My Bone Marrow Transplant: Day 7

LOCATION: Vanderbilt University Hospital - Stem Cell Unit
DATE: 8.21.12    DAY: 7
MOOD:  I could sleep forever.
MENTAL STATE:  Hard to focus on anything when I keep falling asleep.
PHYSICAL STATE:  Feel utterly drained and lifeless.

The early morning brought with it a steady headache that was medicated twice during the night with a double dose of oxycodone.  Sleep was minimal and illusive - it's pretty bad when oxycodone can't put me in a sleep coma.

I was given Lasix (the 'make-you-gotta-pee' medicine) around 7:30a and it kicked in around 7:35a.  I had just swallowed some pills with a few drinks of water and was making my way to the bathroom when my stomach decided to rebel.  I was in the bathroom faced with the decision of whether to pee or puke.  FYI - that is a stressful situation to be.  I chose wisely and threw up first and said hello to the little pill I just swallowed.  I hurried up and relieved my self and got back in bed feeling shaky.  A second round of vomiting finished off the contents of my stomach and I could not for the life of me figure out why my stomach did not want to behave today.

Once back in the bed, the nurse pumped me full of a nausea medicine that is also known to make you drowsy.  My body felt very weak and I ended up staying in bed until two in the afternoon, a first for me.  A nurse practitioner came to check on me and offered me blood to help me feel better and I agreed.  One unit of blood instead of the normal two was ordered up but wasn't cross-typed and delivered until close to 5:00p.  I sat up for two and a half hours that afternoon but once they came to give me pre-meds for the blood, I went back to bed and stayed there all evening.  No reaction to the blood product and my stomach felt much more settled.

My hair was coming out in small handfuls and my scalp was also hurting again.  My research in donating my hair had left me disappointed.  Locks of Love seemed to be a bit of a scheme and Pantene's Beautiful Length's program seemed a great alternative however to donate hair, the hair color had to be at least 95% colored and 5% gray.  Anyone who knows me, knows my hair was about 50-50 with those percentages.

Finished the evening with a small amount of peaches and pudding on my stomach.  Felt much better since I received blood.  The doctors said this was about the time when I may need blood on a daily or every other day basis.  My own blood was dying off and until engraftment, I would need blood products to get me through.  As long as I don't have reactions and they keep making me feel better, bring it on.