IN PLAY

IN PLAY

5am, Sunday, Dec. 28th
Yesterday was the first full day of chemo for Titi. The first of a six-day barrage to vanquish and purge his system of all the antibodies in preparation of the freeze in order for his body to accept the engraftment or acceptance of the stem cell transplants on day 0 and day +1.
On the 26th, he experienced an extreme heart palpitation (250bpm) for a couple of minutes and was back to normal with a morphine injection. This is the second time that it happened – the first time was when he was in the hospital in Bangkok. The doctors here said it was normal and that it could happen to anybody – not related to his condition !?
Yesterday, he experienced chills, a side effect from the chemo which was subsequently quelled with another morphine injection. May have to take him to a drug rehab center once he gets out of here ☺
From now on, there is nothing else that can be done except to wind down the days of the protocol and to ensure that he will not be rocked by any sepsis or external infections.
In the interim, it seems that everyone here is putting their lives on a holding pattern. The protocol has to be carried out in its exactness to maximize the probability of success.
Stem cells must be harvested on the very day it is transplanted and since I am a half-matched donor, an extra-ordinary amount of stem cells must be available. The neupogen shots (to elicit stem cells into the blood stream) will be lengthened to 9 shots instead of eight and Prof. Naparsteck said a rich harvest is expected within the 4 hours or so. I do not know how she can be so certain.
I am home-sick and also a bit concerned – last week when they took the initial blood samples from me, I suffered a haematoma (blood leaked into the subcutaneous level of the skin) and I can still see the red blotches on my right forearm which one of the nurses here confirmed the nature. I think I know the cause – when the nurse extracted the needle (after the samples were collected) the sweeping motion of taking the needle out plunged the needle deeper into my skin (and thereby puncturing the vein on the other side, I guess) before extracting it. Just a guess and never to be confirmed. The thought of a higher objective for being here compels me to be as diplomatic as possible but also to ensure that such things are minimized or rendered non-existence during the course of the protocol.
How far can I take this advocacy and how many willing ears? As far as I can tell, the doctors and nurses say they are overworked and does not show the level of care and attention we are used to in Bangkok. Are we spoilt or should we strive for TLC? How wide-ranging do they accept as responsibility for curing a patient?
Meanwhile, we still have been unable to find a coin-operated Laundromat. Websites revealed 5 of them in Tel Aviv – no addresses – just phone numbers. Today, after Mass, would be a good time to get the hotel front desk to help with the phone calls (only hotel and hospital staff know conversational English, cab drivers, for the most part understand but feign ignorance- St. Peter’s is one of the most well-known tourist landmarks in the area, but our cabbie took an extra 15 shekels finding it) to locate these sites of growing interest.
I did find some Thais working in a fast food joint in the hotel complex and they gave me the name and address of a local Thai restaurant that THEY themselves frequent. Another place of now extreme interest to visit for dinner.
My neupogen shots will start on New Year’s Eve and that should reroute my mind from thinking about home, laundromats and Thai food.
Until then,
Sabai, sabai