Day 16/100 For Richard and I Have New Information

White cells are at .6 !!!!



I came to the hospital around 11pm yesterday (thanks for driving me Dad), and got to visit with Norma for little while before she haded back for lunch at the lodge. She'll be back again today, I would guess around 10:30am.

Richard looks great. I'm not just saying that. His colour is great. His face is nice and full. He still has some summer freckles, I think from the radiation. His eyebrows are still holding on for dear life for me.

However, he feels horribly (which is not out of the ordinary for the situation, of course). His mouth is not too sore, I think he put the pain at about a 3 or 4 out of 10. But his throat is still VERY sore, like a 7 or 8 out of 10. With Richard not being a complainer, I would guess that many of us would feel that pain as a 9 or 10 out of 10 if it were us experiencing it.

Yesterday, he was using the suction a lot rather than swallowing, but today, not so much.

He said that he had a really bad sleep. Although he isn't taking the anti-hiccup meds that make him hallucinate, he's still having crazy dreams and he says that they repeat themselves. Last night's 'nightmare' took place in Costco and he was frustrated because he just couldn't figure out if a certain product was a good deal or not. He just couldn't do the calculations and it was driving him crazy. So, he started calling out for help in his dream. "Help, Sonja, get me out of here."

If only we had Freud around to figure that one out.

I went to the dream-moods dictionary and here's what it said about being in a store:
Department Store
To dream that you are in a department store, suggests that you are trying to fulfill your needs and desires. Consider the significance of what you are shopping for and how you may be lacking that item in your life.

So I asked Richard what he was trying to buy in the dream and he said it was a multi-function player. DVD, Blueray, but it also played cassettes and records I guess he's lacking that item in his life right now.

Now, I then checked on the 'calculation' portion of the dream and here's what it said:
Math
To dream about mathematics, indicate that you are evaluating a situation in your waking life where you need to be more rational in your thinking. Try not to act on your emotions.

To dream that you are unable to solve a mathematical problem or equation, parallels a waking problem where you may be confused about. The dream may offer a hint toward a new approach to this waking problem.�Something does not add up in your life.

I would say that makes sense. Think rationally, Richard....lol.


When the oncologist or resident came in yesterday (one of my favourites), he asked if we had any questions, and of course, I did.

I wanted more clarification about grapht vs. host disease. I asked my questions and in a nutshell, here's the information I got back.

This is not an exact quote -

His white cells going up, is yes, an indication that the grapht is taking hold and starting to do it's job.

There is no set period of time that we're watching for things to go wrong. Like, I had kind of hoped that it was like a 2 week window and if nothing went wrong, then it would all be a good ride from there, but no.

The whole 100 days is the 'acute' period during which Grapht vs. Host can take place at anytime. The 100 days is also, give or take depending on the meds he receives. Like, the Methotrexate helps 'slap the stem cells in the face' so to speak so they don't come in all cocky and just start doing their own thing. A b*#ch-slap if you will. To put them in their place.

After the 100 days, Grapht vs. Host can still occur anytime for the rest of his life! ARG! It would be considered to be 'chronic' at this point.

Although, Richard's white cells are up and haemoglobin is pretty stable, but not high, and his platelets seem to be holding around 17-ish, he's been getting some nose bleeds (yesterday's brought on by a sneeze) that last about 10 minutes or more. Today they will give him platelets. The oncologist just came in and informed him a few minutes ago.

On the plus side, yesterday's nurse said that she wanted Richard to try this motion-sickness patch behind his ear for his nausea. During the time I was here yesterday, he vomited 2 or 3 times, but once she put the patch on, he hasn't vomited since!!! That's exciting to me, but Richard still feels nauseated. However, not vomiting, means not putting his esophagus through even more pain, so that's a positive.

I think it's great that he hasn't vomited since about 4pm yesterday and I think him not using the suction today is a testament to that. His throat must not hurt as badly! Putting him on this 72hour patch means they had to take away one of his meds. He's still allowed to have the Gravol and the ativan and something else, but no Maxoram.

Richard's nausea and mucositis and everything else that's making him feel badly should be starting improve while his white cells are going up. He should start feeling better soon!

Norma's thinking of heading to the Island for a week. That will probably be soon, as the most opportune time is while Richard is in the hospital still. Once he's in the lodge, it will be very helpful to have his mom there with him for so many reasons....
1. It's his mom. Who wouldn't want their mommy when they're sick!
2. He can share a lodge room with his mom instead of some random stranger which is nice when he's feeling as badly as he is and so weak.
3. She can walk with him to the hospital.
4. She can get stuff for him, like food and such, as he's feeling better and eating more, but possibly still too weak to get it himself.


I'll be heading back home and to pick up the boys today from my mom. I'll bring the boys back to visit on Sunday again, as AJ's skateboarding lesson got moved due to the facility not having been completed yet last week!! He's so excited about that!

I took some pictures of Richard yesterday so you can see for yourself how he looks. I remembered the real camera this time.

When Norma gets here, I'll have her take a picture of Richard and I and I'll take a picture of her and Richard.

I'll post those later tonight or tomorrow, hopefully.


84 to g0.