Home again

Today is Sunday January 25, 2009. I was released from the Hospital on Friday afternoon after it was determined that my spike in temperature was not due to an infection but probably due to the engraftment process or possibly a reaction to the Neulasta shot I received on Monday. In any case it was all good news and Lynn and I were allowed to return home on Friday night. Just coming home made me feel like I was half way to recovery.

On Saturday morning we were back at the Huntsman for lab work and a follow up visit. When the PA showed up with my lab results the first words out of her mouth were “You are the rock-star of transplants”. I am almost positive that this is the first time in my life that my name and the word rock-star have ever appeared in the same sentence. She then went through all the test results which showed that I was fully engrafted and no longer neutropenic. We were extremely happy with the results, but the truth is, all I really heard was that someone had called me a rock-star.

The rock-star comment, along with being called a gangster, are two of the nicest compliments I have received during this process. The gangster comment came from the church Christmas party (which I was unable to attend due to being restricted to the house at the time). The Ward made a large card for me and it was signed by the members with various greetings and words of encouragement. Of particular note was one young man who wrote “You are a gangster for going through this. Hope you get well. Prayers and thoughts are with you”. Who would have thought that being called a rock-star and a gangster would lift the spirits of an old man going through cancer treatment, but they have.

Anyway, the bottom line is that all is going well. They said I could expect another week of lingering side-effects from the transplant and then I should feel pretty good for a few weeks while my body heals and gets ready for transplant #2.