Neutropenia

So last night, I started to pick up a fever which is no surprise considering the casserole of drugs that are currently floating around in my bloodstream.  Like a good little cancer patient, I called the nurse to report my fever of 102.0.  I thought surely, this will pass over.  She'll tell me to take a Tylenol and call her in the morning.  Instead, she told me to get to the hospital as soon as possible.  All this because I'm neutropenic.

I had no idea what "neutropenia" meant until last night.  It means my white blood cells are dangerously low and in my case becoming lower by the minute. This was completely expected and is a part of the overall transplant process.  It means things are progressing as they are supposed to.

So instead of practicing my banjo or carrying on with normal daily activity, I woke up this morning with a hospital gown that is literally 4 sizes too big and pants that go up to my armpits and still drag on the floor. The hospital must have gotten a deal on gowns for Sumo Wrestlers and Pro Basketball players.

But the view from my hospital room is of Husky Stadium with Lake Washington in the background.  The food is great and the staff is amazing (both kind and smart).   So I'm kind of on a vacation here.

Rough Schedule:
  (edited at 6:30 pm, Tuesday.  They changed my surgery date to Thursday)
Monday Night  - Admitted to the hospital
Tuesday - Just chillin' and feeling weak
Wednesday - Chillin' and felling weaker
Thursday - Most Neutropenic / Short surgery to install a new chest catheter
Next three days or so - Start to collect my stem cells
I'm pretty sure they release me from the hospital around here
Just days later - kill off all of my bone marrow - put the stem cells back in me
Recover

Thanks again for your interest.

Mike