On October 23, 2018, six days after my second chemo treatment, I was able to walk better (no foot drag in either foot) and further than I had in two years (over a mile unassisted by Steven, my assistive device)!!! "2016 Dena" is back! I did not want to say anything publicly until I had completed the treatment. I hope there is more to come, but this is enough for me to consider this treatment extraordinary!
Day -3
This day was the stem cell harvest. My lower back has started to hurt from the filgrastim (promote stem cell production) shots, which I later found out was a good thing regarding my body's production of stem cells (lower back pain is a good sign or stem cell production).
I have at least one "good" and the rest "regular" veins, which allowed me to make a choice between having a picc line inserted (see pic below of a picc line) into my neck for stem cell harvesting or to do it through my veins. I chose my veins. If I had chosen the picc line, I would have had to have gone under anesthesia to have it placed and to keep it in my neck for five days, receive chemo through it, and eventually my stem cells. The worst part of having the stem cells harvested through my veins were as follows (The process lasted 4 hours for me.):
- A missed vein/something wasn't right with the first vein in my right arm when we started that caused excruciating pain, but once that was fixed (The famous "Lupitas" [nurses] known for being the best when it comes to finding veins, found a better vein to use.) it was good.
- Having to squeeze a stress ball for 4 continuous hours in my left hand.
- Boredom :)
Picc Line Example - Inserted into the Neck (I did not have.)
Apheresis Machine
Harvesting through My Veins
Day -2
Chemo Day 3 - I watched Peaky Blinders, which made the chemo time pass fast.
Day -1
Chemo Day 4 - More Peaky Blinders
I had no ill effects from chemo!!! Not even a nap! Well, there was hair loss two days after my last chemo (see below).
Before Jail/Neutropenia...
Roos (pronounced Rose) and Me Representing Monterrey
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Stem Cell Infusion - My new birthday, October 28, 2018
Beautiful Bag of Stem Cells - I always say I "B positive" just like my blood type! 😋
Stem Cell Birthday Mates and Awesome Caregivers
Stem Cell Mates and Hematologists (Dr. David Gomez Almaguer and Dr. Elias Eugenio Gonzalez)
Stem Cell Mates and Amazing Staff
Day +1
Hair Loss (October 29, 2018)
Shave
Phase 1 New Hair
Phase 2 New Hair (November 2, 2018)- My pillow was full of hair and had to shave.
Day +2
Figrastim shots started back up on this day to start helping the immune system recover.
Day +3
Blood test on they day and I was not in neutropenia yet (https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutropenia). Neutropenia is the state of having abnormally low levels of neutrophils (= disease-fighting white blood cells) in the blood.
Day +4
Nothing to see/say here.
Day +5
Blood test on this day and in neutropenia (found out in my hematology consultation) and did not have any physical effects, so I didn't notice.
Day +6
I noticed neutropenia for the first time. I felt a little weak for about two hours (I read a book, so it didn't really matter) and fell asleep for 30 minutes. My second nap since I've been here. 😃Then I got my filgrastim shot and felt completely normal again.
Day +7
I started to feel the familiar tinges of back pain from the filgrastim shots (yea stem cells!). My last day of filgrastim shots as it turned out.
Day +8
I found out that I was out of neutropenia, which means I was allowed to stop filgrastim shots (other patients continued with the shots if they were not out of neutropenia)! Oh and contrary to what I had read on Facebook in the HSCT rooms I was in for months leading up to this treatment, Dr. David Gomez Almaguer said I could go out to restaurants as long as I eat cooked food only!!!
I will say in my typical fashion, after everything except for the Rituximab infusion was done, I got the worst headache ever! I had not slept well the night before the blood test that would show I was out of neutropenia because I am a nerd and was so nervous about this test. I'm sure the lack of good sleep and the previous filgrastim (filgrastim can cause headaches) shots were to blame. I slept cumulative 4 hours throughout the day this day trying to get rid of my headache. That helped some, but the headache was still there. I ate dinner and went to sleep with the massive headache at 10:00 PM (22:00 for my non-US friends) and finally by 7:15 AM when I awoke, the headache was gone. Of course, stubborn me did not take anything, but to be fair I need a high dosage of anything in order to get relief, so I figured there was no use in taking anything.
Out of Neutropenia
Day +9
I read a book for a while on my balcony while sitting in a shower chair (finally pulled that thing out of the closet and found a great use for it 😊). I took another nap! This time for an hour and a half. I guess I saved those all up for after the hard parts were done.
Day +10
The last step of the process is Rituximab (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rituximab) infusion (4 hours).
Rituximab Infusion
Day +11
Steven arrived and the food adventures resumed!
Day +12
The doctors went over being what to expect while being at home. Based on what they said about my immune system recovery, I will work from home for four weeks. The rest is text book!
Here's an awesome video Clinica Ruiz made for us.
https://youtu.be/1Ikhb2FAReY
Drugs through Day +2
- Alin
- Amal
- Prazolan
- Itraconazole
- Trimetoprim/Sulfametoxazole
- Acyclovir
- Emend
- Pantoprazole (this one ended on day +7)
- Itraconazole (this one ended on day +7)
- Trimetoprim/Sulfametoxazole (Continued taking in Mexico and will continue taking at home every 12 hours 3 days per week [M/W/F].)
- Aciclovir (Continued taking in Mexico and will continue takingat home daily every 12 hours for 6 months.)
Alin: https://www.medicamentos.com.mx/DocHTM/29544.htm
Amal: https://www.vademecum.es/equivalencia-lista-amal+tablet+8+mg-mexico-a04aa01-mx_1
Itraconazole: https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a692049.html
Bactrim F (Trimetoprim/Sulfametoxazole): https://www.drugs.com/bactrim.html
Isavir (Aciclovir): https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aciclovir
Emend: https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-75035/emend-oral/details
Clinica Ruiz is fantastic as is HSCT! More to come...
