Back on track!

Saw shoes this morning. By the by there was a huge traffic jam at the blood suckers. Who knew! They ran out of chairs at the clinic's blood test centre. We were stacked three deep in the hall.

Got in to see Shoes and he took a quick squiz at my skin and confirmed that it was still slightly reactive; checked I was still on the steriods and phoned Judy (tranplant coordinator) and we are on for conditioning March 9 to 13th transplant on 15th.

So we have a date it's later than I thought but it's a date. Joyce and I will be trying real hard to have fun in Brisbane.

I meant to tell you all about the the nurse that was into all the safety items and was horrified to see me handle my platlette drug. It is one of the crytotoxic drugs and can be ingested through the skin, and therefore I'm not supposed to touch it ......BEFORE I PUT IT IN MY MOUTH!!! So I humored her and shook it into a little pill cup and then threw out the cup each time!

Keep those cards and letters coming.

More later
Chris

I'm out!

First off, Oscar contest. The prize this time around is the bragging rights to one of the foremost Oscars contests on the web! the results are as follows: Joyce6 Ginger6 Chelsea3 Donna4 Travis2 Regs1 Melissa2.

Some interesting trends..... If you guys were the academy then: Pete O'toole would have done way better. Cars would have won hands down. and Babel was the hot pick for best picture and the Spanish actress would have got the supporting gong.

Thanks to all for playing and Donna I promise I will get organized earlier. For the benefit of folks not privileged to have met the lovely and talented Donna Rapp, She is the queen of the Oscars having hosted an Oscars party for over15 years (that has made television news!) . She and her partner gave it a miss this year and I just couldn't stand missing the opportunity to brag about my superior knowledge about the Oscars. My score?.......I'm not telling. You may wonder about Donna's score since she is an industry insider.....She voted with her heart, the ones she wanted to win not what she thought the academy would pick.

We have a tie but since Joyce and Ginger are in different hemispheres it's probably okay. We have a north and south winner!

Tuesday afternoon
Joyce is napping, I think she didn't sleep so well while I was gone but she's pretty happy now. I'm catching up on email and I just have to share my bro-in-law John's take on my Oscar contest. I submit for you his email:

Boy, are you ever getting bored--The Oscars? Clearly you may have me confused with someone who may actually care. I have started naming my cows after "actresses", like Britney, Paris, Madonna, Angelina, etc.

Frankly, I think that the categories are all wrong. My suggestions for more appropriate categories are:

Most sincere apology by a recently arrested personality after sobering-up.

Best explanation from an actress who has undergone a gazillion dollars of plastic surgery to their child who asked "Why don't I look like you or one of my Daddies?"

Most outrageous party weekend reported in the tabloids.

Longest interview on Oprah.

First actress to form a complete sentence in a conversation. (Sir Richard Branson could give a cash prize?)

Maybe you should post this and give a prize for the best alternate category?

What about it folks any other categories that the Academy has overlooked?

To the gang at Staff room one
Who are not allowed to see my blog first hand. Hi. Thanks to Chelsea for printing it out and taking it in. Feel free to email comments and if you say "post this for me" I'll put your comments on the blog. We'll put the "power back in the pen".

No Stacey I didn't order any more change boxes, sorry. If you want I can go online here and see what's available and even order it for you if you send me the P.O. ;-) LOL. I haven't any secret stashes of stationary supplies, but come to think of it that might be the way to make sure that you don't use things up very fast. Just keep you away from it. It's revolutionary actually .....Just don't let you have the supplies. They’ll last forever! ;-)

To Marion and Peter and Kristie
Yes I have loved the jokes! Thanks! Keep them coming, please

My sister Melissa is so lovely... her comments about her Oscar picks was so interesting here's one for you all;
Alan Arkin in "Little Miss Sunshine"
No idea, just guessing here, but the guy has been around for ages... he deserves some recognition even it if is just from me.


Health update
Joyce is feeling fine.



