Getting ready for the big day

I haven't posted for awhile because things have been pretty stable since the last post.  Eric is doing well for someone who has aggressive bone marrow cancer.  We continue to walk each morning.  Eric is able to stay on top of the pain and discomfort most of the time.  He is sleeping a little bit better and feeling a bit more hopeful because of it.

Tuesday we started the work up for entering the hospital on August 19.  We spent a good part of the day at LDS hospital.  By the end of this we may know our way around that extremely confusing hospital, something I never supposed possible.


At 9:00 a.m. Eric had a chest x-ray on the 1st floor. 
At 10:00 a.m. Eric had an EKG and an ECHO on the 7th floor. 
At 11:00 a.m. Eric had a pulmonary function test on the 6th floor.
At noon Eric had a unit of platelets on the 3rd floor.

Wednesday at 1:45 Eric had blood drawn for lab work (I think he told me they took 15 vials), followed by a full physical, and then a bone marrow biopsy, all on the 8th floor bone marrow transplant clinic.  We were both highly skeptical that they would be able to aspirate any bone marrow after the two failed attempts early on.  But to our surprise, they were able to do it.  The physician's assistant explained that it was probably because of the two rounds of chemo that Eric has had.  The chemo may have reduced some of the fibrous material in his bone marrow. 

I thought about posting last night, but it was late when we finally arrived home.  So we had leftovers for supper and fell asleep while watching a movie about raccoons that can transform into anything.  It is a sad commentary when raccoons transforming into humans to save the world can't keep you awake at 7:00 in the evening.

Eric's note:  It was especially gratifying earlier in the week to hear from former law firm colleagues around  town.  It is so nice to be remembered.  At this stage of all the pain and shrinkage, one almost feels invisible.