplant, but not as invasive.

Stem cells are the foundation for many of the cells in the body. In simple terms, they have the ability to infinitely replicate themselves, and turn into other things - like white blood cells. These are not embryonic cells that are the subject of heated political and ethical debates. They are adult stem cells, and are the foundation for the body's entire immune system.

The procedure is pretty intense - take the stems cells out, destroy everything, put the stem cells back. My stem cells have been taken out of my body and frozen. This week, I check into the hospital for some major doses of chemotherapy - many multiple times that which I mentioned earlier that made me feel like a bus was parked on top of me. I guess this will be like a fleet of buses.

The intent of the chemo is pretty straightforward - kill everything except for me. Because chemo is not selective, it kills the good cells with the bad. It will destroy my entire immune system. Optimally, it will take care of the Lymphoma cells as well. Soon after I complete the chemo regimen, I get my stem cells back. They go and do their thing and regenerate my immune system in what is expected to be a Cancer-free body.

Because my immune system will be compromised, I cannot see visitors during the process, which should take anywhere from two to four weeks.

What can you do? I am using my own stem cells for this procedure because tests have shown that they are not diseased. However, there is another option at the end of the transplant routine. Instead of using my own stem cells, I could use someone else's. This option would require a donor that is a match to my cells. Using someone else's cells is a much riskier procedure than I am undergoing. However, should this treatment fail, I will need to find a matching donor.

This is where you can help. You can get yourself tested and put into the National Bone Marrow Registry. It's a simple blood test to get into the Registry, and you could end up saving someone's life. Should you actually prove to be a match for someone down the line (or me), the process of donating cells is a simple procedure done through the blood.

Keep in mind, once you are in the Registry, you are in the database for anyone seeking a donor - not just me. You may be helping someone else that is currently fighting disease or that may be fighting it in the future. I'll let you know how you can get into the database in a later post.

I'll be using this site to communicate with all of you over the next few weeks. I'll be hooked up with WiFi at the hospital, so you can send me emails at alex.sarafian@gmacfs.com or alex_sarafian@hotmail.com. I hope to post at least once a day, but that really depends on how I'm feeling.

That's all for now...