Oh? Me?
I'm feeling fine. My exit wound is still an issue but I think we have it handled. I'm still on steroids. I see Shoes tomorrow in the AM. Will know then, if we are back on track or not. That track being March 1st for conditioning start and March 7th for transplant. I'll let you know.

Quiet day planned. Shinny's coming for dinner and a sleep over 'cause she has a late class at uni. Her Mom Anne was here for Lunch.

more later
Chris

The Oscars

Get your picks in early as this emergency oscars quiz is heating up.
Ten categories only for this quiz. Post you ballot by email to me at chrisolin22@hotmail.com to enter. one entry perpson so get it right first time.

See also the oscars site at http://www.oscars.org/index.html

Ready steady go!
Performance by an actor in a leading role
Leonardo DiCaprio in “Blood Diamond” (Warner Bros.)
Ryan Gosling in “Half Nelson” (THINKFilm)
Peter O’Toole in “Venus” (Miramax, Filmfour and UK Film Council)
Will Smith in “The Pursuit of Happyness” (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Forest Whitaker in “The Last King of Scotland” (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Alan Arkin in “Little Miss Sunshine” (Fox Searchlight)
Jackie Earle Haley in “Little Children” (New Line)
Djimon Hounsou in “Blood Diamond” (Warner Bros.)
Eddie Murphy in “Dreamgirls” (DreamWorks and Paramount)
Mark Wahlberg in “The Departed” (Warner Bros.)

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Penélope Cruz in “Volver” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Judi Dench in “Notes on a Scandal” (Fox Searchlight)
Helen Mirren in “The Queen” (Miramax, Pathé and Granada)
Meryl Streep in “The Devil Wears Prada” (20th Century Fox)
Kate Winslet in “Little Children” (New Line)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Adriana Barraza in “Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage)
Cate Blanchett in “Notes on a Scandal” (Fox Searchlight)
Abigail Breslin in “Little Miss Sunshine” (Fox Searchlight)
Jennifer Hudson in “Dreamgirls” (DreamWorks and Paramount)
Rinko Kikuchi in “Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage)

Best animated feature film of the year
“Cars” (Buena Vista) John Lasseter
“Happy Feet” (Warner Bros.) George Miller
“Monster House” (Sony Pictures Releasing) Gil Kenan

Achievement in directing
“Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage) Alejandro González Iñárritu
“The Departed” (Warner Bros.) Martin Scorsese
“Letters from Iwo Jima” (Warner Bros.) Clint Eastwood
“The Queen” (Miramax, Pathé and Granada) Stephen Frears
“United 93” (Universal and StudioCanal) Paul Greengrass

Best documentary feature
“Deliver Us from Evil”
“An Inconvenient Truth”
“Iraq in Fragments”
“Jesus Camp”
“My Country, My Country”

Best foreign language film of the year
“After the Wedding” Denmark
“Days of Glory (Indigènes)” Algeria
“The Lives of Others” Germany
“Pan’s Labyrinth” Mexico
“Water” Canada

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
“I Need to Wake Up” from “An Inconvenient Truth” Music and Lyric by Melissa Etheridge
“Listen” from “Dreamgirls” Music by Henry Krieger and Scott Cutler Lyric by Anne Preven
“Love You I Do” from “Dreamgirls” Music by Henry Krieger Lyric by Siedah Garrett
“Our Town” from “Cars” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
“Patience” from “Dreamgirls” Music by Henry Krieger Lyric by Willie Reale

Best motion picture of the year
“Babel”
“The Departed”
“Letters from Iwo Jima”
“Little Miss Sunshine”
“The Queen”

This is me itching to get into my infusion pump but with only a knife I'll have to practise my techy skills on something else. I was talking to my new roomate (more on that later) and I mentioned that the science and technology they have going around here is really keeping me interested in what's going on and is helping me with the boredom factor.

Yesterday my roomate Paul got moved to a private room as he in in the last days of his conditioning prior to transplant and he need isolation. A new woman patient came up and the nurse Becs asked me to move next door, in whit my new roommate Dennis. So I am now bed 854 if anybodies looking.

