2nd ASCT - Day 72 - July 29 2012

Walked on the the Mine Hill with Jani and the dogs this morning. We went 2.06 miles at a brisk pace. I was CAREFUL to watch every step, so I wouldn't take another tumble. My head is healing, but still sore. My right ear hearing loss has improved. I still don't think I'm hearing as well out of my right ear, but I'm pretty sure it was just fluid in my middle ear which is getting better each day now.

The happiest dogs on earth - Zoe, Kady, and Kemmer.

 This is the location of my tumble on 20 July 2012 resulting in my head laceration.

Jani's head bump is healing and mine is hardly noticeable with all the wrinkles~

Jani worked on cleaning up Paco's truck and rolling walker today.

 And, my lifelong friend, Vickie Mae Johnson Northrop stopped by for a visit!

I drove to Idaho Falls (200 miles roundtrip) BY MYSELF yesterday to get my famciclovir prescription (prevents shingles) refilled. I did fine - a good practice round for when Jani departs for Colorado the second week in August.

It will be a week or maybe 2 until my continuing chemotherapy is figured out with insurance, so I'm just going to enjoy myself until then. I have been energy and didn't even nap today. However, I did go to bed just before 8 PM.

2nd ASCT - Day 70 - July 27 2012

Han Myint, MD from the University of Colorado Hospital called me late this afternoon with my bone marrow biopsy results from 12 July 2012. The biopsy smear showed 1 percent plasma cells which is "really good" according to Dr. Myint. The core sample showed an aggregate of IgG Kappa cells less than 10 percent (but, this is only an estimate). The cytogenetics showed no 4:14, however in the FISH results 4:14 represented 1 percent ("almost nothing") and 1q21 up to 2.5 percent of the cells.

Bone Marrow Biopsy Surgical Report for 12 July 2012 (3 pages).

Bone Marrow Biopsy Genetics Report for 12 July 2012 (2 pages)

All this means that I will need to continue chemotherapy to hold the cancer at bay, but I knew that. Dr. Myint will call my oncologist in Twin Falls, Idaho with his recommendations for chemotherapy which will need to be approved by my medical insurance. I will also need to continue Aredia for bone building. IF all goes well, I will return to UCH in Colorado mid-October 2012.

Dr. Wolfel, the cardiologist has not yet returned Dr. Myint's request for more information related to my echocardiogram done on 12 July 2012. I want to stop the daily blood thinning injections, Fragmin and only Dr. Wolfel can make this decision.

The hearing loss and roar in my right ear seems to be some better this evening. My throat is a tad sore on the right side...so, maybe it was an eustachian tube issue.

2nd ASCT - Day 70 - July 27 2012

Now a new issue! Last night around dinner time, I noticed that I could not hear very well out of my right ear. I had the sensation that my ear was full of water or something. I took a Claritin  to see if that would help and went to bed. This morning, I still can't hear very well in my right ear and there is a CONTINUOUS "ROAR" in my right ear.

Our Dear Friend Passed Away Last Night, July 26 2012

Sympathies to Shawn's husband Tom and Shawn's family and friends. Such a loss. Multiple myeloma takes another super person!

From the Deer Park Tribune Online - Deer Park, Washington.

Shawn's headstone.

2nd ASCT - Day 69 - July 26 2012

My head laceration is healing nicely - still sore right over the 3 sutures, but the surrounding area is no longer swollen and does not hurt.

 I went to the little Mackay Medical Clinic and got the sutures removed this morning.

Still no word on my July 12 2012 bone marrow biopsy from UCH. Dr. Myint should call me tomorrow for sure.

July 24 2012

Jani went lumber jacking again with Ron over in the Pahsimeroi... 

 and came home with her OWN BOO-BOO. She's okay!

 Jani's head bump. Jani told Ron that she was tired of Judy getting all the attention!

My head laceration continues to improve, but still hurts when I make expressions.

Jani cut the weeds along my fence - she is such a HARD WORKER.

Double Click to Enlarge

2nd ASCT - Day 65 - July 23 2012

We decided the extra swelling around my right eye warranted ANOTHER trip to the doctor. 

I had called the off-hours line at the MSTI Cancer Clinic in Twin Falls yesterday, Sunday evening, and no one called me back. So, we just left Mackay early this morning and drove the 2 1/2 hours to Twin Falls. While we were driving, Sandy from MSTI called and said I'd have to go to their ER because I could NOT be seen in their clinic today...bummer - 3 ER's in 5 days. But, I was afraid with my lack of immunity from the stem cell transplant that I could be getting a super infection.

So, to the Emergency Room we went. I was seen fairly quickly by Dr. Larsen who assured me that the swelling around my right eye was NOT cellulitis...to go home and continue taking the Augmentin. I thought they might check my blood, but they did not.

