skies and watch the boats cruising through the Montlake cut. It's great.
I'll probably take a walk when it warms up. I try to walk or ride my
stationary bike everyday. Exercise is important. The more strength I can
maintain during the transplant the faster I will recover when I go home. I
can't push too hard though, because my body is usually pretty tired and with
a low Hematocrit(RBC) level I don't have my normal endurance. Another
important thing is to try and eat as much as I am capable. Having food go
through my system keeps the GI tract healthier and recovery from mucositis
(extreme soreness in GI tract due to chemo/radiation) is faster. You lose
your appetite due to nausea and soreness of the GI tract, so eating isn't
pleasant. I have been consuming less than half the calories I normally do,
causing me to lose about 10 pounds during my first two weeks here. They will
probably begin supplementing my diet with nutrients through the Hickman Port.
Today, I was given omeprazole(pill for reducing stomach acid and
diflucan(antifungal pill).
Yesterday was tough. I had the worst case of uncontrollable hiccups I
have ever experienced. Hiccups are caused when your diaphragm(breathing
muscle) spasms uncontrollably. Usually, when you get hiccups they go away
after a short while. Chemotherapy induced hiccups, however, are intense and
they last a long time. My hiccups started yesterday at about 9am and didn't
go way until 6:30pm. Sometimes the hiccups would be very forceful and
painful. I kept calling them rapid fire hiccups because I would have four or
five in succession and I'd lose my breath. The patient next door said she
could hear them. The doctors tried different medications such as Baclavan
which didn't help. I tried everything to stop them such as holding my
breath, drinking warm or cold drinks, and placing sugar under my tongue.
Nothing worked. Finally, around dinner time they gave me a Baclavan and a
medicine called Reglan and after eating dinner the hiccups stopped. I was so
relieved. The hiccups returned later in the evening, but another dose of
Reglan caused them to go away. Interesting note: One of my doctors told me
of a study which found that if you hiccup more than 7 times, you will
continue to hiccup at least 70 more times no matter what. Sounds like that
was an interesting research project:)
It is always great to have friends and family stop by. It makes my day.
Even when I don't feel great and I just lay quietly it is nice to have people
near. Yesterday, Pastor Onken came by and we shared a prayer. My father in
law Bill (Pastor Potthoff), recently retired pastor, also came up with my son
Tanner. My favorite visitors are always Michelle and my boys. Michelle went
home with her dad earlier in the day so she could spend some time at home
with our boys. A high school friend of mine, Don Johnson, spent a good part
of the day with me. It was nice to visit with him and he helped me out a lot
with little tasks around my room. My brother in law Kenny Gostelli and his
oldest son Zac came by in the evening. Zac brought me a cool Cannondale
bandana for when my hair falls out...which should be pretty soon. My good
friend Jeff Nelson came by in the
afternoon. He is the funniest guy ever. Perhaps I mentioned this already, but Jeff is the one who put together this
website for me. What a great tool it has been. Finally, Kevin Johnson, my
good friend and teaching colleague came up and spent the night. We had a fun
time talking, reading funny jokes, and watching Monty Python's Holy Grail.
Kevin is 6'8" and he slept on the fold out bed in my room. I am sure he
didn't sleep in comfort.
As I mentioned yesterday, my blood counts are pretty low. Yesterday, my
platelets were at 14,000 so they gave me a transfusion of platelets which
brought my counts up to 24,000. This morning, however, they were back down
to 18,000. My hematocrit has really dropped. I am at 25%. Therefore, I
will most likely receive a transfusion of RBC (red blood cells) and platelets
today. I am so thankful people give blood. If not, people like me wouldn't
make it. If a person is healthy and able, they should give blood as often as
possible. So many lives are saved by blood donors.
Here is a great verse to cling to when you deal with difficult times:
Yet, the strength of those who wait with hope in the Lord will be renewed.
They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not be weary. Isaiah
40:31