Last night after supper I got a super visit, Bluey, Jo, Gene, Bev we sat for hours seemed like visiting and they brough me tons of goodies including hot cross buns (I live for this time of year)(oh and Christmas for brandy cream, xmas cake and eggnogg)(oh and summer for fresh figs)(oh and strawberry season) Anyway I took the hotcross buns mid mornign today and toasted them buttered them and put them at the nurseing station. I think they don't actually have patients that can fend for themslves like I can because they were pretty shocked and asked over and over if I meant it! Like I would eat the whole tray? ....... Just for historical accuracy here, I COULD eat the whole tray, I choose not to (at this time).

Pseudo-Shoes saw me at lunch and says we may never know exactly what combinations of drug casued my rash but he's glad it is down a lot. I'm glad that we don't have to eliminate any of the 'cillin drugs that may be useful later. I have to way until Our dear German doctor Shoesenboots. sees me. Bluey and I are hoping for a kicking.

Our Friend Jo James checked in and I want to share a bit with you all. re: pessions conneting us all. "I just got up from a nap in your old brass bed, stopped in the livingroom and picked up a cup from your painted egg crate table and then walked by the good old Year of the Child poster before I came to sit at this desk where I picked up a pen from the black and white cow cup!!!!!! You two are with me in every room! Thanks Jo

See the last Post with cousin John on his bike.

Thanks to Tracey Seddon another pseudo-sibs for kind words, Also young travis who is bound to corner the spice market. And to Becs the nurse.

Time for a geography checkup. Okay we got people in Brisbane, Hervey Bay, Sydney, Victoria, Calgary, Grand Praire, The lake in BC, Seattle, Saskatoon and London (yes UK) all blogging in

Jo james sure know how to pick a guy up when she suggested that I missed this out of my profile....

"Okay on your profile you forgot to mention that you are the original Mr.Bumpy, that you are hilarious and that you have filled a gazillion lives with laughter and friendship for years."

on that note
more later
Chris

Dr. John on his 'hog' thanks for the photo, I expect a ride dude.

Connections

I've reconnected with an old high school friend. It's weird hearing him talk about his 31 year old daughter! Thanks for the email Dome! I pretty much took off from high school and wanted to get into the world and Theatre gripped me hard. I've got away from theatre and into Education and I'm pretty sure that's about Bluey and her family of educators. So I took off from High school and ended back there now. Connections and circles.

Next notes on cards and emails:
Donna I've had lots of people talking about some of those pieces of furniture that we sold off prior to emmigration. It's very interesting isn't it? We've left pieces of rememberance behind to keep us connected. Posseions that menat something to us there now mean YOU to us here. Its' aslo weird when we have visited to see those things in others home. Very interesting.

Lots of blog followers and lots of our friends lurking "'[net speak for reading posts but not commenting) if any want to email me kl@chrisolin22@hotmail.com and tell me to, I'll post your comment.

Lisa get your father to hang a golf ball from a string in the garage at a certain point where it will touch the car windscreen when the car is far enough into the garage. This Tip made possible by Glen Sundstrom, Kathy's dad, and it has forever been nicknamed as one of several "glendoey". PS Bluey sympathizes with you.;-)

Dan & Marie's son Cole has inhierited the theatre/performance bug. He is going to be a Young Candian. three cheers!

Thanks to John, Jim, Gayla, Shinny, Lisa, Ret and Sister Kathy for news.

Now to what's up:
I didn't get the biopsy last night!

Jo& Gene arrived in town and came by. we visited for quite a bit waiting for Shoes to come and we even saw him in the ward, jo & Gene and bluey left me to my fate and a couple of hours later the nurse said did any one tell you the shoes had decided not to do a biopsy, that he though my itchy red skin was now from a reaction to one of the antibiotics i'm taking. No says I well there says she.

