We headed out yesterday morning, Friday (3/18), at 5am to HemaCare in Van Nuys for the second round of leukapheresis. This is the process where they harvest my white blood cells for modification to help fight the cancer. Again, the HemaCare people were great. They set both Patty and I up, side by side on comfy recliners with individual computer screens, snacks and movie DVD’s to pass the time while my blood circulated through the centrifuge machine.
Early into the appointment we did have a little excitement though. After much fussing and consulting, the nurses were unable to get the two venous catheter ports in my chest working correctly. Without access to a high volume of blood to supply for the centrifuge machine we are pretty much dead in the water. While I was conjuring up all the negative consequences of this, the nurses pow-wowed and decided the best bet was to find a vein in my arm to do the job. In walks Danny, the youngest nurse in the crew (I thought he was a trainee), with the BIGGEST needle I had ever seen. Thankfully he snagged the vein on the first stick. No big deal. And definite props to Danny. Everything went well from there on out.
The courier picked up the blood cells before lunchtime and we headed out. We stopped at the Katella Deli & Bakery again for lunch on the way back. Seems like we are establishing a tradition here. Pretty goooood food.
Come Monday we’ll head back to Marina Del Rey for infusion of the modified cells. We are hearing each infusion amps up the immune system and to expect some minor reaction (aches and fever). We’ll see. But so far, piece of cake.
Well, Patty says its time to pull the plug. We will update you on how things go Monday. As always, we love you all. We are doin good. Thanks everybody for your offers of help and for thinking of us.
Steve
No comments:
Post a Comment