Double DLI Received Today

It has been a long few days in the hospital (since last Thursday night).  We have made good progress on my backside issues and I have only needed to use Tylenol a few times for pain since Saturday night.  It has been a very humbling experience and certainly not something I was expecting to deal with (physically or emotionally) at this point in the process.  But mom has been a trooper getting me thru and providing private duty nursing care....and reminding me of all the people that are pulling for me.  There are no signs of infection and I seem to be doing some healing despite my very limited white count. Brant and the kids came up to visit on Saturday even though I thought they should just rest and get caught up at home.  But he knew I needed the boost and we had some good laughs and a game of Bananagrams.

The nurses and doctors are so great around here.  It is a bummer to be in the hospital, but they really do try to make it as pleasant as possible and each is gifted in their own way.  You know you have been here too long when most of your nurses already know you and others drop by to say hi.  I did have a new nurse on CC2 who recently graduated from UVA (I didn't hold that against her).  It reminded me that nursing really is a great profession that I think people often overlook.  It is a unique mix of science and people skills...and it isn't just for women.  I have had some wonderful male nurses here as well.  OK...done with that PR plug....

They moved me up to the transplant floor (North 10) on Saturday night when a bed became available and they decided to keep me thru the weekend since I needed to be in the hospital today for my DLI.  I received a double dose of the donor booster cells around 2pm today.  That means I have now used three of the four doses they put on ice.   It was nice to hear the nurse and NP call out George's name as they went over their safety checks before giving me the infusion:  "Donor - George Brisbin, Medical record #....."  I did pretty well with the infusion that lasted maybe ten minutes.  There is a preservative in the cells that smells awful and I can taste it.  I had gum and ginger ale handy to try to mask it.  I am praying hard that those little guys get to work...making my bone marrow a little stronger and finding some leukemia cells to take out.

If all goes well I will head to clinic tomorrow and then home for a day or two.  Some time at the house with the family would do a lot for me right now.  And for Brant and the kids, too.  Of course nothing is ever for certain and my electrolyte levels probably need to be stable before they let me go too far.

Here are a few of the family pics: