After a long morning and drive to Chicago, we've made it home once again. We arrived there around 7am and almost immediately the tests started. First, I had to have some blood drawn to find out where those counts were. My hemoglobin had risen up to 9.2, up from 8.4 on Friday, so they didn't feel that I needed a blood transfusion. So that was good news. Then, I had to do another bone marrow biopsy. This time it was a little more painful than the last one. I guess it must just depend on how much they need to dig around in there. After the biopsy, I had to do the lumbar puncture (spinal tap with chemo.) Which, wasn't as bad as the biopsy, but still very uncomfortable. Once that was over, I just had to lay still for an hour in a bed so I wouldn't develop any worse side effects. Then, we packed it in and headed home.
Overall the day hasn't been too bad. I still feel very fatigued, but not as bad as I was over the weekend. Today is my first day without Predisone and so far, I'm slowly feeling a little more normal. In addition to that, I was cleared to stop taking several other meds as well, so hopefully this will help stabilize my body a little bit more, and I'll start to feel even more like normal. Time will tell. They did tell me that this would be an 'adjustment' week for me as far as how I'll feel. I won't be taking as many drugs, so my body is going to have to do some fighting of its own. Which, I think is a good thing. Bring it on. I'm ready. I weighed around 155 pounds this morning. Which is way down from where I was a few months ago. Back in November, I weighed 193, so I have some eating to do. My wife and company are helping me find foods that are heavy in protein to help rebuild my muscles and body fat. I just need to keep eating!
My next appointment will be in Chicago with my doctor on March 4th. So far, that appointment involves no treatment and as far as we know is just going to be a discussion of my progress. We won't know the results from the tests today until later in the week, but hopefully my bone marrow biopsy will show that my Leukemia is in remission!
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Monday, February 23, 2009
Day 32: Chicago Day
After a long morning and drive to Chicago, we've made it home once again. We arrived there around 7am and almost immediately the tests started. First, I had to have some blood drawn to find out where those counts were. My hemoglobin had risen up to 9.2, up from 8.4 on Friday, so they didn't feel that I needed a blood transfusion. So that was good news. Then, I had to do another bone marrow biopsy. This time it was a little more painful than the last one. I guess it must just depend on how much they need to dig around in there. After the biopsy, I had to do the lumbar puncture (spinal tap with chemo.) Which, wasn't as bad as the biopsy, but still very uncomfortable. Once that was over, I just had to lay still for an hour in a bed so I wouldn't develop any worse side effects. Then, we packed it in and headed home.
Overall the day hasn't been too bad. I still feel very fatigued, but not as bad as I was over the weekend. Today is my first day without Predisone and so far, I'm slowly feeling a little more normal. In addition to that, I was cleared to stop taking several other meds as well, so hopefully this will help stabilize my body a little bit more, and I'll start to feel even more like normal. Time will tell. They did tell me that this would be an 'adjustment' week for me as far as how I'll feel. I won't be taking as many drugs, so my body is going to have to do some fighting of its own. Which, I think is a good thing. Bring it on. I'm ready. I weighed around 155 pounds this morning. Which is way down from where I was a few months ago. Back in November, I weighed 193, so I have some eating to do. My wife and company are helping me find foods that are heavy in protein to help rebuild my muscles and body fat. I just need to keep eating!
My next appointment will be in Chicago with my doctor on March 4th. So far, that appointment involves no treatment and as far as we know is just going to be a discussion of my progress. We won't know the results from the tests today until later in the week, but hopefully my bone marrow biopsy will show that my Leukemia is in remission!
Overall the day hasn't been too bad. I still feel very fatigued, but not as bad as I was over the weekend. Today is my first day without Predisone and so far, I'm slowly feeling a little more normal. In addition to that, I was cleared to stop taking several other meds as well, so hopefully this will help stabilize my body a little bit more, and I'll start to feel even more like normal. Time will tell. They did tell me that this would be an 'adjustment' week for me as far as how I'll feel. I won't be taking as many drugs, so my body is going to have to do some fighting of its own. Which, I think is a good thing. Bring it on. I'm ready. I weighed around 155 pounds this morning. Which is way down from where I was a few months ago. Back in November, I weighed 193, so I have some eating to do. My wife and company are helping me find foods that are heavy in protein to help rebuild my muscles and body fat. I just need to keep eating!
My next appointment will be in Chicago with my doctor on March 4th. So far, that appointment involves no treatment and as far as we know is just going to be a discussion of my progress. We won't know the results from the tests today until later in the week, but hopefully my bone marrow biopsy will show that my Leukemia is in remission!
4 comments:
Another day closer to the end of treatment! I will be waiting to hear your great news later this week! Question....with all of the needle pricks that you have had, if Katie gives you a squeeze, do you sound like a sqeekie toy? Just think how entertaining that could be! Or it could be like sitting on a whoopie cushion when you sit down! Heck, you might even make a whistling noise when you go out on a windy day! I could go on, but you get the idea!!
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Calling all blog readers out there. Got some good protein-rich food ideas to share? Fish is a great source. No, not the fried thing you find at Burger King. Tilapia and Orange Roughy are about the only kinds of fish I can eat (if I have to eat fish at all). The good thing about Tilapia is that it doesn't look like, taste like or smell like fish...works for me! Bake it and enjoy. And the best part Jonathon, is you don't have to sit in a boat all day waiting for it to take the bait! Find it at your friendly neighborhood Martins store. Keep up the good work! We are with you!
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AnonymousFebruary 24, 2009 at 4:47 PMRock on, Jonathon. Prednisone sucks, glad to hear you can get away from it for a while. Soji hates it! :-)
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I used to like salmon for all the protein and good fish oil stuff, but now it gives me gout! Go figure...
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Another day closer to the end of treatment! I will be waiting to hear your great news later this week! Question....with all of the needle pricks that you have had, if Katie gives you a squeeze, do you sound like a sqeekie toy? Just think how entertaining that could be! Or it could be like sitting on a whoopie cushion when you sit down! Heck, you might even make a whistling noise when you go out on a windy day! I could go on, but you get the idea!!
ReplyDeleteCalling all blog readers out there. Got some good protein-rich food ideas to share? Fish is a great source. No, not the fried thing you find at Burger King. Tilapia and Orange Roughy are about the only kinds of fish I can eat (if I have to eat fish at all). The good thing about Tilapia is that it doesn't look like, taste like or smell like fish...works for me! Bake it and enjoy. And the best part Jonathon, is you don't have to sit in a boat all day waiting for it to take the bait! Find it at your friendly neighborhood Martins store. Keep up the good work! We are with you!
ReplyDeleteNothing like a good ol' grilled cheese! Cheese is a high protein food too!
ReplyDeleteRock on, Jonathon. Prednisone sucks, glad to hear you can get away from it for a while. Soji hates it! :-)
ReplyDeleteI used to like salmon for all the protein and good fish oil stuff, but now it gives me gout! Go figure...