Now for those of you paying attention you will know that when I'm imuno supressed I will have problems with any little infection going 'round. So I was a little worried that I would have to have this drug taken out of my kit bag of weapons. Nephew in-law in-law Callum will certainly get the reference to having to put down that really powerful weapon because it needs shells that you just don't have. Anyway they have changed the speed at which it is infused and that has helped. Last night I sleep really well and only woke up to roll over once and again when the vampire of the day stalked me at 5:30. I think I actually went back to sleep befor he was finished!

The redness aroung the catheter was down and it barley feels sore Still no fever and the Psuedo-Shoes on call thought we should just watch to see I continue to get less rash. Looks good to get out Monday.

My room mate Paul got moved to a private room as he in in the last stage of conditioning for his bone marrow transplant monday or tuesday. It was interesting to see how he went as his conditioning protocol is going to be mine as I understand now.


I still don't know if I'm on track for next Thursday to start conditioning. I'm healing real nicely from the gall bladder.

Had a great game of cribadge this morning with Bluey, Jo & Gene. They are coming back this evening. More fun.

off to get dinner
more later
Chris

Life's a puzzle

Lot to puzzle about today.

I think I mentioned that bluey and shinny came over to visit two nights ago and we did a Jig-puzzle. Yesterday bluey and I did a puzzle, today I did puzzle with a bit of help from bluey. I'm getting addicted! My Mom used to do puzzles and would have 20,000 piece puzzles set up on a slab of plywood in the living room. I kid you not. sometimes these puzzles would take weeks of her time on and off to finish. I used to tease her about them. But here I am keen as mustard to get back to it. Weird eh?

Last evening I had my ultrasound on the liver again, and again the ultra sound tech said "hmmm, have you had any problem with your blank before?" (in this case insert pancreas) I'm thinking "s**t there goes another organ" (or worse) however Shoes was in this AM and says "ultrasound was clear, by the way" That was close but what about the cyst on my pancreas says I. He says everyone has one, don't worry (be happy) du du duddy du du.

He is still concerned that I itch so is doing a skin biopsy to have it definitively looked at. "we'll keep you on the anti biotics for a couple of days to be safe, and oh by the way you are in for the weekend. probably kicked on Monday.

Bluey is disappointed as we thought we might be meeting Jo and Gene and Bev for lunch at Alexandra Surf Club. I'll wait to hear how that went. Guess I will get a visit this evening from them.

I may be reacting to the drip antibiotic they are giving me as this afternoon's little cocktail was infused faster than usual and my back flared up like a rocket. My afternoon antihistamine and pnandol damped it down.

Geesh I wish I had ruby slippers 'cause now I want to go home.

I have started to amuse the nursing staff. My infuser pump gets filled up with one antibiotic then when it's finished it needs to have a flush setting, then after that a slow maintenance drip setting, then the other antibiotic and so on. I have taken to walking the stand down to the nursing station. They went off today talking about how they love this drive by nursing, offering to up-size my drip, and asking me to park over there while they get my order ready.

It's pretty weird sitting here with my drip stand next to the kiosk, plugged into the wall. I'm getting good at finding power points in the patient lounge, etc to keep the battery life up. I pretty much want to be anywhere than in bed.

Greeting to pseudo-Sib, shiny, bluey, Dan, DT, Cory, Serena, Jazz &BP, Lynn and Peg, Callum, Greg, MargieB, Regs, all the gang at USHS,Alicia, Lisa, Ret, Don, John and Ginger, Nate, Auntie Marion and all the others thinking about me.

Thanks and
more later
Chris

pretizone, predisone is that steriods?

A few Posts back my pal Brenda (BP & JAZZ) discussed her dog Jazz's pink itchy skin and she asked do I take steriods too. At that time I would have had to say no but as of today, still Thursday by the way, I think I have to say yes that is if predasone (whatever) is a steriod which I seem to remember is the next stage in allergy reaction fighting, anyway Shoes put me on it and I've only been on it for 4 hours and it's a lot less itching. I suspect my Olympic quest for gold in the the syncho swimming is just another dream I have had to let go.

