Well, it's been a rough weekend. Not as rough as it could have been, thank God, but fever and associated symptoms have kept me down for a couple days. My fever broke, so I'm up, but the eye of the storm is momentary. The doctor suspects something viral, which means we just have to wait it out. If it's bacterial, there are specific treatments. If it's related to the neupogen about which I wrote on Thursday, then my immune system is "warming up" to say the least! There's no indication of that yet though and the doctor suspects engraftment is still a few days away, probably around the 2 week mark. Today is still only day +10 so it is too early for my counts to rise significantly. The fever is most likely some underlying virus that I will have to put up with for maybe another week since my white cell count is still 0.000. It sucks but that's the way it is. Here is an optimistic calendar for the rest of the month:
Notice the discharge goal of Day +19. Even if I graft by then, a continuing fever will keep me here until it is resolved. And resolve these problems I will. As the psalmist says in Psalm 118 (117 DR), one of my favorites for its imagery and meaning:
They swarmed around me like bees,
but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns;
in the name of the LORD I cut them down.
I was pushed back and about to fall,
but the LORD helped me.
The LORD is my strength and my defense;
He has become my salvation.
(NIV 2011)
Your hopeful first day home is our hopeful due date of the arrival of our little one. May the Ides of March and the days immediately following fill your household (and ours) with joy and blessings!
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