Flushing my Central Line { Day +89 }

Since my appointment now at PMH is once every 2 weeks, I am responsible for my hickman line. This means I have to flushed it once a week to prevent from blocking. I've been doing this at home twice already, December 13th and December 27th...

FACTS: Procedure for Flushing/Locking Your Catheter (PMH)

1. Get equipment ready: Alcohol wipes, Normal Saline flush, Heparin flush, Gloves
2. Wash your hands with soap and water.
3. Put on gloves.
4. Clean the end of needleless valve cap with an alcohol wipe. Be careful not to touch the end of the needleless valve cap after cleaning. If you should accidentally touch the end of the ccap, the cap must be cleaned again with a new alcohol wipe.
5. Remove the protective cover from the saline syringe (be careful not to touch the open end of the syringe) and using a twisting motion attach the syringe to the end of the needleless valve cap.
6. Unclamp the catheter.
7. Inject the saline, close the clamp.
8. Clamp the catheter and unscrew syringe and discard.
9. Remove the protective cover from the saline syringe (be careful not to touch the open end of the syringe) and using a twisting motion attach the syringe to the end of the needleless valve cap.
10. Unclamp the catheter.
11. Inject the heparin slowly until 1mL of the solution remains. Begin to close the clamp on the catheter while injecting 0.5 mL of the remaining solution. It is very important to keep pressure on the plunger of the syringe while clamping. This creates a positive pressure lock that will stop the blood from coming back into the catheter once the clamp is closed.
12. Once the catheter is clamped, remove the syringe. It is best to hold onto the needleless valve cap when removing the syringe so not to accidentally loosen the connection.
13. Ensure the the needleless valve cap is securely attached to the catheter
14. Repeat steps 4-12 for other lumens.

This is how I do this. I post this so just in case I will lost my copy on how to flush my line, I can always come to my site and read it.

SteroidLESS { Day +85 }

Yippee! Hooray! Whohoo! It's been 3 days now that I am SteroidLESS!

I saw the difference in my appetite and my energy level, big difference...but I don't think this means I will lose the 10 kilos I gain for the past 2 months I was taking them. Hopefully, I will not gain anymore!

At least, I don't wake up in the middle of the night just to eat. I don't feel hungry all the time. But I don't have much appetite that I sometimes forget to eat or sometimes I felt sick because I was so hungry to death. Now, I really have to look at the clock or schedule my eating.

The distance I used to walk for my exercise, I cannot do anymore. I use cane if ever I will walk far and I walk very slow like an old lady. I also felt pain on my knees when I walk that far, well, I should say about a 10 minute walk distance.

Anyway, there is nothing better than being SteroidLESS or should I say SteroidFREE. I heard that taking this for a longer period of time have bigger damages or side effects. But I wouldn't say I will not take this again. I know that if other complications comes, I will have to take them again. So, I guess this is just a break, and hoping it will be a long one.

"Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you."

Deuteronomy 31:6, NKJV

Bad Headache { Day +83 }

I have this headache that won't go away! I thought I would need an ambulance to go to PMH and not my regular routine of using the volunteer drivers of Canadian Cancer Society. But I did manage to go to my appointment as usual. I took Tylenol before I left. But it did not really help much.

I mentioned this headache to my doctor, but no Catscan (CT Scan) needed. I am ready to have this procedure if he ordered but he said it won't be necessary. Hopefully, it was just a regular headache.

FACTS: Computed tomography (CT), originally known as computed axial tomography (CAT) and body section roentgenography, is a medical imaging method employing tomography where digital processing is used to generate a three-dimensional image of the internals of an object from a large series of two-dimensional X-ray images taken around a single axis of rotation. The word "tomography" is derived from the Greek tomos (slice) and graphia (describing). (Wikepedia)

Same as other Tuesdays, I will have to wait until 3 p.m. for the CMV results. But today, I got my result at 3:45 p.m. Quite a long day for me with this kind of headache!

Blood Pressure
Systolic - 130 (normal range = 90 to 135)
Diastolic - 80 (normal range = 50 to 90)

Complete Blood Count
HGB – 104 (normal range = 120 to 160)
PLT – 197
WBC - 4.5
Neut - 3.1 (normal range = 2.0 to 8.0)
Mg - 0.73
Creat - 109 (normal range > 100)
CMV - negative

Liver Functions
ALB - Not Available
ALT - 27
ALP - 43
AST - 27
TBili - 8

Legend:
Green: Normal
Yellow: Abnormal
Red: Critical

9 More Days { Day +81 }

12 more days before New Year! and 9 more days for the day I've been waiting for...

This is the season of getting together, dinner, or lunch with friends and families. For others, this is the season of expanding :) not just because of the winter weather were people are lazy to go out because of cold weather; it's because of eating out, eating here and there with friends, co-workers and families.

Last Sunday, I had families come over to our place for Jensine's 4th Birthday. Yesterday afternoon, a very good friend of ours got married and Jensine was the Bible Bearer in the Wedding Party. And after that, we had our "Barkada's Annual Christmas Party". I know, I am not supposed to be with large crowds and eating out, catering, and potluck foods.

For Jensine's Birthday, we did the cooking. For the wedding, not really good to publicize, but I did not eat at the Wedding Reception. But I am sure their food were very good. Hmmm, I really wish I could try them all. Well, I had salad and bread which I think I could eat. And this couple are special friends of ours, so I just thought I have to be there on their wedding day even with large crowd. Aside from the reason that Jensine was going to walk on the aisle to bring the Bible for the Wedding Ceremony. BTW, he did a good job on his part. I will post some pictures and even a video next time. And I think I did my part of avoiding people who I know are sick.

