Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Steadily Climbing !!!
I can't believe that I haven't blogged or seen the doctor in two weeks! My visit today was good. My counts are slowly climbing! We're experiencing progress and I'm happy to report that my platelets hit a new all time high since transplant of 67 (normal 150-35), my hemoglobin is also up to 10.8 (normal 11.5 - 15.5) and my white cells are steady at 4.0 (normal 4.0-11.) These are decent numbers and I'm hoping they'll be even higher in two weeks when I visit the City of Hope again.
Around the first of December, since I'm no longer needing so many, or hopefully, any, transfusions, they are planning to remove the Hickman Catheter that I've had since May 12. The Hickman Catheter has required some upkeep; flushing each of the two lines daily with heparin after sterilizing the caps, changing the caps once a week, and changing the dressing where the catheter enters my body once per week. Even though it has required a lot of attention, this catheter has really been a lifesaver for me. The nurses have drawn all my blood tests from it, I've received every transfusion through it, I received the donor's bone marrow through it, and all those bags of various life sustaining products which hung on my I.V. tree in the hospital were all infused through this catheter. After they remove it, at every visit, the nurses will have to find a vein to draw my labs and get my counts. My veins are very small so usually they have to use the veins on the back of my hand. It once took seven sticks (attempts)to find a vein in one sitting and I was in tears. I think I'll miss my catheter, but I know it's time for it to be removed. The less you use the catheter the more chance of infection there is. So, it's really a good sign that my doctor feels it's time to remove it.
Thank you for waiting patiently for me to blog this time. Since I didn't have an appointment for two weeks and there was nothing earth-shaking happening, I didn't blog between doctor visits.
I'm so thankful that I'm not requiring transfusions and I'm ever so grateful for all of you who donated or tried to donate your blood and/or platelets from May until just recently. Saying "Thank You" seems so small, so inappropriate under the circumstances, but I don't know how to show my deepest appreciation for such an act of kindness and love. So even though "Thank you" isn't enough, know that you have brought me to this point with your elixir of life! My deepest appreciation to all of you!!!!
I also must thank those of you who supported my family and I in other ways over the last almost six months! It has been quite an ordeal for all of us, but many of you really hung in there as if you were traveling on this journey right along with us. I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the wonderful meals that were bestowed on my family during my absence (and even when I came home from the hospital), all the emails, cards, rides for the boys, thoughts, and prayers! I love all of you and thank you all for the outpouring of support during this other difficult period. Love to all of you! Nancy
Around the first of December, since I'm no longer needing so many, or hopefully, any, transfusions, they are planning to remove the Hickman Catheter that I've had since May 12. The Hickman Catheter has required some upkeep; flushing each of the two lines daily with heparin after sterilizing the caps, changing the caps once a week, and changing the dressing where the catheter enters my body once per week. Even though it has required a lot of attention, this catheter has really been a lifesaver for me. The nurses have drawn all my blood tests from it, I've received every transfusion through it, I received the donor's bone marrow through it, and all those bags of various life sustaining products which hung on my I.V. tree in the hospital were all infused through this catheter. After they remove it, at every visit, the nurses will have to find a vein to draw my labs and get my counts. My veins are very small so usually they have to use the veins on the back of my hand. It once took seven sticks (attempts)to find a vein in one sitting and I was in tears. I think I'll miss my catheter, but I know it's time for it to be removed. The less you use the catheter the more chance of infection there is. So, it's really a good sign that my doctor feels it's time to remove it.
Thank you for waiting patiently for me to blog this time. Since I didn't have an appointment for two weeks and there was nothing earth-shaking happening, I didn't blog between doctor visits.
I'm so thankful that I'm not requiring transfusions and I'm ever so grateful for all of you who donated or tried to donate your blood and/or platelets from May until just recently. Saying "Thank You" seems so small, so inappropriate under the circumstances, but I don't know how to show my deepest appreciation for such an act of kindness and love. So even though "Thank you" isn't enough, know that you have brought me to this point with your elixir of life! My deepest appreciation to all of you!!!!
I also must thank those of you who supported my family and I in other ways over the last almost six months! It has been quite an ordeal for all of us, but many of you really hung in there as if you were traveling on this journey right along with us. I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the wonderful meals that were bestowed on my family during my absence (and even when I came home from the hospital), all the emails, cards, rides for the boys, thoughts, and prayers! I love all of you and thank you all for the outpouring of support during this other difficult period. Love to all of you! Nancy
