Friday, December 31, 2010

Attitude.

Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Back home today.

Back home from the hospital today. Finally can get a good nights sleep, then back to the clinic for blood tests and Dr. visit tomorrow at 8:00 am. How fortunate I am to have such a great bone marrow transplant team at SCCA watching over me so closely.

Eric

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Still here in the Hosptial - feel fine (normal).

Still here in the hospital. Feels more like jail since I am not allowed to go out of my room because they don't want this virus to spread. It's a bit frustrating because they say it's a serious virus, yet they still don't have any test result back from last Thursday's test to determine if I still have the virus or not! Normally, the result should come back the next day but the weekend and the holidays have delayed things. They are still doing the 2-hr treatment every 8 hrs so it is good that I am staying healthy with this treatment. My only symptom is a runny nose. I am exercising daily and eating lots and skyping with Toshiko and Tyler. They said the longest I would be here is 10 days. Hopefully I can get out a day early and be home for new years.

Eric

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Back in the hospital.

This week I have some very minor signs of a cold. A test came back showing it to be RSV - a respiratory virus similar to the common cold but at higher risk of causing pneumonia. The doctors concluded the safest thing to do is treat it now as a prevention so is doesn't spread to my lungs. The treatment is called Ribavarin treatment. It's done in the hospital 3 times a day, 2 hours each time. They put an enclosed clear plastic square "bubble" over the bed and run ventilator that humidifies the medicine and I wear a mask to breath it in. Not sure how many days I'll be here, but sounds like at least 5 days or so. I started last night.

Eric

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Day-80 bone marrow test clear. No Cancer.

The day-80 post-transplant bone marrow test came back clear today. Complete remission. This is the last bone marrow test the transplant team will do. The next bone marrow test will be sometime during the next year when I go back to my regular Oncologist.

I still have skin rash issues as a result of GVHD but it seems to be getting better with the steroids. So, we are going to try tapering the steroids again and see how I respond. I had a Long-term-follow-up training course today in preparation to depart the transplant team. It was quite informative. I learned that GVHD could be quite possibly be hanging around for a year or so and also I really need to be cautious for basically 1 year as I am still on immunosuppresant drugs. Also, my new immune system is still quite young. They have lot's of rules, and do's & don't's. I'll be getting all new immunizations at the one year mark (next Sept) also.

I have reached a milestone this week. I could not have done this without all the incredible outpouring of love and support from my loving Family, Friends, Doctors, Nurses and one very special donor. It is simply amazing how many people have come together to cure me. Words cannot express how grateful I truly am.

Eric

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Lots of tests this week...

...Starting with my day-80 post-transplant bone marrow test and spinal tap tomorrow. This is the last time they are scheduled to do these tests before releasing me from the transplant team - what a relief - they are not fun. Then, on Wednesday I have Xrays, dental exam, blood tests, Dr. meeting, and a Long-term Departure orientation class. Friday; med-photo's, CT scan, more blood tests. I am both excited and nervous about this week. While they are tests that are signifying the end of the transplant process, they are also tests where the doctors are checking very close for anything abnormal.

Currently, in addtion to my other 13 daily meds, I am still on the high-dose steroids (70 mg of prednisone/day) because they are still trying to get my GVHD skin rash completely under control. Last Friday, they also started me on another drug (Mylophenolate) to control the skin rash which doesn't have as bad of side effects as prednisone. So, the plan is to hopefully start to taper the prednisone this week.

The rash is getting better and and I just feel great. Toshiko and I were able to go to a friends birthday party Friday and also my company Christmas party Saturday night. We had a wonderful time. It was great seeing and talking with all of my friends there. It was a bit emotional for me as it has been almost exactly one year since my diagnosis and it just felt great to be among friends and feeling somewhat "normal" again after such a very long, very tough year.

Eric