9.35 million!!!

November 7th - Got to the hospital around 7 on the 7th.  Labs were drawn first on the fourth floor.  Then down a floor for my catheter.  Steve, my nurse, came out to the waiting room to get me ard 8.    He got me in a hospital gown, put in my line for drugs, read and had me sign stuff, got me warm blankets then disappeared.  I finally asked if Bill could come back.  We waited another hour.  It was exactly 3 1/2 hours till they took me back to put in my catheter.  Was a little upset about this.  Put me out.  Then Bill wheeled me to get our car and back to hotel.  Rested 2 hours, then back to hospital for meetings, and shots of neurogen.  Done around 7 PM.  Then off to Urgent Care for Bill. He was bitten by something when we were sitting outside Sunday night.  Continued to swell.  3 nurses told him he needed to go to Urgent Care.  He listened.  Tetanus shot, steroid shot and script for antibiotics. The nurse practitioner told him that the steroid shot was going to feel like a horse kicked him in the butt.  He was in pain for over an hour.  Swelling down some.  Will start script tomorrow.  May have it looked at when we get home.

Today, November 8th - today was stem cell collection day.  Checked in to Moffitt at 8:15.  Taken to the apheresis room to prepare for a day of stem cell collection for my transplant.  Really was overwhelming and there comes the tears but mostly the fears.  Nurse talked with me awhile and ordered me an anxiety pill.  Did the trick. I slept most of the draw from 9 to 2:15.  The machine whirled away while I slept and Bill read.  Finally Carole, my caring nurse, came in and said that I was done for today.  They would call me within 4 to 5 hours to let me know how stem cells they got.  Here's the call I received "Can I speak to Kathy please? ". "This is Kathy".  "Kathy, this is Megan from BMT team.  You were to collect 4 million stem cell.  Well, you not only hit your goal, you more than doubled them with 9.35 million stem cells collected.  Congratulations!!"  Wow.  What a message.  What a calm over Bill and I.  What a great hug between us.  So we can go home tomorrow for a few days before my check in to Moffitt on the 12th.  So we can go home for a few days and see Tommy.  So we can go home for a few days before my 30 days in Tampa.  Just so we can go home.
Need to stop at Moffitt to flush my catheter and take off for home.

Quote:

I couldn't have made it this far without Bill!