Sooo Tired!

The harvest is over! Yay!  Everything went well.  They had me convinced that I would need to do a collection tomorrow as well but i don't.  They said they got more than enough for the upcoming transplant.  Dr. Damon (Daron's hematologist) said there is small (less than 10%) chance that they would need to bring me back sometime in the future but definitely have enough for the immediate future so they were happy with the collection.  Yay!

I am more than willing to repeat the harvest again tomorrow if necessary but not too sad to have it all done at once!

What happened on harvest day??

I got to the hospital at 6:30 AM.
By 8 AM I had an IV in both arms (yay!).  No neck catheter needed.
The nurse had given me 1mg of Ativan prior to starting everything because it helps keep your blood vessels from spasming.

My right arm had a normal IV catheter in it and was functioning as the return.

My left arm had a steel needle in it and was acting as the harvest sight.  It needed a steel needle (rather than a plastic, flexible IV catheter because the pressure from the plasmaphoresis machine would collapse the needle a plastic catheter).  Since the needle was steel I had to be very careful to hold my arm completely still or the needle might infiltrate.

Everything went fairly well.  The nurse had to readjust the needle in my left arm a few times but it wasn't too bothersome.  The only problem I had during the harvest has pretty severe left arm pain.  I really didn't expect the harvest to be uncomfortable at all.  I have donated platelets many times and that is completely painless so I thought this would be too.  I don't know exactly what was causing the pain but it was hard not to focus on it since I had to lay completely still for about 5 hours.  They nurse offered my Vicodin which I declined but eventually took.   Once it kicked in I was able to sleep for an hour or so.  The nurse also repositioned my arm a few hours into the harvest which helped too.

This afternoon I feel fine but am SOOO tired.  Victor and I went to eat after I was done and I have been laying on the couch napping ever since (4pm to 8 pm).  Now it's 9 pm and I am finally feeling somewhat lively. :)

The only other thing that caught me off guard today was the emotions.  I found myself in tears 2-3 times during the harvest process.  I'm so thankful to be able to donate but I am so sad that it is necessary. :( I am so glad this portion of the transplant process is done! On to the real deal now (sometime in May - the date isn't picked yet!).

The freshly harvested stem cells!

The Real Mission Begins

My first few days here have been spent either waiting at the hospital/clinic for appointments/tests or walking around and exploring San Francisco.  I have also spent time with Daron, Feifei, and now my friend Nicki.

There has been lots of walking.

This is a photo along Lands End trail where we saw a whale spouting, 

sea lions, and some naked sun bathers!

Pedicures with Nicki! 

But now reality is setting in. :(

I have given myself the first 2 of 8 (possibly 10) neupogen shots tonight.

They stung but weren't as bad as I anticipated.

Most patients that take Neupogen as donors get fairly significant bone pain after 

the 2nd day of meds.  We will see.

I have started taking Claritin which is supposed to help with bone pain and 

have pain meds available as well if needed. 

The harvests will be Wednesday/Thursday.

Please pray that they will be able to get access via my arm veins.

I have one good vein on my left arm but nothing very exciting on my right arm.

If they don't get good access in both arms then I will have to have a fairly large catheter in my neck

which involves having an incision made in my neck while I am awake.

I would get through it just fine but if I can avoid that I would prefer too of course!