Bluey's at the unit and I'm down at the net kiosk feeding it's jones for gold coin. Have I mentioned the the patient computer in the patient lounge that is for patient use has a hospital logon the same as any employee would have. The problem is that it responds to just about any web site that I want to go to by telling me that the chosen site is catagorized as "personal" Hello! of course it's personal. Perhaps the hospital hopes we will get bored of just looking at their beautiful web site and perhaps we would do some "work" for them. Contract Data entry maybe, or they can email us x-rays and we will interpret them, or we can so some account auditing, you know look at the toilet paper account for any irregularities.

LOL Sorry sometimes I just break my self up. LOL that was a typo! bre ak my sel f up

It's late I better sign off
more later
chris

Shoes came to visit this morning

Before I get to his visit let me catch up with some thank yous to Dan, MargieB and DTolin alias the Cell Farm (bro rick)and shiny for continued reponses. It glad rick got home safe and sound but sorry you thought you were through with illness only to find your family sick. Yes Marge I catch Joyce looking at me with that look, I know she is taking on the weight of the world. She gets to comfort me that these are just little trials send to toughen me up, all the time worried about what it could mean for my outcomes stats. She is so supportive and super strong. What's the sound of hundreds of internet friends clapping for my hero Joyce!

Last night Sian came to our house and Joyce brought her here. they had dinner in the cafeteria and I watched then had dessert. My meal had been consummed at the lovely dining hour of 5:00pm. I reckon that if I have to eat at this time I should be a two for one certificate or double dessert or the like that they use to entice people to eat at this time.

We went up stairs to the patient lounge and played tic tac putt nots and crosses with balls you putt into the game board. Very tricky game. likely to keep me amused for nano seconds. Then on the mini foose ball table and then a little longer on the air hockey table. Joyce turns out to have a killer arm and cleaned up. Then we opened up a 500 piece puzzle. Sian has an amazing brain for this it turns out.

Joyce wanted Scabble next but since she had two 7 letter words that get her a 50 point bounus the day before, I passed. They went home I went to bed.

Night= itchy,scratchy interuppted by people that want something from you.
they wake you for blood at 3 or 330 just so results are ready for the doctors rounds at 7 or 8! They wake for obs (observations-pulse,temp,blood pressure) every 4 hours. The Hospital is not a place you come to, to get rest! The good news is That anything they need through my Hickman's, I can almost sleep through Including taking a ton of blood. By the way Competitive nurse wan't back but my last vampirella had no problems either.

Woken at 7:00 to jump on the scale! 'nuf said!

Rounds this morning saw my own Doc Morton who bluey has nicknamed Shoes. Shoes thinks I spend to much of my life in hospital. He wonders if part of the problem is a reaction to the plastic I get the Hickman's exit site dressed with. Anyway a new protocol for my dressing now and more demostrating the correct way to make it sting with antispectic. Gee I like that. " Chris use this new swap and really grind it into the wound". " Yep I'll get right on that". he's now added predizone (sp?) to kill the codine allegy rash dead. so I may get out tommorrow morning after Shoes sees me again.

JOyce made it to rounds this morning and asked good questions. I'm getting another ultrasound of my liver at 6:00 pm tonight so I ate lunch early and then I'm fasting......... no water, no cookies, no nothing It's really criminal what they ask of me.

My infustion pump needs attention ans it's beeping is keeping the lunge users on edge so better go.

more later.
PS. Rick give Marge a call she could use the gee up.
co

What's that in the road? A head?

It's Wednesday afternoon just finished the hospital lunch and they were mighty tasty sandwiches.

Yes all of you clever folks spotted that sly reference to my present location, which is not our apt. in Kanagroo point. I am now offically an in patient at my third hospital! Although I had my Hicknam's catherer put in here it was as a day patient only.

Yesterday I showered late in preparation for a massage that I have bboked for 4:oopm and noticed that as the pink rash from the codine had faded from aroung my Hickman's exit site that it was indeed red and irritated looking on it's own accord.

