Hi everyone. Well the schedule has been set for my second bone marrow transplant. It will start officially on Monday, November 17 when I will have a central venous line inserted into my chest through which everything I will be getting infused into my system while I am in the hospital will go. I will then be admitted to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte on Tuesday morning, November 18 with the heavy dosage of chemo to be administered that afternoon. It will be a rest day on Wednesday and then the actual transplant will take place on Thursday, November 20. I then play the waiting game in a somewhat protective environment as my immune system will first crash and then begin the rebuilding process. I will remain in the hospital until my ANC number (immune system count) gets to a certain level for two consecutive days after which I will be discharged to outpatient status and go home. Ill then spend the next two weeks or so going to the Levine Cancer Center clinic for checkups and blood work and until such time that they officially discharge me altogether. I then head home and recuperate for as long as it takes my immune system to get stronger which could be a couple of months. I spent 19 days in the hospital during my first transplant, 11 days as an outpatient and then three months at home before finally being approved to return to work in an office setting (I plan on working from home during this time), eating at restaurants, going to a movie and being around crowds without having to wear a mask, which I will have to do all the time outside of the house once I leave the hospital and until my release. Im ready to go and get this over with. I feel really good health-wise and couldnt be in better shape going in, so wish me luck. Ill send reports from the hospital to keep you all updated on my progress. Have a happy Thanksgiving.
Posted on: Thu, 06 Nov 2014 00:51:35 +0000