You're special!

We left here this morning around 7 but had to turn around because I forgot my shoes.  Had my house shoes on. So left at 7:15 and got home around 6.  Stopped at Walmart Neighborhood Market.    Got to Tampa around 9:20.  First appt, 10 o'clock, was in the hospital section of Moffitt.  2 1/2 hour Transplant class.  Very informative.  But why do people ask such dumb questions?  Then we were able to see a room.  A room that will be my home for at least two weeks.  Great size. Has a sofa bed in for Bill.  He will go back and forth for those two weeks I am in the hospital.  Next appointment was at 1 to meet with social worker.  Then on to meet with Dr. Ochoa. First his nurse, Kelly, came in to see if we had any questions for her.  Nothing but can't wait till Dr. Ochoa tells me all reports are good and the transplant is a go.  She said she didn't see a problems.  Left for a bit and came back in.  This time she had news for us.  Not nice news.  Our insurance company would not authorize the go ahead for the transplant until I saw a pulmonary specialist.  There were some breathing tests that had some lower % and not in the ranges that they considered acceptable for a transplant to be done.  Oh, I had the remainder of this this week and two days next week to get an appointment and get info back to Moffitt so they could resubmit to insurance company and get an authorization number so as not to move the transplant out to a further date.  Blood pressure 1000/1000!!   Tears about to fall.  Bill and I said a few choice words.  Then we got on our phones to email Desiree from Cancer Center at home to see if she could help.  Before this could happen, Kelley came back in the room and said the financial guy just called her and said all was okay now.  Insurance reviewed again with some director and they approved.  Kelly kept apologizing.  15 minutes of pure agony.  Poor Bill.

Didn't finish this last night so this is all about yesterday.  So totally exhausting day yesterday was.

Dr. Ochoa finally came in.  All tests good.  Transplant a go.  Wasn't concerned the pulmonary tests that were lower would cause any problems with the transplant.  But was baffled about my IgE test.  These are antibodies that play a role in allergic reactions.  But is also a test for Myeloma.  My test results were 50,000 (could be more but that's how high the test goes). Normal is 217.  If this is the cause of my Multiple Myeloma, this is a very rare Myeloma.  He said, "If so, you're special!"  He and my oncologist are conversing over the next few days regarding this test.  Really won't know anything until after the transplant regarding the IgE test.  Will watch my numbers. Had at least an hour and a half visit with Dr. Ochoa.  Had to ask the question, what is the rate of patients who do not make it?  I had read the side effects of this high dose chemotherapy I will be having and that was one of them.  I know if just one person has reported a side effect of any meds, the drug company has to report it.  But I read this and it concerned me.  He explained that it's very rare but it does happen.  Love an honest doctor.

I am a very positive, strong  person regarding my cancer but no one knows how scared I am inside about what all is coming up.  No one knows what all I will be going through to get ready for the transplant.  Or the actual transplant and the weeks afterwards till I am able to go home.  Or the 4 to 6 month recovery time once I am home.  Or the one year for the recovery of my immune system to be normal again.  As I said, no one knows how SCARED I am!   Had to let it out.  Still SCARED  though!!

Here is my schedule for transplant.

Nov 4, 5, 6, 7 - shots of Neprogen to help grow mores cells
Nov 7 - lab work and placement of catheter in chest
Nov 8 - stem cell collectIon called apheresis - can take from 5 to 8 hours
             goes in the apheresis machine using the catheter then into bags to be used for transplant later
             If not enough cells collect, will collect more on the 9th
Nov 12 - admission to hospital
                high dose chemotherapy
Nov 13 - rest
Nov 14 - transplant

Then recovery!!

Quote:

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us!