Now we will pause for a brief instruction manual on the Hickman's catheter. This is a three core tube into my major vein above my heart. Lets' break this down. Three hollow tubes in one each has it's hole separate from the others at the end of the big tube in the vien. Each has a separate 'bung' at the outside end. I n my case two are 1 mm and one is 1.5mm ID (inside dimenstion. Hey Dan you remember this engineering term don't you? anyway they can be putting liuquids into me and taking blood (except if you are the nurse last night) out of me. REmind me to tell you about the 3:00am Competitive Nurse story. Anyway, Yes the tube leaves the visual spectrum at the hole in my skin called the exit site. This was the red area last night. Then it tunnels under my skin upwards about three inches to a second scare site called the entrance site. However there is no sign of the tube because under the skin it enters my vein. It is shoved along a bit and everything is closed up They separate the point it enters the vein and the place it exits my body so as to prevent outside infection to get into my blood stream. They Flush the tube with saline and change bungs weekly. I was swabbing it daily but not well enough I guess. it seems that the exit site needs care for three weeks and normally I would be doing chemo and the nurse would do cleaning and checking etc. anyway.....

You can see that it's important so they have slapped me into hospital and put me on heavy duty antibiotics (times 2). One is called Vanqucillin, Now thats a name for a killer drug eh?

I'm here for a another day or two. Had an uncorfortable night but did some sleep. The probelm was the hospital gown. Anybody seen the new ones? You know that when some says they graduated at the top of thier class there had to be some poor bozo who alos graduated but at the bottom of his ( it has to be a guy) industrial design class. Yep he designed thes gowns. Okay I kown they have to be able to be put onto someone who is unconsious. I suspect that most people get them this way. I had no choice because we thought we were getting oral anti biotics and then getting sent home.... I repeat I had no choice! Anyway, they are cleverly (not) designed from a large square piece of cloth with snaps that hold together the arms, down the front a bit and down the back. here's the trick though the snaps, in space age plastic, will deform in temperatures above 80 degrees celsius and ofcousrse the hospital laundry does everything at 81 degrees. Ever wake in the night with you gown completely twisted around you neck and every snap undone? Try to fix if in the dark I DARE YOU. I woke up in the morning with one arm snapped aroung my neck and the other arm attached to safety rail. Hey by the way when was the last time you fell out of bed and needed a safety rail? Anyway....

At three am in prances competitive Nurse. who says "I hear they couldn't get blood out of your cath". I replied "Mummdsfmblemamumu" having just woken. She swabs my bung then pops on a syringe and pulls 50cc of blood fster then I typed this. then she trys two other ways of getting the blood and declares herself Champion and goes off to collect the day money.

Guess what! The internet Kiosk here doesn't have a built in web cam, build in phot booth software or anything. I've been spoiled by my mac book. So no pictures this post. I can't remember can uo up loadpictures to comments please do so if you can.

More later
Chris

P.S. This shouldn't change my new transplant dates but will know when I see Doc Morton on Friday. It just helps to fill the days.
co

Visitors

I had visitors all weekend! Jo & Gene came up on Friday while we were at the Hospital. They are here thanks to the support a animal care specialist Alicia (and her back up team of Lisa, Don & Ret). We went out to the local hotel. Storey Bridge Hotel or SBHas we locals say. they have a really good chef in their b ig dinning room called after the owners ..Deery's. It turns out the manager Jan Deery I think that's her name is an old nurssing buddy of Mary-Ellen Muller but more on that later. Bev joined Rick and therest of us for dinner and it was going swimmingly until the mains were served ot everyone but me, and I noticed that the delivery waiter talking to the order taking waiter and they both had big saucer eyes. Yep totally missed putting my meal in! They did a great job of racing to catch up and I didn't finish to late. the they immediatel told me that it was comped so they responded very well. Saturday I stqyed home ot try to rest and get rid of my fluid. J,G,Joyce and Rick took off for the hills and went to Melaney Montville then on to Eumundi to the markets and on to Caloundra and home. We endedup all going out for dinner to BeWon a favorite Korean place abeside the Hotel Diana.

