Admission UCH - 2nd Autologous Stem Cell Transplant Day Minus 7 - May 11 2012

Jani and I drove down to the University of Colorado Hospital (UCH) located on the old Fitzsimons Army Base in Aurora, Colorado. 

Jani brought the extra specific 30 million year old rock key chain that Ron made us for luck!.

Here is a photo of the Fitzsimons area circa 1999 when it closed and was purchased by the University of Colorado Hospital.

We had been instructed to arrive at noon and we did. Unfortunately, my Room 1118 was not yet available and we were escorted to the 11th Floor Treatment Room to wait. Finally, 2 hours later, we were taken to Room 1118 directly across from the Nursing Station/Pharmacy Area.

RN Lindsey drew my blood and got the tubes sent to the lab. My white blood cells count is actually NORMAL for the first time in a long time at 4.2 (norms 4-11.1); My hemoglobin is at 10.3 (norms 12.1-16.3) which is low, but high for me; and my platelets are normal at 188 (norms 150-400) so I will still need to take my daily Fragmin 15,000 units injection because of the blood clot in my heart.

 My urine looks good too.

They took me to get yet another chest x-ray (radiology is located in the basement, so a transport guy named Michael gave me a deluxe ride down and up in a wheel chair). I just had one last week.

Jani ordered a bean burrito with the sauce on the side for me to eat and it had arrived while I was gone - However, the sauce was NOT on the side. The nurse heated it up for me in the microwave they keep LOCKED up somewhere - only staff have access. I also had some melted vanilla ice cream (small cup). I'm still have a somewhat difficult time eating because of the canker sore on the side of my tongue. They are going to start me on Acyclovir intravenously 3 times a day to beat the canker sore down and to prevent shingles.

RN Lindsey admitted me and I did her vital signs - lots of laughter which was fun!

Jani worked for hours getting my new Verizon hot spot wifi to work and I'm so proud of her - she gotter-done! UCH has internet access for patients and families, HOWEVER, it has lots of limitations like I cannot receive nor send email through my usual Outlook software program and have to use my WEB MAIL account from my internet provider in Idaho which does not have my address book in it and simply is NOT Outlook. In addition, UCH blocks all downloads from iTunes, videos from Facebook, videos from YouTube, anything streaming. Soooooo, at any rate, Jani researched the Verizon hot spot which you pay as you use gigabytes and it is so neat. I can actually watch Jani and Robbyn's satellite television in Greeley, Colorado now as if I was there in the room. UCH has television with very LIMITED channel selection and now with the hot spot, I can watch the GOLF Channel, BRAVO, etc.

We walked for 15 minutes in the hallway for 0.53 miles. I took my trusty IV pole along.

My 1st chemotherapy was hung at 7:50 PM and is to run 2 hours only. I guess it is caustic stuff and I had to have my vital signs taken every 15 minutes for 2 hours after RN Kim (night nurse) got it started. Prior to the start of the Carmustine IV,d RN Lindsey gave me IV Kytril, IV Dex 20 mg, and an Ativan pill. The dex and Ativan must have countered each other, because I wasn't too wired nor tired. She also gave me Velcade IV. 

Tomorrow, it will be 2 different chemotherapy agents intravenously twice a day.

My canter sore on the side of my tongue lingers.