Vacation is over.. Get back to work.

5:30, Alarm goes off.  Smack it for the next 15-20 minutes.  Shower, dress in an easy to remove shirt.  Kids wake up, chaos, everyone in the car and we're on the road heading for VGH for a 9:30 appointment. 

I think they scheduled the Port Man bridge twinning to coincide with my relapse.  They could have at least told me - I would have planned better.

We get to the LBMT clinic, Sonja switches to the drivers seat and heads off with the boys to a park.  I head up, check off my name on the board, grab my chart, select my room, take and record my vitals, and wait for the nurse to come draw my blood.

It's like riding a bike.  It all comes back to you.

In an unusual twist of events, I didn't need a transfusion, so I was released around noon.  A record performance.

The current plan :

Tomorrow, I get to go to an Abby clinic for blood work (Yay!)

Friday morning I stop eating and drinking and I go to LBMT (Vancouver), get more blood work, tanked up with platelets, more blood work, and then off to surgery to have my fancy new hickman line installed.  They're all the rage for the fall season. 

After that, we get to head home, in rush hour, on a Friday.  I'll have an extra hole, some tubes, and plenty of drugs, so I probably will not notice much thankfully.  Sucks to be Sonja though.

Then, back again on Saturday for them to clean up the mess that is low platelet surgery.

Among all this, there is the possibility that a bed will open up and I will be admitted.  Could be Friday, could be Saturday, Sunday, etc..

I don't remember my numbers from today and I can't find my little piece of paper
- sorry Mom :)

Comments

Anonymous said…
You may be have Leukemia, but at least you're still funny!
erica
8/12/2010 10:10 AM
Anonymous said…
rumour has it that the new fad for winter is 'cancer free'. i think it will look great on you!

keep your spirits up.
thinking of you,
dione + family
8/12/2010 2:47 PM
Anonymous said…
No doubt about the twinning of the bridge-darn port mann! Private jet would be so much easier. What's the lbtm acronym-whatever it is? Where are 'normal' platelets supposed to be at? Going through this stuff must make you an 'honourary oncologist' eh? Thinking about you & fam! Kick some leukemia a*@ eh!
Ryan
Ryry
8/12/2010 9:48 PM
Anonymous said…
You are truly amazing! The humour you maintain through it all is admirable.... We'll be praying for a ROUTINE hickman procedure....you know,
"unmemorable" :)

Nathan and Kim
8/12/2010 11:33 PM
Anonymous said…
This looks like I told all my pals to go write to Richard- LOL
E.
8/13/2010 7:43 PM
AJ and Dexter's Mom said…
Ryan,
LBMT is the outpatient
Leukemia Bone Marrow Transplant
unit.

Hopefully Richard will respond with regular platelet levels. I think they're supposed to be around 120-150.
8/14/2010 9:52 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Someone's like me.

I was back in at the LBMT Thursday afternoon for blood work, hickman line flushing, and news. The good news is that there seems to be a very good chance that they have found a bone marrow match for me.  Dr. Bernard, who gave me the news, said a "95% chance" - mostly to give an out, as there are a lot of things that can go wrong still. I don't know how far along they are in the process with the donor but they are looking at starting the transplant in the next 2-3 weeks, early-mid October.  I will know more shortly after a yet to be scheduled meeting with Dr. Nevill. So, if you are one of the recent people who signed up for the registry, and have been magically called as a match, you might very well be my blood brother/sister so to speak - lol. The coming transplant scares the willies out of me as it will be the most intensive event I have been through in this whole thing, since the start over a year and a half ago.  Any grief, discomfort, etc.  I have been thoug
Read more

Thurdsay - My New Nemisis ?

Wow. Today was nasty. Tossed and turned most of the night, and then barfing in the morning. Nothing to come out, just there to taunt me, and let me know who's boss. Then there was the tightness of the chest, and some pain in my arm. Well, that started a flury of activity. ECG, blood work, etc. ECG looks good, there were some blood signed that the heart might have been in distress. They will be putting me on some drugs to help my heart mellow out just in case. It's all fine now, but they are being on the safe side. Tired. So very tired today. I slept most of the day, and I am only now getting into doing some stuff on the computer. Catching up with work, blog, etc. I don't have my totals for today, but the platelets and red blood cells mean I will probably be getting a transfusion tomorrow. I got to have a shower today - Yippie ! My last bag of the nasty "Red Koolaid" of death was today, so only the one Chemo drug left on tap. Still a potent brew at that, bu
Read more

Day 36, 37 - You're Fired !

Image
Day 36 - Thursday Ok, so today was another decision day.  Would the stat's be stabilized or would I get a transfusion ? Determined to be going home no matter what, I had checked out of the Lodge at 9am, and my luggage was down at the reception.  I was still there until around 12:30 when I said my goodbyes to some of the other inmates, and left for my 1pm appointment.   W 3.7 / N 1.7 / H 100 / P 60 All Up with last transfusion on Sunday. So, they start consulting if they should remove my Hickman line or not.  Just after 3pm, the decision comes down that they will remove it. At this point I feel it looks good that I will be able to have my next appointment be a week away, or at least until Monday, thus giving me the weekend. Around 3:15, Dr. Teshpar comes in to remove my Hickman line.  Most of the female doctors are more compassionate, but have a lot of difficulty when it comes to the "Causing Pain" stuff like biopsies, etc. Dr. Teshpar was not happy about h
Read more