Day 176
John has tolerated his outpatient chemotherapy relatively well overall and wraps it up during the night with a dose at 2 AM. Actually the "dose" is 26 pills. John suggested we count how many he takes in a day. It has to be nearly 125 right now.
He is wearing down from the treatments and has spent most of today half asleep. The anti-nausea drugs make him groggy. This morning once again, he worried the staff over his stupor and lack of balance. Under the circumstances, that is a nice way to be, I'd say. He has eaten well enough today, but he needs to get more liquids in him than he is able to drink.
I've helped him pack for the hospital this afternoon. We go over at 8 AM and check him in directly to his room. He will receive Cytoxin treatments tomorrow and Sunday. Courtney and John took photos of him last night, while he still has hair. Courtney spent the afternoon enjoying the town with her mom.
I don't know if its just me, but I've noticed a number of post transplant patients at the clinic over the past few days. Some of the common side effects from the "graft vs. host disease" and steroids and other things they do to deal with its effects are darkened, thick skin and puffiness. Some of the children look very sad in the eyes behind those swollen faces. Life can be unfair. I've told John that beating his disease will make him a bigger success than anything he might ever do.
John asked me today if I thought he would be able to "do things" when we return to Atlanta. I told him there would be doctor visits twice a week or thereabouts, but I thought he would be OK. He said he would probably have to live with us a while, but would like to see about getting a job before he returns to finish at Emory in January, which is his hope - to get back to life, a year or so later and not so much worse for the wear.
He is wearing down from the treatments and has spent most of today half asleep. The anti-nausea drugs make him groggy. This morning once again, he worried the staff over his stupor and lack of balance. Under the circumstances, that is a nice way to be, I'd say. He has eaten well enough today, but he needs to get more liquids in him than he is able to drink.
I've helped him pack for the hospital this afternoon. We go over at 8 AM and check him in directly to his room. He will receive Cytoxin treatments tomorrow and Sunday. Courtney and John took photos of him last night, while he still has hair. Courtney spent the afternoon enjoying the town with her mom.
I don't know if its just me, but I've noticed a number of post transplant patients at the clinic over the past few days. Some of the common side effects from the "graft vs. host disease" and steroids and other things they do to deal with its effects are darkened, thick skin and puffiness. Some of the children look very sad in the eyes behind those swollen faces. Life can be unfair. I've told John that beating his disease will make him a bigger success than anything he might ever do.
John asked me today if I thought he would be able to "do things" when we return to Atlanta. I told him there would be doctor visits twice a week or thereabouts, but I thought he would be OK. He said he would probably have to live with us a while, but would like to see about getting a job before he returns to finish at Emory in January, which is his hope - to get back to life, a year or so later and not so much worse for the wear.
