(That felt very grand and techie.)
I may not be updating daily as Steve is at a point where he is just coasting along, nothing to really report that is exciting or overly dramatic. Which is good, right?
Today he is Day +4 and feels really well. We learned a new acronym yesterday, "TLTC." It is not a cable station. It means "too low to count" in lab-speak. His last cycle of chemo was "considered a "full" or "myeloblative" transplant and is intended to combat your disease as well as empty out your bone marrow and bring down your immune system. The chemo will destroy your current cellular activity to allow your donor's cells to find their way to your bone marrow and begin a new immune system."
TLTC is a sign his cells are at zilch before Mary's stem cells take up housekeeping and start reproducing new cells. His hemoglobin actually went up a smidge. Yesterday he was 7.3, today 7.4. His WBC yesterday hit .5; his absolute neutrophils (the "fighting soldiers" component of white blood cells) are TLTC, so he is Mr. Neutropenia again. We are getting into a groove with that diet, and not as paranoid as the first time or two he was on restrictions. Platelets are at 48 for those of you who follow that "stuff." He gets transfused when platelets get below 10. No signs (gratefully!!) of mucositis. He continues to eat extremely well and eats a LOT. Tonight I brought a home-cooked dinner from Kim Skala (thanks again!!) and it put a smile on his face. Walking a LOT, and quickly. Still annoyed at the fellow floor members "dressing like sick people." He had requested (remember, the family was nagging Steve) a new room and today the request was fulfilled. FABULOUS north view of the Chicago skyline. This is the first time in 7 inpatient admissions that we have had this view, and I love it!
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