Day 5 - Evening Update September 18 2011

Faye Hummel stayed until 5 PM and helped me with my dinner order. I decided nothing sounded good and ate a small bowl of cereal that Faye got at the store on her way here this morning. Per usual, the food does not help ease my nausea. Nurse Practitioner Carley came in and chatted with me about the nausea. I'd only managed to get almost one bottle water (16 ounces) all day, so Carley decided to increase my IV maintenance fluids from 75 cc/her to 125 cc hour.

My nursing care continues to be top notch. Here are my day Nurse Jennifer at change of shift this evening with Nurse Sherry September 18 2011 7 PM.

They started me on a neupogen shot this afternoon too (I think the dosage was 300 mg). The neupogen is to stimulate my new baby stem cells into action.

My 4 PM blood draw results aren't much different than this morning,

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Day 5 - Visit from Infectious Diseases - September 11 2011

Since I have shingles breaking through yet again, the doctor and her student from Infectious Disease wanted to get my entire varicella (chickenpox - shingles) history before they decided on any long term treatment. For those of you who have not had the shingles - count your lucky stars each and EVERY day. Shingles are quite painful and for me, can be controlled with Percocet to some degree. Amie Meditz, MD, from the UCH Division of Infectious Diseases and her student, Fellow Marci worked several hours on my issues this afternoon.

Dr. Amie Meditz and Fellow Marci

They had me detail all of the steroids I had received since my multiple myeloma diagnosis and all the calendars that I've kept really helped in that history taking department. I also showed the photos of my first shingles breakout August 9 2009 (before my multiple myeloma diagnosis).

Dr. Meditz thinks my really upset stomach from the melphalan has inhibited my body's ability to absorb the oral acyclovir and/or Valtrex I had been receiving. Hence, she wants to treat me with IV Acyclovir for at least week. She feels like the shingle lesions I have on my left thorax below my breast will quickly dry up. Once that happens, I won't have to be in isolation with the yellow gown rule for visitors and staff and confined to my hospital room only.

Day 5 - Afternoon Update September 18 2011

Faye Hummel arrived mid-morning and helped me get myself and my room together. She is easy to be with and such a good friend since Jani cannot come today.

My cousin, Laura Dynia Penney arrived from Fort Collins - so nice of her to visit. She had photos of Nicolle Allagio's wedding and I enjoyed those. I ate my lunch (a few bites of terrible macaroni and cheese and orange sherbet) while she was here and instantly had "nurse and nap" syndrome. Really, REALLY poor company while I was snoring during her visit. Fortunately, Faye was here and they visited.

Day 5 - Morning Update September 18 2011

My 4 AM blood values of today, September 18 2011, continue to drop as expected - blood cells at 0.8, platelets at 107, and hemoglobin at 9.1.

The expected diarrhea from the melphalan has started too, but not really in earnest yet.

Stuck in my delightful Room 1125 because of the new shingle outbreak. All caregivers and visitors need to wear the yellow shield gown and blue gloves if they come in.

I ordered breakfast early and it came fairly early. I was able to eat some of the scramble egg and french toast despite feeling nauseated. I am evaluating the nausea at "6" on a 1-10 scale with "10" throwing up and it just never seems to leave me - full stomach or not.