Saturday, October 10, 2015

Still Here

Day 4-5 after stem cell infusion is when shits supposed to go down hill.  I hit day 6 3/4 and was still feeling like a champ.  Only things that were bothering me was my burning butt hole, that they make be put a numbing agent on and my beard started to fall out.  I was scratching my face and looked at my fingers, which reminded me of my palms in high school.  Off came the beard.
The other thing was I went 3 days with out sleeping.  Tried everything and anything and got nothing.  I would lay in the bed, looking at the ceiling til 6AM and then maybe go out for a hour or so until there was a nurse shift change and my new care giver would wake me to introduce herself, as well as take vitals.  Doc Hanson suggested we get on some Oxy for the throbbing pain in the ass, as well as the rough mouth that was starting to happen.  Then a hour or so later, they'd stack an Ambian on top of it.  The first night they did that, I made it to 8AM in the morning the next day.  That was Thursday.  We repeated that cocktail on Friday and I got maybe 4 hours.  Then last night we doubled down on the Ambian, and I still got about 4 hours.
Yesterday I had a few visitors.  It was awesome.  Time was flying.  I had to get a plasma infusion as well as a red blood cell infusion as my counts are starting to tank.  Which there supposed to do.  That's what chemo does.  Kills shit.  Kayse and I were in full chat mode when I said to her "time to go."  I had gotten the tap on the shoulder and knew the bowel movement I was about to perform was gonna rip me open.  Thank God for the game 2048.  That's my shit game.  I start sliding those things up and down, the cubes are chiming like crazy and I'm groaning like a gorilla.  Nurses must of been outside my room laughing their asses off.
Post poop, I literally felt like shit.  I got my 3rd of 4 apres stem cell anti GVHD shots which just kicked me in the dick.  In bed I went and stayed there the rest of the day.  On top of that, my mouth started to act up.  I had a few blisters in there and the whole pallet feels like I burnt my mouth by drinking too hot of coffee.  As well as the swallowing of spit is now a challenge.  As I thought I was getting away with murder by bucking the trend of when you get the mouth sores, it slapped me upside the head and let me know I'm like everyone else.
On top of feeling like shit, they "informed me" that they were moving my room.  I had a negative air room that certain people need (I don't) but was in it.  We told em no problem, until Lisa went to look at my new space.  It had a view of concrete wall and was a tiny ass box.  My wife was not having it.  "Hell no you don't.  Environment is a key part of healing, and that is not a healing environment."  So the business manager of the floor came over to explain the politics of how beds work here.  Seattle Cancer Care owns some of the beds, UW owns the others and ICU owns some as well.  The box they wanted to put me in was part of whatever faction I'm part of, but there were rooms open with a view.  Business lady kept going on to Lisa about how they can't do it because of billing, this that and the other thing.  Finally I jumped in "listen lady, you can do anything you want.  Your job is policy and I respect that, but your also responsible for the patients well being.  And at the stage I'm at with this "journey" you need to forget about policy and put a human element to this decision.  Ya dig?"  She walked away, came back and said "we have a room with a view for you.  Your billing may be a little odd, but so be it."  Case closed.
I got about 4 or 5 hours sleep last night, woke up feeling better than I did yesterday afternoon, my mouth still hurt, but I was able to choke down my pills, eggs, oatmeal and a smoothie.  Then got to stretch my legs for a mile stroll thru the halls.
I'm on Day 7 out of 100, and hopefully have less than 3 weeks left in here before I can go home.

Before shave.  What you can't see is beard hair covering my tongue.  Nasty.
 Post shave.
 Thursday 3PM the door knocked and in came this dude.  He took a bus from school and we hung out for a couple of hours.  Watched the 686 movie together and Kevin Backstroms part from BNYD X MDLS.  Which is some next level shredding.  Click the link and go to minute 10 to have your mind melted.
 Frank Martin came in from Skykomish.  Gave me a town update as well as this LuLu Lemon hoodie.  My ass looks so insane in this thing.   Thanks Frank.
 My ex-friend Mike Rosen sent me out a fun ass care package before my infusion with German Stem Cells that I just got.  He no longer likes me because of that Jew vs. German bullshit.  I wanna go to therapy with him to work it out, but we'll see.  Mashooginah!
 This is my 1/2 mile route thru the hospital.  Not really to scale but whatever.  It's a half mile. 


1 comment:

  1. send pic from new room! so, you're not really in a bubble and have visitors, that is great! you are looking good, sorry that you're not feeling awesome tho. hugs c

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