Last Wednesday, my doctor gave me the expected news that the chemo had done its job, my immune system was now suppressed enough to start medication to stimulate stem cell production needed for my autologous stem cell transplant.
Good news, but from now I'd need to remain in my room and I should only come out if necessary, wearing a face mask. The nurses had told me "this is the boring part", but I'd prepared with books, games, logic puzzles and downloaded films. I quite honestly don't recall being bored once. For example, look at all these gems I learnt:
- Did you know that 0 is an even number? I'd always considered it not.
- Inigo Montoya (The Princess Bride) is Saul Berenson from Homeland! Amazing!
- Jonas Kaufman singing "Che gelida manina" from Puccini's La Bohème makes my limbs turn to jelly and absolutely takes my breath away.
Every morning around 4:30 am, a nurse would fiddle around with the pipes in my neck, drawing blood whilst I attempted not to wake up. By the time the doctor had arrived for work the results would come back via "vacuum tube post", and on Monday morning they informed me that my stem cell collection could start the next day.
Essentially it involved being plugged in to a dialysis type machine circulating my blood three times over about 4.5 hours, extracting as many stem cells out as it could in the process. It was painless.
The goal was to extract 8-10 million stem cells per kilogram body weight. On Tuesday we got 3.6, today 3.2, and tomorrow morning as much as possible, but it will surely be over 8 in total and hopefully closer to 10. Enough for two stem cell transplants. The transplant will likely be in early to mid December.
Friday I can go home!
Hurrah!
I cannot wait for my "family cuddle"! Whenever Amy or Rosie catch Katie and I cuddling, one will shout out "family cuddle!!" then they rush to us. I always make sure I can touch everyone with at least one arm and one leg. My heart melts. It's my favourite thing in the world!
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