Journal 2/26

Journal 2/26

Main Page • John's Journal • CLL Information • Contact John • Seattle Cancer Care Alliance • MD Anderson

Ten days since transplant. Each day that passes is one day closer to full
recovery. I am very tired as I write this journal. I was up almost every
hour rinsing my mouth and hitting the button on my PCA for increased doses of
pain medication. The mouth pain from the mucositis continues to be pretty
bad. The worst pain is at night when my mouth is dry. The pain doctor
switched my pain medication from Dilotid to Fentanyl. I am not sure the
Fentanyl was any better. Hard to imagine, but upon examining my mouth, my
doctors said my mouth looks pretty good. Some patients get mucositis so bad
their mouth and throat swell up, making breathing difficult. The key to
managing mucositis continues to be frequent rinsing with saline solution.

My hematocrit is down to 22% today. I will have a transfusion of two units
of blood later this morning. My platelets went from 8,000 up to 25,000
yesterday. However, the platelets have dropped this morning to 15,000. I
will probably get platelets again tomorrow. As a result of low platelets, I
have several small, red/purple colored bumps around my ankles called
petechia. It is normal to get petechia when your platelets get real low.
The petechia are not painful and will clear up as my blood counts return to
normal. Nose bleeds are common as well. The capillaries (small blood
vessels) in your nose bleed easily when platelets are low. It is important
not to blow your nose, because you could easily rupture the capillaries and
cause extensive bleeding.

My good friend Jeff returned from his Hawaiian vacation and spent most of the
day with me yesterday. A former student, Travis, and his mom came up
yesterday also. It was good to visit with Travis, he is a great kid. Steve
and Jennifer, friends from church, came by in the evening.

I had a visit with another cancer patient up here on the same floor as me.
His name is Chad. He has only been married about a month. He is going
through high dose chemotherapy to fight a form of acute leukemia. His
attitude is strong and his treatments seem to be going well. It is great to
see other patients with an "I will beat it!" attitude. What a tough way to
begin your marriage. Going through this together, however, will make them
stronger.

Michelle and my 8 year old son Kyler stayed with me last night. Kyler was
psyched to be here. I was so glad to have him here too. I highly recommend
slumber parties when staying in the hospital. It makes a big difference. So
glad the days of staying in a bubble when getting transplant are over. I
can't imagine being cut off from your loved ones for such a long time.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.
Psalm 46:1

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