My ASTC (autologous stem cell transplant) process began on Saturday, October 23, when we arrived at the hospitality home in Jamaica Plain that Tammy would be staying at during my transplant. After watching Sunday church, we walked to the Lorenz Anderson Auto Museum, the Anderson Arboretum, and Cafe Beirut. Monday, October 25 I had the placement of a triple lumen in the upper chest. The next day, Tuesday, it was used to withdraw my stem cells that would later be replanted back in me. They were able to gather double the needed amount that first four hours that I did not need to return the next two days for more collection.
On Wednesday, Boston was hit with a nor'easter; so Tammy and I stayed put for the day watching movies. Thursday, we went to the Franklin Zoo as well as spending a good deal of time cleaning bird poop off my car from the nor'easter. Friday was to be admission day. Since it was to be later in the day, we went to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
I was admitted to Brigham and Women's Hospital room 7B-32 at 4pm on Friday, October 29. I was immediately depressed about the small size of the room, the even smaller size of the bathroom, and the room's view out the window. This was to be my home for the next 21 days during which time I learned I had one of the larger rooms and bathrooms and a good view compared to others.
Saturday, October 30 began my six days of chemo treatments (BEAM) off with a bang due to that day's drug's side effects. The next four days of chemo treatments went well with Tammy and I able to play cribbage, Over/Under, and Rewordable. The last day of chemo treatment on Thursday, November 4 was to mess up my stomach for the foreseeable future.
Friday, November 5 was transplant day. It went off without a hitch that is until about 130am when I had the worst heartburn I have ever had which lasted until around 530am. Little did I know that this was the beginning of fourteen days of what I will call "dark days". These were days of just laying in bed, not opening my eyes, not eating, lots of nausea, vomiting, head to ankle body rashes, several days plus of the runs, a gain of about 30lbs of water weight, 3 platelet transfusions, and some off and on fevers.
Tammy took good care of me during this time. She would arrive at the start of visiting hours 11am and stay usually until their end 8pm. She stayed by my bedside - helping me wash up, changing my sheets, taking me for short walks in the hallway, being my advocate as she understood alot of the medical terminology being used. I cannot imagine making it through everything without her.
I was released from Brigham and Women's on Friday, November 19 and returned home where I developed another fever Saturday afternoon that sent me to the Baystate ER and then a stay at the hospital for the next week. While there, I had lots of tests done to determine the cause of the fevers. I was also pumped full of different antibiotics to fight whatever was causing the fevers and given a blood transfusion. No cause was ever found, and the most likely scenario was I had Engraftment Syndrome. After being fever free for 48 hours, I was released from Baystate on Saturday, November 27 where I have been convalescing at home.
