Gil is smiling. He's just read in the NY Times that Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize. Well-deserved. It's going to be a good day!I took this photo at 7:25 am this morning. He's sitting at his computer surrounded by his continuously running IVs and his dry-erase board on the wall behind him where you can barely make out the words "Day One!"
Today is Day +2 (day plus two) since the transplant and this is how Gil and his Karmanos team will count his days during his stay here and in the immediate post-transplant weeks and months ahead.
It's been interesting to learn from the oncology attendings and fellows and pharmacists what we might expect as the days go forward.
Engraftment Syndrome symptoms can manifest themselves in the next 5-8 days. Day +2 is when the expected drop in neutrophils, platelets and red blood cells is expected. That's today. So we wait for the "morning labs" to come back.
When the counts drop to zero, we need to be super-vigilant about hand washing and infection prevention. Fortunately, this unit is HEPA filtered which means no need for wearing masks as staff come in and out of our room and as we walk the hallways.
Genie leaves for California today after having been with us since September 20th.
Obviously, we "couldn't have done it without her!" has much greater meaning than what is usually implied by that phrase.
(Literally, we could not have done it without her healthy, hearty, happy-go-lucky stem cells.)
Marika travels from Santa Barbara to LA for the weekend to spend a few days with her brothers. Evan takes his 6-week rotation exam on the Renal System today. Adam continues working in his lab today pushing his PhD work forward.
I'm going home for a few hours today to visit with our border collies, Haley and Jamie. I'm lucky to be able to take breaks and go home to see the leaves turning and check on things.
Mainly I'm happy staying with Gil, reading my latest book for Book Club (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), searching on the computer for all sorts of information about stem cell transplants, and being a most loving wife.
(Fingers crossed for a relatively mild recovery period.)
Haiku:
World peace advocate
Obama gets recognized.
Today who could ask for more?
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