Dane/50 Days Post BMT Update

[Guest guest]

Let me start this update by saying all counts are still good and I

am still feeling great.

I did have an expisode of extended muscle pain, but this was due to

overdoing it at Physical Therapy. It was a reminder that I am still

a transplant patient and have some recovering to do yet! After a

discussion with the therapist, we took everything down a notch and

now all is well in that department. Lesson learned....take those

baby steps!

Incidentally, the neuropathy in my feet is gone. Now I just have to

deal with some edema of the feet, due to all the fluids they keep

pumping into me!

An unexpected development came up yesterday (Day 50). Apparently,

my insurance company has an agreement with the hospital that after

50 days, I switch to part time home infusion, provided I am healthy

enought to do so.

So now I go to the day clinic only 3 days a week, as long as my

counts remain good. On the off days, I take my IV fluids via a

pressurized bottle, which I plug right into my central line.

Insided the bottle (which looks very much like a baby bottle) is a

pressurized balloon containing my IV fluids. Once the bottle is

hooked up and unclamped, the pressure inside the ballon slowly

forces the fluids up to my central line. No gravity feed or

external pump necessary. Simple and smart.

A nurse from the home infusion company comes today to train us how

to use the equipment and how to to flush the lines after each use.

Each infusion takes 2.5 hours and I do it once on each non hospital

day.

I have mixed emotions about this deal, because I was perfectly

content to go to the hospital each day for 3 hours and read a book

while I got my fluids. The IV was hooked up and unhooked by a

professionally trained nurse.

Now, my wife and I are forced to fumble with equipment three days a

week. I will take this as a good sign, as I am well enough for the

team to approve these home infusions.

This also means we have Saturday and Sunday's off. The thought of

driving up to Colleyville (4 hours) for the weekend to see the kids

is growing more enticing with each hour! At the very least, we will

take some day trips to areas of interest a little closer to the

hospital, but one never knows. )

That's today's update...I will post pics of this home infusion gizmo

after the nurse visits today.