Zero Day!

 

So this is the day when my stem cells were returned to me, after starting Melphalan yesterday. It's been a shorter day than Zero minus one, but I've been here five hours and will be leaving soon.

I got my own room today, but it would have been more interesting in the main unit, as then you can talk to other patients and also you can patient-watch, seeing how they behave with their partner or family, or what they do to entertain themselves.

Here's how they did it all today:

• Taken to my own side room, on a hospital bed rather than a chair.
• Flush with saline and take various drugs to help the transplant
• I had three staff doing the work and I'm fact the ward sister - a very nice Spanish woman- did the infusion, as it is quite a big deal, and you only get one shot at doing it right.
• The stem cells are brought in a 'Dalek' with dry ice inside, keeping the packs below  -170 Centigrade (see pics)
• They are warmed up to blood temperature in a special water bath.
• They have to be infused via the PICC in less than 15 mins so that they don't start to die 
• Then I am flushed through with saline for 3 hours

And in fact I have slept for a couple of hours of the treatment today as I think the chemo is having an effect. But luckily beds are one thing they have in good supply here. Heading home to my room soon.