Jani went to the Twin Falls Walmart while I waited in Bart.  This shows me in the parking lot and Jani in the store - modern technology....

 While waiting for Jani in the Walmart Parking lot.

On a side note, my stomach is a LOT BETTER. I'm still waiting for Dr. Myint to call with my July 12 2012 bone marrow biopsy results.

2nd ASCT - Day 64 - July 22 2012

I had a miserable day yesterday, July 21 2012. My head laceration was swollen and PAINFUL. I also had a low-grade fever at 99 degrees and my resting pulse hung out at 90 all day.
This morning, July 22 2012, I feel some better and the swelling is down. Making expressions still hurts. I'm taking Augmentin twice a day which is SO GOOD for my stomach - NOT...but, I don't want this head laceration to get infected!

Here are the only other scrapes (right leg and right elbow) I got from my fall in the gravel. It is amazing to me that I didn't have any marks on my hands - I took the WHOLE FALL on my noggin. 

2nd ASCT - Day 64 - July 21 2012

Terrible night - almost any position hurt my head laceration. I have more swelling this morning and ANY facial expression is agony. I did NOT NEED this!

Tonight, my eye remains swollen and hurtful.

2nd ASCT - Day 63 - July 20 2012

Well, if having multiple myeloma wasn't ENOUGH...
Jani left me alone for the 1st time today and went lumber jacking with Ron over in the Pahsimeroi (just over an hour away from Mackay, Idaho).

 All I had to do while Jani was gone was walk the dogs. I got a late start and didn't get up on the Mine Hill until just before 1 PM. All was going well until I slipped on some gravel and land directly on my forehead HARD on the dirt and rock road! Instant blood. I didn't lose consciousness, but I did feel sorta sick to my stomach. I had a little scrape on my right leg and right elbow, but neither were bleeding...just my forehead. Since I'm on daily Fragmin injections (blood thinner for my right atrial clot) I applied pressure to the bleeding area with a mask (all I had in my pocket)...and they are not absorbent. Walked back to Jonah (the car) trying to decide what my next course of action would be.

I drove to town about 1 mile away and found local EMT Cindy Kimball who suggested that I go to the Mackay Clinic for attention. So, I took the dogs home and stopped at my neighbor's house, Wayne Olsen and asked him if he could drive me. The Mackay Clinic was closed (Friday afternoon) so we drove 30 miles to Lost River Medical Center in Arco where I was seen in the ER by Nurse Practitioner, Hyrum Davenport.

When you've just had an autologous stem cell transplant, insults like this require A LITTLE MORE ATTENTION. The nurse practitioner in Arco talked to the inpatient transplant nurse practitioner at the University of Colorado Hospital since the transplant clinic is closed on Fridays to make sure I was assessed and treated appropriately. They decided to stitch the laceration closed since I'm allergic to adhesives, especially steri-strips; put me on 7 days of Augmentin, and send me 100 miles away to have a CT Scan of my head to assure I was not bleeding beneath my skull. 

 Just 3 sutures.

Poor Wayne Olsen...my driver...a short trip became a LONG TRIP.

I was seen at the Blackfoot Bingham Memorial Hospital ER by Dr. Allen (the same physician who diagnosed my first impending shingle outbreak about a year before I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma). He ordered the CT Scan of my head which thankfully was completely normal. He wanted me to have tetanus shot and I called the transplant nurse practitioner at UCH again to see if that would be okay. After some consultation, they decided the tetanus shot would NOT hurt me, but it would probably not give me any immunity since I don't have any functional immunoglobulins. So, the nurse said he had to give me the tetanus shot in a muscle and I said, "Good luck finding some muscle!) Ended up giving me the injection in my right deltoid (arm) muscle.

Back to Mackay and Jani was home ... NOT HAPPY WITH ME AT ALL ... "leave you alone for a nanosecond and look what happens!"

By this time the lidocaine used to put the sutures in had worn off and I felt like I had been hit in the head with a board! Every time I make ANY facial expression it seems to spasm in pain - plus I have a an underlying right sided headache. Local EMT, Cindy Kimball stopped by the house to see how I was doing which was nice.

Oh the JOY OF BEING ME~

2nd ASCT - Day 61 - July 18 2012

Two bull moose in the field behind my house this morning...a little too dark for good photos, but  they were there!

Jani and I took Colorado friends on a tour of the Mine Hill...such fun to share with Danny, Michelle, Christopher and their pup Sam. (At the Cossack Mine Shaft).  Double click to enlarge to full size.

Danny, Jani, Michelle, and Christopher at the Mine Hill Headhouse.

Me at the Headhouse on the Mine Hill.

Met up with old friends Dave Wilson and Earl Lockie at the Smelter Site Shay Blacksmith Shop where they were working on the mining displays.