Wednesday, December 14, 2011

A Plan That's Written Down

Okay, they gave me this plan on a piece of paper. It's supposed to be the real schedule.

From January 2-6 they give me one dose of brain radiation each day.

While that's happening, I get a pre-admittance on January 2. This allows me to go straight to the 11th floor, already admitted, if I get a fever or have other complications. On January 3, they place a "Hickman catheter" near my clavicle. It has tubes that goes up my carotid artery and also down to the Vena Cava, near my heart. They'll use that to administer chemo and to draw blood.

On Monday, January 9, I get my sixth and last dose of brain radiation. After that, from January 10-12, I get two doses a day of total body irradiation, six doses total.

Then on Friday January 13, I start chemo. I'll be in the hospital for that, and I'll get chemo for three days. On Monday, January 16 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day), I get a one day break, and then I get the cord blood cells, my transplant, on Tuesday, January 17.

After that, I'm told it usually takes about 20 days for cord blood cells to engraft and for my blood counts to start rising. Then we try to manage (or avoid) Graft-vs-Host disease for another 80 days before I can leave Nashville again. That will be the end of April.

So that's the official plan!

6 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Carl and I are praying in the Holy Name of ABBA YHWH for your quick healing, Paul, as well we His work on the hands of your doctors!

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  3. P.S. Sorry about removing my first post -- I was just trying to add a photo and it never worked! :(

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  4. Thanks, Rochelle. It's good to hear from you. It's been a very long time!

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  5. Thinking of you in spirit, heart and prayer. I believe in you, your heart, faith, love of family and friends. Cancer of any type just doesn't stand a chance. You are a hero of courage and faith....you amaze me.

    Kgirl

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  6. Read your blog through tears...still believe God is gonna see you through this whole thing....the bigger the Giants the harder they fall!

    Wait on the Lord. Be strong , let your heart take courage. You shall mount up on wings of eagles. You shall run and not grow weary and walk and not faint. You shall make it through all of this one day at a time!!! Love you!!!

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