Sunday the Mullers; Mary-Ellen, Warren, Caitlin and her friend Paige showed up as advertised for breakfast. Everyone pitched in and we had a very sumptious feast. the two girls took the ferry across to shop and we visited. Jo & Gene returned to HB early afternoon and the Mullers left later. It was very nice. Bev & Rick joined us for a great seafood dinner at Pier nine for a final thankyou to them and we returned by ferry, all very civilized.

Monday has truly disappered with Rick off home Joyce aand I are settled back in here.

more healing later
chris

Monday is Bluey day

What's big and pink with five digits? My hand of course! My arms and now my legs are swollen with fluid. My back is still itchy, as are the arms and legs but my face and shoulders have gone down so I am healing but it's slower than expected. We are still wondering if it was a late reaction to anaesthetic or the codine but I wlil ask the three Anaesthesologists what they gave me and see if there is a pattern or not. Anyway .....

Rick got on the plane home this morning. It was a quick trip especially considering all the time spent in waiting rooms. He seems pretty happy with how it all worked out and has talked about putting his name forward for local tissue donation in Victoria. He was waxing philosophical the other night about the sameness of all peoples and said that more poeple should clue into the fact that these stem cells know no color or race.

Excuse me while I sctratch.....I can't scratch actually just rub the skin gently with the palm, but it is some relief.

That's better.

Forgot to include Regan Morris in my list of supporters that I admire in the last post.

Hey you all know Bluey; that Austrailian champ the one in the picture a couple of posts back. She's grand you know, and I love her so. Anyway she is woriking from a distance, doing laundry and looking after me ALL AT THE SAME TIME. What a little beauty.
more later
chris

Supported by......

Here's Sian AKA shiny, Joyce and Rick at the day clinic while I got my hickaman' cleaned on Friday. Many thanks to Lynn and Peg, Tom, Shiny, her father mumbles (greg), dan, Lisa, Alicia, Syd the pseudo-sib, Aunty Marion, Ginger and John for all your comments and for even creating blogs of you own. It is very reassuring to know that there are so many people having a think about me.

A lot can happenn in two days

Lots to say today.

This is Rick with the machine that takes out the stem cells. He was on the machine for only 4 hours and produced (overproduced) 7 million cells. They need 5 mill they like 6 mill and rick gave them 7 mill! What a little ripper!

New News News I have a new date! It looks like my chemo conditioning will start on March 1 and if the same schdelue is kept then transplant day will be March 7th. I won't know for sure until an appt. with Doc Morton next Friday.

I took a coedine based pain killer on Wednesday night and have been a blown up pink balloon since. my chest and back and arms are swollen and itchy. I've been to the emerg docs and given antihistamine. but it is not going down easily. This is the first time that I've felt 'sick' and I haven't even started the tough stuff. I'm also on anitbiotics in case there is an infection conection to my Hickman's.

I've stayed home today. Joyce, Gene&Jo, and Rick have gone out to Melany/Montville for lunch then down to Eumundie and are on the way to Caloundra then home. For those of you not in Australia get out your google earth.

more later
chris

Hospital waiting rooms

I am totally over waiting in hospitals for things to be done to me and I haven't even started.

I took a pain killer with codeine last night to try to get a good sleep....anyone see where this is going?
Yep I had a allergic reaction and had a very restless night. Having no GP in Brisbane we came to the hospital with Rick this morning to get him started on the harvest and get me into emerge to make sure that it wasn't an infection that was causeing this bright pink skin rash and hot flushed feeling. Rick's on the machine and I'm on antihistomine.

I hope all this bother before I start means I will have a smoother time with the chemo etc.

Yeah I'm not holding my breath either!
Thanks to Dan, Regs, Shiny, cousin John, Alicia for your comments

We are planning a turkey dinner at home with Rick and Bev tonight to celbrate the sucessful harvest. Judy the transplant coordinator says Rick's blood test this morning indicates that he willl probably harvest the full amount today but we'll know for sure at 2 or 3pm today. If not he gets another shot of growth factor and more machine time tomorrow.

