D +11, Numbers are Normalizing, Praying Today I Feel More Normal Too

Good morning. I am doing better. Had a bit of a bad weekend and yesterday wasn't much better. i now seem to be on the upswing numbers-wise.

-Hemoglobin is holding above 9, not quite a norm of 12.

-WBC is at 3,6 today. Normal is above 3.5.
-Platelets at 50. Platelets normal is above 150.

I also have a couple of infections they're dealing with. My hair is falling out again. I expected this but had really hoped to avoid it. Silly me. My brother helped me trim it waaaaay back! Last push of Methotrexate occurs today. Plus sides magnesium, potassium and platelets. Yum!!!

D+5- +9

My head is spinning how at the same time i can feel completely overwhelmed with as many tests and talks and more tests, so little sleep, and yet try to play host to my visitors - Dad, Mom, Chris, Gregg, Deanna, Darlene, Diane, Theresa and Marcy, Laura and Marcy and Edie and Kristi'.s Brownie troop. The girls made me a card and all signed it. Jamie 4 x. But i have been exhausted not sleeping at night. Oh and Chris helped trim my hair off. Ok. I am ready to start healing.

D + 10, What a day!

Counts going up. WBCS for the first time, reading .6 vs "less then .1". FINALLY. Now my hemi's can begin to heal. Hadn't had a bowel movement in over 2 days. Well, I woke with my first bowel movement. Very early. And its "C diff Positive." I am on an an antibiotic for that I have gotten a chest XRay , and very painful ultrasound. Which led my oncology team to reduce the BC Pills by once a day and to prescribe something else go help clear out what they had done to thicken my uterus in in their attempts to turn off the bleeding. One more dose of Methotrexate which helps with engratftment and rejection. What I really need is sleep or something like it ....

D +5 Through D +9

The last 5 days have not so fun for me. 

D +4

Still have that underlying nausea but keeping food down today...hooray! Not entirely sure but think the hair on my arms and legs is thinning. You know what that means? My noggin would be next. If you decide to go, I will miss you my hair, my friend. I have lost 10 lbs in the last almost 2 weeks. Its good I arrived with "reserves." =0)

D +3...Uggggg

Started my day not feeling bad at all but when I vomited after only 3 bites of bfast, the itinerary for my day changed. Yes, my day yesterday was ruled by nausea. Typically the usual course of Adavan has worked well but not this time. Enter Fenergan (sp?). My old friend Fenergan, introduced to me at Banner. One dose and bye bye nausea...and then I slept for the next 4 hours. The highlight of my day were visits w friends. One of my besties since childhood, Darlene, who works at Mayo, came by to visit me during her lunch break. Before she left, her mom Judy had arrived to visit too. [Fenergan break]. Then another bestie, Diane, came by to visit last night. That was a nice way to end the day!

D +2...Still Feeling Good But Numbers Are Coming Down

Due to less sleep than I normally get over a two night period, period cramping (I miss my IUD), and generally nauseous following chemo makes for one tired and emotional Dianne. So this is going to be a rest day.

D +1...Woo Hoo!

Yesterday's transfusion went well. It was uneventful. My Mom and Dad were both there, a good friend, and my brother arrived just as we wrapped up the transfusion. Aproximately 440M donor cells were transfused. They were kind of surprised as the usual "collection" is less (I think they're used to seeing cells in the 200s).

So now we wait. My nader - or window where my counts are at their lowest following chemo - is between D+5 and +12, or 4/24-5/1. After that, then we should start to see white blood cells, platelets, etc on the increase.

As I was charting out my "+" days on a calendar and after I put a great big ol' star around my +100, found it fitting that it occurs in July... The month the United States celebrates its independence through fireworks. The +100 day is significant in my recovery...

D 0, Transplant Day has Arrived!!!

I did not sleep well last night at all. Excited and nervous and tired do not even begin to describe how I am feeling right now. My parents are planning to be here in my room for the transplant. I also have some friends coming up this morning and later this evening to check on me. The process should be fairly uneventful.

April 19, 2013 will become my second birthday - Dianne 2.0's birthday - a day that I'll celebrate every year hereafter. I will still remember Dianne 1.0's birthday because it is such a cool date. Woo hoo, two birthdays in one year!