For our annual Christmas Party, we did potluck. Yes, I should avoid potlucks, too. But this long-time friends of ours knew my condition and really takes good care of me, nobody bought or ordered food to bring. They brought to my place home-cooked meals and they made sure they were prepared properly and cooked well. Aren't they so sweet?

I don't think, this is it...I am sure there will be more get togethers to attend to, more dinner at a friends' place or my place. But I will have 9 more days of strick diet...and will stick to that. If you remember, my dietitian gave me 90 days to follow the Guide to Safety Eating and other food restrictions. I am almost there!!! And I have very good friends who planned something already, yes, eat out! To have a dinner after this 90 days of what, should I say "ordeal"? Hi!hi!hi! I know that all these are for my own good. That's why I am trying to follow them as much as I can. And I should say, my friends and families are also trying their best to make it easier on me and everyone else. Again, thank you for all your support, love and care!!!

Under the Weather! { Day +75 }

I know! I know! I said, I will post more often on this blog...but here I am again...but I do really have an excuse for not doing so. Here's what happened...lately, I've been feeling weak for reason I am not sure of. It started Wednesday night and almost night after night my body was aching. I hardly can get up by myself; I need Jerson to help me to get up. We checked my blood pressure, although, it was a little bit high, I don't think it was the reason. We also checked my temperature and it was perfectly normal. Then, I realized, it could be the steroid I am taking. This is just my theory. When I started taking steroid at higher dosage, I was full of energy. Every time I have my appointment, they lessen the dosage and I am only taking 10 mg/day and starting tomorrow, I will be taking 5 mg/day. So I thought, since I am taking less now, my energy level is not that high anymore, that I can get tired easily. But this is normal for a transplant patient, it was expected. Some even think that you will be back to your own self energy after a year. But I still believe that it depends on the transplant patient. I met other transplant patients that are back to their work after six months or less. I just have to start to learn how to conserve my own energy so I won't be so tired nor feel very weak at the end of the day. But this is just my speculation...maybe the weakness I felt last week was something else.

BTW, I am home today! Tuesday! This will be my first Tuesday at home since I got out of hospital last October...Tuesdays was my regular appointments at PMH. It's still on Tuesdays but every other Tuesdays. Yes, my check up is now every other week. But of course, if I will have any serious problem they will want to see me right away...

Survive! Revive! { Day +69 }

November 29th, I had my first Bone Marrow Test after the Transplant. This will determine if they will find cancer cells developing again in my bone marrow. Yesterday, December 6th, I got the result of the test...

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace."

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, NIV.

...God is good! All the time! There are no cancer cells "that they can see" from the test they did, even on my blood test results. I just recently found out that from the blood test itself, under "Blast", I can tell if there are new cells developing. In my chart report received from the hospital, twice shown that my "Blast" were 0.00 on October 20th and November 1st...first bone marrow test...SURVIVE!

FACTS: Myeloblasts or blasts are new, immature blood cells developed in the bone marrow that are the precursors of myelocytes (Wikipedia)

I did couple of changes on this blog...I am back to blogging again...I will restart posting on this blog more often...I believe it helps me restore both physical and spiritual sickness...REVIVE!


Blood Pressure
Systolic - 125 (normal range = 90 to 135)
Diastolic - 95 (normal range = 50 to 90)

Complete Blood Count
HGB – 109 (normal range = 120 to 160)
PLT – 168
WBC - 11
Neut - 9.3 (normal range = 2.0 to 8.0)
Mg - 0.70
Creat - 98

Liver Functions
ALB - Not Available
ALT - 26
ALP - 47
AST - 20
TBili - 8

Legend:
Green: Normal
Yellow: Abnormal
Red: Critical

CMV... { Day + 63 }

...or Cytomegalovirus. Every Tuesday, when blood is drawn from my line to test my CBC and Liver Functions, they also test if I am positive/negative for this virus. This is the reason why I keep waiting until afternoon at the hospital. Usually, the blood test was taken in the morning and the test result comes out at around 3 P.M. Last Tuesday, it actually came out at 4 o'clock! Yes, I was there in the hospital almost the whole day, every Tuesday. But it's worth waiting to know that I am still negative with this virus. Although, I was determined that I had CMV infection already, sometime in my life and my donor was positive with it, too. I heard that 85% - 90% of population were infected of this virus.

FACTS: Cytomegalovirus, or CMV, is found universally throughout all geographic locations and socioeconomic groups. Once a person becomes infected, the virus remains alive, but usually latent within that person's body for life. Recurrent disease rarely occurs unless the person's immune system is suppressed due to therapeutic drugs or disease. Therefore, for the vast majority of people, CMV infection is not a serious problem. (Wikipedia)

There is a high risk of infection for people who are transplant recipients like me! So it is very critical that I will be tested every week.

FACTS: Infection with CMV is a major cause of disease and death in immunocompromised patients, including organ transplant recipients, patients undergoing hemodialysis, patients with cancer, patients receiving immunosuppressive drugs, and HIV-infected patients. (Wikipedia)

For my other test results, my CBC and Liver Functions were okay! Although, my blood pressure did not go down from last week, the doctors still decided not to give me medication for hypertension. But they did lower the dosage of my Prednisone (steroid) to 20 mg. About my weight...he!he!he!...we can skip this one...he!he!he!...I am still gaining weight by the kilos/week not pounds :( But overall, I feel I am getting better each day... Thanks be to God!

REFLECTIONS:

"I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you."

3 John 2, NIV

Complete Blood Count
HGB – 113 (normal range = 120 to 160)
PLT – 166
WBC - 11.5
Neut - 9.9 (normal range = 2.0 to 8.0)
Mg - 0.88
Creat - 97

Liver Functions
ALB - Not Available
ALT - 29
ALP - 56
AST - 23
TBili - 9

Legend:
Green: Normal
Yellow: Abnormal
Red: Critical