So what has happened in January and February?

Friday February 7, 2014

So, it looks like I might be going home today! For those of you that are not on Facebook this will be some news to you.

I went into Butterworth for my second round of consolidation chemo on January 13th. My bone marrow was not really back into full production mode from my previous chemo. But, Dr. Brinker felt it was time to do the chemo again so we did. I got out on the 18th and all the while my bone marrow was going up and down but never really bouncing back like it had before. Dr. Brinker told my that my bone marrow was fatigued and that we might have to wait an additional week before we did the next round of consolidation chemo. Waiting five weeks instead of his scheduled four.

Almost as soon as I was released from Butterworth my immune system bottomed out and I was put on Neupogen shots to try to stimulate white blood cell production.

I had only had blood products 3 times between the first consolidation chemo and this consolidation chemo and I had come home with a PIC line that wasn't being used for blood draws. To me it was a risk as a source of infection and if I wasn't going to need it I wanted it out. Not to include the maintenance that we needed to do at home etc. So, when I left Butterworth I had them pull out the PIC line. That would turn out to be a bad decision or at least one where maybe I should have had them take that one out and put in another.

Since my bone marrow was fatigued Dr. Brinker warned my that I would need more blood products this time around and I would be more fatigued myself. Well he was definitely correct on that one. Little did either of us know how bad it would be this time.

I started on daily Neupogen shots January 21st and have been on them ever since. It hasn't been until the last few days that any production of white blood has occurred. But I am glad that my bone marrow is finally starting to respond somewhat. That is because my compromised immune system put me back into the hospital because I got a bacterial infection that my body could not fight.

So, on January 25th I ended up in the emergency room at Lakeland St. Joe at around 11:30 p.m. Out of Butterworth hospital for just a week I was back in another hospital for how long I did not know.

You see at around 9:30 p.m. I started getting chills and shaking. This happened to me before, the night before I ended up in the ICU with sepsis and both Cindy and I were a little nervous. My temperature started at 98.0 F at 9:30 and climbed to 100.7 F at 10:30. So at first we called Dr. Patel's service, who is being a satellite doc for Dr. Brinker, and got the doctor on call who told me to wait it out and see if it got better overnight. Cindy was like hell no you call Brinker's office and talk to them. Dr. O'Rourke told me I should go to an emergency room right away and so we headed to Lakeland St. Joe. We got here around 11:30 and I have been in the hospital ever since.

Of course they have had me on IV's and daily antibiotics along with blood transfusions and platelets. So many times that I lost count and I really can't keep it straight. The decision to pull the PIC line made this hospital stay very painful for me. They had problem after problem with getting IV's started I am bruised and it was really rough because the first week every blood draw was by needle and they all hurt.

Because of the fever, headache and my compromised immune system this meant that I couldn't get another PIC line put in until the fever was gone and my platelets were high enough that I would easily clot when one was put in. This magic day did not happen until Sunday, February 2nd. But I tell you I am so glad it did! There were several times that the PIC line nurses were in my room looking for veins that could support a PIC line and they were not finding very many choices. That was making me really nervous because I was at my wits end getting stuck with needles so many times. It has been nice having the PIC line back in and this one will need to stay until I am done with my chemo.

My immune system has been compromised for so long this time I and my doctors were wondering if it was going to recover. It still is not to a level were it can easily fight infection. But, it is on an upward trend and enough for them to consider letting me go home and give myself Neupogen shots. My bone marrow is still not producing platelets and red blood cells for hemoglobin that I need so there is going to be CBC test that are needed and more blood products. But, being out of the hospital will be nice.

My counts today after platelets on Wednesday and two pints of blood yesterday were are good today. My WBC is 0.7, hemoglobin 10.1, platelets 35 and ANC 0.5. We have been waiting for my WBC and more importantly my ANC to get to 0.5 with no fevers so I could go home and hopefully that will happen today if everything can be setup for me to continue my care from home. If not today tomorrow.

So that is what has been happening. I have been working remotely because I can do that from my hospital room and home. Which is filling my time and helping us financially. Although I am having to deal with some remote access issues which I hope will be resolved soon.

I have to say that through all this the scary part is not the chemo but what can happen when my immune system is compromised. I am lucky that we caught it early and got on large doses of antibiotics quickly. No idea were or how I got the bacteria and we never will. Just that is is gone and I am on the mend.