Evan checks in to St Joseph's Hospital at noon today for 4 days of chemo in Marshfield. He went through hospitalized chemotherapy last fall, too. It was pretty rough stuff. But, let's face it, all of this is rough stuff.
Since Evan already prepared to enter the hospital in Minneapolis, most of his hospital gear is at Alyssa's, including his quilt and pillow. He hates the smell of hospital blankets and the plastic-ness of the pillows. Naturally, I'm flattered that he wants to take one of the quilts I made and even let myself believe he had a specific favorite. When I asked (while holding it up for him to see) if he wanted to take "this log cabin quilt" that he has used every time he was hospitalized, he replied, "Sure. Is that the one I usually take?" So much for favorites. The log cabin quilt is in Minneapolis. He took a different one today and I'm sure he won't be able to identify it in a line up a month from now. Probably not even a week from now. He's still Evan.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
More chemo
Crap.
Evan got his biopsy results yesterday. He'll have to undergo more chemotherapy in Marshfield before the transplant. Maybe a month; maybe more. Time will tell.
Evan got his biopsy results yesterday. He'll have to undergo more chemotherapy in Marshfield before the transplant. Maybe a month; maybe more. Time will tell.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Still not yet ...
Evan had a lung biopsy today. Now we wait some more. Evan was told by his doctor just yesterday that he'd have some concrete information today since a pathologist would be "right there" during the biopsy; he was told today that it will be several days before they know anything. The frustration level is reaching those familiar levels of last winter. Not good.
I sat in the waiting room yesterday while Evan saw the doctor. I'd guess for about an hour. During that time, I listened to the woman at the desk detail all the movies the Harry Potter star had made, who directed each and what year they were released. I further learned what her favorite movie channel is and that she watched "Mama Mia" again just the night before, which apparently entitled her to sing along with the radio when one of the songs from the movie came on the radio. Now I freely admit that I own the "Mama Mia" soundtrack and I am easily lured into a hum-along with ABBA in my office, but the big difference is that I have my own office -- with walls -- and a door.
As it turned out, while I was being annoyed by this woman, and while Evan was in talking with his doctor, someone else from the place was calling our home in Milladore to tell him the check-in time for today's procedure. Not the cell phone. The house in Milladore. While he was in the BMT Clinic.
Now do you understand why I find it so frustrating that one doctor told him he'd have results immediately and another told him he'd know something in a few days? This is not a sliver in his finger we're talking about. This is a bone marrow transplant following his third bout of cancer in two years.
Sheesh.
I sat in the waiting room yesterday while Evan saw the doctor. I'd guess for about an hour. During that time, I listened to the woman at the desk detail all the movies the Harry Potter star had made, who directed each and what year they were released. I further learned what her favorite movie channel is and that she watched "Mama Mia" again just the night before, which apparently entitled her to sing along with the radio when one of the songs from the movie came on the radio. Now I freely admit that I own the "Mama Mia" soundtrack and I am easily lured into a hum-along with ABBA in my office, but the big difference is that I have my own office -- with walls -- and a door.
As it turned out, while I was being annoyed by this woman, and while Evan was in talking with his doctor, someone else from the place was calling our home in Milladore to tell him the check-in time for today's procedure. Not the cell phone. The house in Milladore. While he was in the BMT Clinic.
Now do you understand why I find it so frustrating that one doctor told him he'd have results immediately and another told him he'd know something in a few days? This is not a sliver in his finger we're talking about. This is a bone marrow transplant following his third bout of cancer in two years.
Sheesh.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Not yet
Evan returned from Minneapolis last Wednesday saying that his admission date was moved back to Wednesday (7/22) because he has an infection. A week's worth of antibiotics is hoped to bring him back to a good starting point. On Thursday the BMT Clinic called and told him to go to Marshfield for an influenza test. On Friday morning, the BMT Clinic called him to say they wanted him to have a lung biopsy in Marshfield; they would set it up and call back with details. They didn't. Evan will call today to see what's up.
We are all thrilled to know that Evan's brief absence from U-Minn-Fairview didn't allow them enough time to take Communications 101.
We are all thrilled to know that Evan's brief absence from U-Minn-Fairview didn't allow them enough time to take Communications 101.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
The Plan
When Alyssa and I created this blog last winter, we thought the Milladore Transplants title was catchy because it included the fact that our family as a whole was being temporarily transplanted to Minneapolis; we never dreamed that the stem cell transplant would also become plural. But it will. Very Soon.
I left home yesterday at 5:00 a.m. and headed for Eau Claire to pick up Karl and Alissa Diane. (Mapquest is wrong. Is is NOT faster to take Hwy 29.) We left Eau Claire right on schedule. Since schedules are rarely kept in our family, that in itself is worth note. At any rate, we arrived at the BMT Clinic where we were to meet Evan, who had been in Minneapolis since Tuesday for his preliminary work up (tests, tests and more tests). While I went in with Evan to meet with his nurse case manager, Karl was started on his own adventure of testing, BMT-style.
It was calendar day. The actual transplant date is day zero. Any day that is part of the transplant procedure, but before the actual transplant day is referred to as day minus-five, etc. At any rate, Evan will return next week Mon - Wed for more tests and consultations and be home for the weekend. Like this weekend, he will use that time to head north for a weekend of bear hunting. On Monday, July 20th, he will be admitted to the hospital to begin the transplant process. He will once again undergo 5 days of chemotherapy before the transplant. Unlike the last time, he will also have radiation before the transplant. While Evan undergoes chemo, Karl will begin his part. He will receive a growth factor hormone injection every day for 5 days to increase the stem cell production in his bone marrow and force those stem cells into his blood stream so they can be collected through the blood. On the 5th day, the stem cells will be collected. Evan will receive the cells the same day they are collected. Depending on how many cells can be collected from Karl in one 5-hour session (5 million are needed), that may happen for as many as three days, although we got the impression that two days will probably do it. At that point, Karl's part will be finished and Evan will begin his long road to rebuilding his immune system. Evan can expect to be in the hospital for as long as 30 days, and in Minneapolis for 100 days post-transplant. As his nurse said yesterday, "This time we're really keeping you here for 100 days," which certainly implies there will be no early release -- good behavior or not.
Karl finished all of his testing, consultations and exams by early afternoon yesterday. We weren't able to see Alyssa at all, but we're going to have lots and lots of opportunities for that over the next four months as we once again set up camp in her cute apartment. I was thrilled to be able to get out of the city before the afternoon rush hour began. We made a quick stop at Trader Joe's in Woodbury, which Karl and Alissa seemed to like as much as I do, and headed to Eau Claire. Interesting thing at TJ's: My main purpose in stopping was to buy a couple of kinds of wine to audition for Kit and Violet's wedding reception here next summer. While in the liquor section, Karl found a few beers he wanted to try. And so we have evolved from him receiving a nice sticker for bravery at the doctor's office to getting a six-pack. How times change!
At any rate, I was home again by 7 last night to find Evan packing up for his weekend of hunting and Ned firmly planted on the couch with his leg elevated on pillows as he recovers from Thursday's surgery to insert 3 screws in his ankle to mend the fracture he suffered 3 weeks ago.
All in all, Evan and Ned both will have lost most of their summer to medical procedures this year. But yesterday was a good day for the Ruesch medical compound, we just need about 110 more!
I left home yesterday at 5:00 a.m. and headed for Eau Claire to pick up Karl and Alissa Diane. (Mapquest is wrong. Is is NOT faster to take Hwy 29.) We left Eau Claire right on schedule. Since schedules are rarely kept in our family, that in itself is worth note. At any rate, we arrived at the BMT Clinic where we were to meet Evan, who had been in Minneapolis since Tuesday for his preliminary work up (tests, tests and more tests). While I went in with Evan to meet with his nurse case manager, Karl was started on his own adventure of testing, BMT-style.
It was calendar day. The actual transplant date is day zero. Any day that is part of the transplant procedure, but before the actual transplant day is referred to as day minus-five, etc. At any rate, Evan will return next week Mon - Wed for more tests and consultations and be home for the weekend. Like this weekend, he will use that time to head north for a weekend of bear hunting. On Monday, July 20th, he will be admitted to the hospital to begin the transplant process. He will once again undergo 5 days of chemotherapy before the transplant. Unlike the last time, he will also have radiation before the transplant. While Evan undergoes chemo, Karl will begin his part. He will receive a growth factor hormone injection every day for 5 days to increase the stem cell production in his bone marrow and force those stem cells into his blood stream so they can be collected through the blood. On the 5th day, the stem cells will be collected. Evan will receive the cells the same day they are collected. Depending on how many cells can be collected from Karl in one 5-hour session (5 million are needed), that may happen for as many as three days, although we got the impression that two days will probably do it. At that point, Karl's part will be finished and Evan will begin his long road to rebuilding his immune system. Evan can expect to be in the hospital for as long as 30 days, and in Minneapolis for 100 days post-transplant. As his nurse said yesterday, "This time we're really keeping you here for 100 days," which certainly implies there will be no early release -- good behavior or not.
Karl finished all of his testing, consultations and exams by early afternoon yesterday. We weren't able to see Alyssa at all, but we're going to have lots and lots of opportunities for that over the next four months as we once again set up camp in her cute apartment. I was thrilled to be able to get out of the city before the afternoon rush hour began. We made a quick stop at Trader Joe's in Woodbury, which Karl and Alissa seemed to like as much as I do, and headed to Eau Claire. Interesting thing at TJ's: My main purpose in stopping was to buy a couple of kinds of wine to audition for Kit and Violet's wedding reception here next summer. While in the liquor section, Karl found a few beers he wanted to try. And so we have evolved from him receiving a nice sticker for bravery at the doctor's office to getting a six-pack. How times change!
At any rate, I was home again by 7 last night to find Evan packing up for his weekend of hunting and Ned firmly planted on the couch with his leg elevated on pillows as he recovers from Thursday's surgery to insert 3 screws in his ankle to mend the fracture he suffered 3 weeks ago.
All in all, Evan and Ned both will have lost most of their summer to medical procedures this year. But yesterday was a good day for the Ruesch medical compound, we just need about 110 more!
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