Thanks everyone for your words of encouragement and strength, your prayers, and for being there for my family and I as we've gone through this process. God bless each and everyone of you. You will all be in my heart thoughts and prayers for life.

D -1

"Bunny juice" anti rejection regimen today. Seeing cross-eyed after the dose of Benedryl I just got. Regimen takes about 6 hours to complete. Will hopefully sleep thru most if not all of it.

D -2 And A Surprise Visit

Today's medical activities include symptom management and my last dose of cell killing chemo. I am still nauseous but have found canned Campbell's Chicken Noodle soup to be the easiest to stomach. It actually smells and tastes appetizing. Nacho Cheese Dorito's a very close second (thanks Dad!).

Was paid a surprise visit by my friend Tonya, whose daughter and mine have been BFF's since they met at Sunrise 5 years ago. It was nice catching up with Tonya. It is so easy to get caught up in our lives that we forget to stay in touch with those around us. To stay connected with one another. I need to do a better job of this.

D -3 And A Side of Nausea

16 doses of Busulfan down, 2 of Cytox today and tomorrow, anti rejection meds on Thursday and then the transfusion on Friday (about 9:00 am). Then we wait.

In the meantime, my numbers are still good but my sense of smell and taste has been impacted. The worst is that whatever they use to clean the linens is making my nausea worse...I cannot stand the smell. However, I have been told I can have my own pillows brought in. And pillowslips. Thank you Jesus! Anyone got some Nacho Cheese Dorito's laying around?

D -4

Slept well. Numbers are still up. Platelets actually went up.

11.7 hemoglobin (10 something yesterday)
235 platelets (220 something yesterday)

Apparently next week is when we start crashing. Yay! In the mean time I will enjoy the fact that I still feel good. I have 4 more doses of Busulfan...will be done w those by 4:00am tomorrow. Tomorrow and the next day I get one dose of Cytoxin, each lasting about an hour or two. The day before the transfusion the focus is on antirejection. I will be so glad when I am done with chemo.

D -5, A Visit w/Kids and A New Room w/A View

Still feeling pretty good with the treatment. The docs upped the dosage to 78 mg from 50 yesterday. One of the nurses joked I was getting my money's worth. Lol. Doc Klein said I WILL lose my hair and that the Bu-Cy regimen isn't as likely to generate the chemo fueled fevers my past regimens have. Numbers are still at healthy levels though they are going down.

The chemo is definitely having an impact on my memory. Yesterday Dr Klein was Dr Stein on the way in and Mr Klein on the way out of my room. I'm sure he's heard worse. Kind of funny tho.

Yesterday my nurse asked if I would be interested in having a room with a window that looks outside vs the Mayo atrium. Like "Duh!" So this evening one of the aids throws open my room door and sees I am not packed. "You're not packed?" Guess not. But now I am in a nice corner room with two windows that look outside.

Got to see my kids and mom/dad/brother earlier. The only time I will get to see my kids during this gig...while my numbers are still normal. Still, it was in a "quiet room" and I had to wear a mask. Max was a bit freaked out by my catheter site. Hopefully he won't remember much of this when he is older.

D -6

Feeling good. Got some good sleep last night, the first time in 3 days. Have a really good nurse, Jennifer, who kind of reminds me of my cousin Deanna in her personality and some of her expressions. 5 of 16 Busulfan treatments completed. More than 25% done with this chemo regimen.

Visitors

There are no restrictions except that you must be over 13 and not sick. I have been asked about this a lot so I thought post on the topic.

4E60, Pod D

D -7, The Start of Chemo

My first dose of Busulfan begins today at 8:00 am. I feel just fine now. The site where the catheter was inserted just feels sort of like your neck feels when you slept on it wrong...just a bit sore. After the treatment i will have blood drawn every 15 min for 2 draws, then 30 min later then once an hour. They are closely monitoring my busulfan levels so that they can adjust treatment based on those levels.

Got my deprovera shot today. Apparently IUDs are a risk in terms of sources of infection.

Thanks to all for your continued thoughts and prayers!

D -8, All Admitted

Yesterday was a blur...much more than the days leading up to it for sure.  But there is only so much one can do before tou just have to "call it good" enough. So Dad and I arrived just before 8:30.

Gearing Up for Transplant

With 7 days left between now and the start of my recovery process. I am anxious to get started but afraid of what the experience will be like.