Surprise Visit by R2S Group

Today I received a surprise visit by 25 riders from Team Coastal and Ride to Survive as well as a member of the Delta Retreads Master Swim Club. It looks like it was organized by Vicki Kunzli and Kevin Murphy and involved riders, many who are cancer survivors themselves, starting out in Delta, Richmond, and Vancouver and converging on VGH on this rainy Sunday morning.They positioned themselves outside my room and waved a sign at me, but unbeknownst to them I had been moved to another room invisible to the ground, and instead "Mr Smith" was treated to a dazzling display of spandex.

So Plan B involved leaving the expensive bikes in the care of who knows and riding the elevator to the 15th floor, one away from the penthouse. They waited in the elevator foyer while Kevin roused me from my drug assisted stupour and I met with them properly, fully masked, and attached to my IV pole (Fred) and not sure if I was still dreaming.

Friday was a busy day, too, as I was teleconferenced in to our 25th UBC Medical School Reunion and had a chance to talk to about 50 of my classmates and their spouses and be entertained with slides of fully haired young medical students engaged in silly antics. Marshal Dahl and others did a superb job of organizing. And I learned that just 6 months ago one of our classmates was in the same room as I am now, recovering from an autologous stem cell transplant, and has done well!

Otherwise I am doing fine, counting off the days like a prisoner in a cage, waiting for my white blood cells to recover. I am told that my Libra sign is in Uranus which nicely describes the irritated state of my bowels, which are recovering.

Greetings of course to all my supporters. You keep me going on those dark days. And hats off to good drugs which are welcome too.

Steady as She Goes

It is now 7 days post transplant and 14 days post admission and things are going pretty much as expected. I  have experienced various side effects from the treatments but they have been anticipated and managed by my excellent care team. I pretty much sit back and do as I am told.

Engraftment, the functioning attachment of the new stem cells, is not expected to happen for another week or so. Patience is in order, and the reading is going well, currently enjoying "The Cat's Table".

Our UBC Medical School 25th reunion is on this weekend, and I hope to attend via videoconference and send my greetings. Yeah, Class of '86!

TRANSPLANT DAY

Conditioning has completed successfully (I brought my handweights but did not need them) and I am ready for my infusion today at noon. Apparently, it is very straightforward, with the cells simply infused into my existing Hickman intravenous line and then we just wait for them to find their way into my currently nearly-empty bone marrow where they will take up their new residence.

Caroline and my immediate family will attend to mark this "second birthday".  And after that it is just a waiting game. All the love and wishes and prayers you are sending are part of that infusion and that is what makes it extra special and makes me so grateful.

"Champaign" and cake to celebrate the "Birthday"

My nurse Ali sharing in the cake.

Transfusion was smooth and uneventful an now it is time to sit back and relax!

Life on the BMT Ward

Settled in to my private room on the 15th floor with a nice view from Shaughnessy to Baker, and learning the rules of the ward and getting familiar with some of the staff and patients here.  Lots of attention to detail, like tracking my large volumes of urine.

Dr Kannadit Prayongratana, fellow

I have quite a team looking after me, including the Staff Man, Fellow, nurse, OT, dietician, dentist, pastoral worker, and assorted therapists and porters. Seems like a big fuss,  but it is nice to have them on your side.

Completed the 3 days of chemotherapy fairly uneventfully. The anti-nauseants make me restless so I have to keep on moving around in my space here,  a challenge for a Type A person.

Had the first of 6 sessions of TBI or Total Body Irradiation which is just lay down and listen to music for 12 minutes, then easy over for 12 more minutes. The interesting part of getting to the TBI is a long ride through the cavernous tunnels of the VGH complex, over to the Cancer Centre.  These tunnels remind me of my days working here as an orderly in the 1980-81 where we scooted over to the nurses residence undetected, and participated in fighting the arson fire in the old radiology department.

Birds eye view of Steve in the tunnel

So, everything is on track for the transplant on Sept 15, and just putting in my time now, and continuing to gratefully receive all the positive energy and love everyone is sending my way, as it places me in a state of equanimity or unconditional love, to accept these new cells as my own.

Admission Day

Admission to VGH has arrived today. Remission has maintained and the battery of tests has gone well, so the team is going ahead with the transplant, and I am so grateful.

We have had a wonderful August including the trips to Long Beach and Kelowna, and both kids are now settled into University, and Caroline has resumed some semblance of normality with work. It will be a quiet house with  three of us gone, but Rupert the cat gets to come back inside.

I have 6 days of "conditioning" starting tomorrow, and then my transplant, by simple IV infusion, is now planned for Sept 15. I will be largely cloistered from the outside world in hospital for 4-6 weeks because of germ concerns, but family will still be able to visit at times, and even bring food, like my mom's augolemono soup, or Greek chicken soup.

The cobalt radiation machine shown here is the same generation as the one used for my grandmother almost 40 years ago, and cured her of her cancer at the time.  It reminds me of the Starship Enterprise.

I am now at the state where I am totally ready for this journey, thanks to all the time reflecting, reading, and welcoming the love and prayers and good wishes of all the wonderful people supporting me, and again I am so grateful. For me now, it is time to climb a big hill on my bicycle, maybe Cypress mountain;  relax the body, centre the breathing, and focus the mind, and simply find my rhythm and climb the hill. Eventually, you know there is a plateau, with its rewards.

Addendum: Now admitted and settled in to my private room, complete with wifi, cell phone and room service. Sister Michelle is by for a visit on her lunch hour from City Hall.  Will get into my book shortly.