Stem Cell Day!!!!

 

Or Day 0 as they call it in here.

 

I got my cells back this morning!!!  Such an important day for me!!  Many call it a Re-Birthday.  If this works (and I'm confident it will) that's what I will call it too.  July 28th, 2014...my Re-Birthday.  Fingers are crossed that I celebrate two birthdays a year!

 

The process of putting the cells in is not very dramatic at all.  Collecting the cells is way more of a process.  Jeremy took video, and I really want to show it, but it shows me getting sick and I don't want everyone to see that.  So, if we can figure out how to edit some of it out then I will post it later.  Until then, my recollection of events will have to suffice.  They started at 10:04am and were finished exactly 30 minutes later.  I had two bags (They told me that most people have one.  Guess I'm a stem cell overachiever).  They thawed them out in my room.  They pulled them out of a freezer that had smoke coming out of it, so that was pretty cool.  It took about a minute to thaw the bags out, and they crackled as they were thawing.  Then they hook it up to my central line tubing.  They suck the cells into a big syringe, then slowly push the cells in.  When the syringe was empty, they sucked up some more.  It was definitely not how I expected it to happen. 

 

I instantly felt weird right after she pushed the first cells into the line.  I wish I could explain the feeling.  All I know to say is that I felt tingly and just weird.  And I immediately could taste the preservative that they put in the cells before they freeze them.  It was disgusting.  Tasted like a mixture of tomato soup and creamed corn.  They gave me mints to deal with that nasty taste.  I did OK until about halfway through.  Then I knew it was just a matter of minutes before I would get sick.  And I did.  It was pretty bad  They knew it would happen because it always does.  They said it is because of the preservative.  Oh, and the preservative takes a few days to get out of my system.  So that taste I tasted??  Well, I smell like that too.  I can't smell it, but everyone else can.  Jeremy said he is going to start calling me Campbell's (yeah, he has jokes). 

 

After it was all over, I slept for a good while.  As the day has gone one I have felt a lot better.  But, I am afraid it is a false sense of feeling good.  They tell me as my counts continue to drop I will start feeling bad again.  I'm taking advantage of this afternoon though.  I ate.  I haven't eaten since Wednesday.  I have had a shake every morning, and that's it with the exception of the bacon sandwich yesterday.  The metallic taste is back (happened last time I had chemo) and I'm seriously craving chips and salsa.  Hacienda chips and salsa to be exact.  My nurse is going to the grocery store tonight and bringing me back some chips and salsa since she knows I want some.  All the nurses are awesome.  Couldn't ask for better care that is for sure.  Anyway, I ate a pudding cup and some cheese crackers.  Then I had some sunflower seeds.  Then I ordered some French fries with a bunch of ketchup and a salad with a bunch of French dressing (the tomato thing I guess).  I ate all the fries, some of the salad.  I've lost nine pounds since I have been here so I suppose it is time to start trying to put some of that weight back on.

 

My vision is getting pretty blurry, but they say that is a side effect of chemo.  As I type this the words are pretty much not readable.  So I apologize for errors.  I broke out in a pretty crazy itchy rash that went away today.  They think it is the Cipro.  Didn't have it today at all, but they are giving it to me tonight again.  Guess we will see if that's the culprit. 

 

I'm just waiting to be unhooked from my pole so I can take a shower then go to sleep.  I'm still pretty tired but making myself get up and walk.  The tech told me today that the people with positive attitudes and get up and move around the most get out of here sometimes weeks before the others.  And since I want to get out of here, I'm not going to let a little puking and tiredness keep me down.  I really, really, really, really, really, really want to go home!!!!!