Well, it’s update time again.  Hoping that today will be lucky; Day 13 after transplant. 

The last methotrexate (chemo drug) treatment was two days ago.  Side effects of the Granix shots seem to be lessening a little.  Granix is given to help with the production of new white blood cells that ward off infections.  The sore on his nose looks to be clearing up a little.  He’s back to walking after taking a couple days off.  While he was holding on to the fact that his father never lost any hair with chemo, the nurse on Day 10 told him it was pretty much unavoidable with this regiment.  Sure enough; the next day, he started to see evidence of hair on the pillow.  That was an easily fixed with the hair clippers.  Not a big deal since he’s had a buzz cut the last few summers any way.  He’s hanging on to the shortened mustache and who knows what it will take to tame those eyebrows; guess we will find out. 

He hasn’t lost his sense of humor; while we were out on a walk after I got back last night, we stopped at the window seats.  I noticed something that looked like a tuft of hair; his hair.  I commented – if I didn’t know better, I would say that’s your hair on the floor over there.  He grinned and said “it is – I left it there as a present”.  Guess we will see how good the cleaning crew is here. 

He’s still getting blood transfusions and platelets almost daily to keep his hemoglobin over 7 and platelets over 10.  His white counts were finally on the board today at .3 so that’s a good sign.  Things are as they expect to be; it’s just a long process.  Rome wasn’t built in a day so we continue to try and be patient as he works through the side-effect of the day. 

Sunday, I had training on Chester the port dummy.  I’ve graduated to wrapping Scott’s Hickman site and lines before he showers and I changed his dressing with assistance once.  Before we leave I will have to learn how to give him the magnesium IV and flush the lines and change them.  Never saw all that coming, if we’ve learned anything along the way it’s when you have to – you just do.