Sunday, December 10, 2006

Update # 79

Day T minus 2

Good Afternoon,

Lots going on since the last note.

Friday was Jeff's last day of that first kind of chemo.  

Jeff really did well tolerating it.  They decided to go ahead and stop that anti-seizure medicine that night also.  He was given a long-lasting insulin shot that night since counts would start to return to normal.

Yesterday was the first day of the second type of chemo.  

It really hit Jeff hard so it ended up a very bad day.  His tongue had a strange tingle.  He had a headache which took several meds to control.  Then the nausea and vomiting started.  That also took several meds to calm things down.  

The last med they gave him just finally knocked him out.  He slept from 6:00PM last night till 7:30 AM today.  Jeff only ate a few bites of jello the whole day.  The blood sugar did start coming down yesterday.

I woke Jeff up this morning so we could get a little food in him before that chemo started again.  We also took a couple of laps around the floor for some exercise.  Then it was time for Jeff's LAST chemo (we pray forever)!  The nurse ran it a little faster today and that seemed to help.  The headache was much smaller and the nausea (no vomiting) lasted only a while.  The meds for each seemed to work well today.  

Then this afternoon the important medicine began -- the anti-rejection med.  It helps prepare his body for the donor's bone marrow.  This will be an IV bag while he's in- patient and then pill form when he's discharged.  This drug is the one he'll be on for who knows how long - after the transplant it could be weeks, months, or years.

Now we wait for the bone marrow to arrive.  Tomorrow is an "off" day.  Please pray for this wonderful donor as he has his bone marrow harvested on Tuesday.  He'll be sore for a couple of days.

Ken came back to StL this afternoon after church.  He still has vacation days so he'll be here this week till the 

18th.

All your prayers have held us up this week.  Jeff has gotten to this point only with your help.  We thank God for answering all these prayers.  Please continue as we get to Jeff's "new life" this week.  Thank you one and all.

love,

Marcia