A long day

Gee.  It is late Friday.  Really it's early Saturday morning.  I'm hungry but there's really nothing to eat in this house.  I didn't have time to go grocery shopping today.  That's because I went to the local hospital with John instead.

Just another little setback.  About three days ago John found this big lump in his arm.  It turned out to be an infection under the skin.  At any rate, it has been giving him a fever for a week or two.  We thought the fever was this cold or bronchitis he has been trying to kick.  But it turns out it is this infection he has on his arm, which is causing this giant lump on his arm. 

Well, after hearing about the lump from John's local oncologist on Wednesday, Dr. Claxton had his nurse call John today and tell him that he would need an IV antibiotic.  John was told he would get the Vancomycin (IV antibiotic) at our local hospital every other day (that's 7 doses) for the next 14 days.  All of this will take a big chunk of time out of our schedule, because it takes several hours a day for John to get the IV. 

The good thing about it though, is this time I won't have to be doing home IVs!  I have had to do those in the past.  But the insurance company wants the IVs done in the hospial.  So I am excited about that!  From now on they will either be done at the local hospital or the hospital in Hershey.

So John had a fever of 100 degrees today.  That's not that high, but when he gets a fever, it usually spikes quickly.  I have to watch him this weekend and make sure it doesn't go up too high, or we will have to take him to Hershey Medical Center.  I will have to clean the house this weekend, and pack in preparation of us going, just in case.  

I am kind of tired, but what are you going to do?  You do what you have to do.

By the way, the spleenectomy John was going to have has been cancelled.  Dr. Claxton didn't say exactly why he cancelled it the other day, but he did say it had something to do with John having the transplant instead.

The spleenectomy was to stop the Hemolytic Anemia.  Since it is not going to be resolved immediately, that will mean more frequent transfusions for John.  Also, as the MDS gets worse, there will also be more transfusions.  I am wondering how often John will have to be transfused.  

Okay, so that is the picture.  No, we are not negative.  I am just saying what is going on.

Oh, and Dr. Claxton wants to continue John's chemo.  I am not sure for how many more weeks.  He has already had it for 15 weeks in a row.  Well, there were some spacers in there.  The chemo should stave off the Hemolytic Anemia some and hold back on some of the transfusions.  Sometimes I worry about chemo brain.  Actually, all the time I worry about it.

Amidst all this we do go on and have a normal life.  We have fun together, talk, do chores, go to appointments, watch the news.  Today I went to the craft store and found a hobby.  I can't quite tell you all what it is yet, because I am going to make a couple of presents.  When I am done with them I will take photos of them, and post them after I give them as presents.

Okay, I have to go, You All.  Live big!  I am listening to "I Hope You Dance".  I hope you all dance!  

Love you, Krissy :)

Tags: cancer, chemo, bone marrow transplant, stem cell transplant, Hemolytic Anemia, I Hope You Dance