Day -1

Day -1 was a day of rest and visitors. I spent more time in bed as my white blood counts continued to drop. Here are the days numbers:

W=1.6
H=9.1
P=57

So while the Hemoglobin and Platelet count went back up, the WBC continued to drop. This weakens my immune system and causes fatigue. To counteract that they now have me on several medications to fight infection (Cipro, Fluconozole, and IV Vancomycin). I have also begun to experience some mild nausea, so they continue to give me Ativan as needed. The drugs provide an interesting mix of side effects. Some cause drowsiness and lead to sudden naps, others give me energy to get back on the bike or to walk around the unit. I just try to listen to my body and try to keep as active as possible.

I had visits from Megan and Ethan, as well as my mom, Megan's mom, and a good friend from college, Dylan Cooper. The highlight was Ethan's new shirt that said "Daddy's My Hero." We should be able to post pictures once we have a chance to download them. It was great to see him and I could tell that he missed his daddy!

Tomorrow is the big day, Day 0, when I will receive my stem cells. I look forward to getting this started with some interpretation, however, my Dad reminded me of the food poisoning that we both had back in July. I am sure that whatever happens tomorrow will be much better than those four hours!