We are still hanging out to see my oncologist here at the hospital to see about getting the schedule restarted.

more later
chris

Valentines Day with Bluey

Twenty 23 years ago I popped the question and Joyce gave me the correct answer

I'm back from the Gall ic wars

It's Wednesday. I had my Gall baldder out yesterday afternoon and am back home today. They move you along quickly these days. I'm not moving very fast but it doesn't hurt much, so I'm sitting here with lots of time to type. Hey want to see my gall stone?

It's like a rasberry and it's about the size of a peanut. The doc had warned that was a 1 in 1000 chance that my gall bladder was sealed up with mucous and that the bile wasn't being stored there. Yep another medical oddity! Mine was indeed Mucousited and that means that my diet doesn't have to really change as I was running without the storage space anyway.

I've got three more laproscopy scars. My last two along with the skin biopsy scar looked like the consellation Orion's belt. We are going to be checking star charts to see what it looks like now.

I tried again to suggest that while the surgeon was in there, he take the appendix as well but no....

How small is my world now! There is sun on the deck out front but grey clouds low in the west on the other side of the CBD and I'm on about this stuff, but you can read what you want and I get to write it out

My neice in-law in-law Sian Marbardi has started a Blog to amuse me, see her link in the comments section below.

Rick is staying at Bev's next door and he gets another shot today and tomorrow is the harvest. He suggested that we go out for a turkey dinner to celebrate the harvest, like at thanksgiving! He has to go to a different hospital as there is a scarcity of the machines. If there is enough cells then he's done if not he gets another shot and more harvesting on Friday.

I'm getting my Hickman's catheter flushed on Friday. They have to do this each week to keep it clear from infection. I have to clean the outside each day after my shower. It's a bother but it means they can take blood or give me drugs without damaging my veins. I will have it for the entire time.

I guess we will call the transplant coordinator today or see her tommorrow to get the chemo and transplant back on schedule.

more later

Are Gall Bladders French?

My Gall Bladder comes out today. It's not that big but it does have at least one gall stone so it may flair up during the bone marrow transplant and cause us problems. I have a really nice surgeon that is squeezing me in today so I may have a bit of a wait but hey. it's all good. I expect to be in the hospital for only the one night. I'm at Greenslopes Hospital by the way. Rick is hanging out for the day and will move to Auntie Bev's this afternoon after he gets his third shot. He is starting to feel some 'flu like' symptoms now but seems to not be too bothered by them. Joyce is reorganizing the apartment and preparing for a day of waiting waiting waiting. more later.

More on the background

So It's Monday Morning and we are due at the Surgeon's office at 10 am to find out when they take the gall bladder. there was some talk that it will be tommorrow.

My Hickman's central line is a bit sore and keeps getting in the way. but it will be my friend for the next few months. It's a tube into my chest with three 'lumens' or ports on the end. Want to see? i love technology. It allows for drugs to be put straight into my heart via a vein. They also take out blood for tests.

too much information?

let me know
chris

It's a start

Hi Friends
I'm such a tech geek I had to do this in a blog but I want to be able to let friends know what's happening with me and in a way that is not intrusive. So visit this blog and see what 's new at your leisure.

It's now Sunday night in Brisbane.

My Brother Rick was here for dinner. He had his first shot today in the afternooon and we went to "help". I got my dressing changed by a really nice pair of caring nurses.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

My bone marrow transplant is slightly off schedule because in the final run up the ultrasound to clear my liver actually showed that my gall Bladder is a bit of an issue and the docs say take out the gall bladder first. So I still got my Hickman's central line in on Friday and my brother Rick (he's calling himself the "Cell Farm" now as well) still arrived from Canada and started his growth factor shots today. He'll get 'harvested' on the 15th, they will store the cells until I start the process again after the Gall Bladder is out and and healed.

I'm going for now