Hello to everyone, sorry it’s taken me so long to update you on my progress. I was admitted to the Brigham & Women’s Hospital last Monday the 25th. On Tuesday and Wednesday I received high dose Chemotherapy for two days. I’m still feeling the side effect a week later and expect it will be several more weeks before all side effects subside.
It’s been 4 days since I received my stem cell transplant; I guess I thought it would be done with a little more fanfare or brand new high technology. Alas, no band, no music, no doctors with long blue gloves. I waited with anticipation for the moment and then the nurse walked in with a small bag that looked like a little baggie full of ketchup! It was my frozen stem cells from cryogenics; she put them in the sink to defrost! A short time later she hooked me up and it was all over in a half an hour, very anti-climatic.
My white blood cell count continues to drop; it’s expected to be down to 0% within a few days which will leave me with a non-functioning immune system. Meanwhile, back in my blood, my stem cells are rapidly circulating preparing to rebuild my immune system. It’s an amazing phenomenon that they instinctively know where to go and what it is they are supposed to do.
Today is Monday August 1st; this officially leaves me with about 2 more weeks to go. I have some strict dietary restrictions so that combined with a less than excellent kitchen results in meals that appear to have been cooked in a nearby nuclear reactor until all remnants of germs, taste and flavor are completely removed! As of today, the sign I have on my door is offering $50 for the 1st person to smuggle me a Bertucchis Pepperoni Pizza! I believe it will be up to over $100 by next weekend. Knowing my plight, I believe they are holding out waiting for me to raise the rate to $200!
This morning my Doctor confirmed my suspicion that my taste buds are once again failing. Each day narrows down the things I’m able to eat that don’t taste like cardboard. My Doctor told me not to eat anything I like because I’ll never want to eat it again when I leave!
That’s all for now, I’ll keep everyone posted as the week unfolds.
Chemo Ken
Don’t forget to check my main blog for all my updates at: http://chemokenandthereddogs.blogspot.com/
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