We just returned from an evening trip to the infusion lab where John received 2 units of blood. His hematocrit had dropped to 26%, par for the course after melphalan, which automatically calls for a transfusion. He is finally cashing in on the many gallons he has regularly donated at Hood River blood drives.
The last few days have been a test of our resolve. John’s relative good health for a transplant patient at Day 11 doesn’t compensate for the fact that he feels like crap. Lethargy and boredom rule his days. The weather is beautiful but he doesn’t have the energy to go out, where he would face the threat of an infection, anyway.
The docs assure us he has hit bottom and is stuck there until the engraftment takes hold and his counts start climbing. It could happen any day, and when it does, we’ll shout it out on the blog for all to read.
Marilyn
Good Blood, Bad Blood 