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.

Successful OneMatch Event and the Road Ahead

George Yioldasis

One Match Stem Cell Donor Awareness Event held at the Vancouver Hellenic Community Centre was a great success, with terrific music coordination from Mark Ferris and the Yaletown String Quartet

This was followed by Bouzouki Solo by George Yioldasis, and more Greek Music by Mousiki Parea, and then the Finale by Wanting Qu. Many new donors registered on the available computers, and One Match Reps answered lots of questions. Great Food, and good support from the community all round.

Mark Ferris(left) and the Yaletown String Quartet

Steve expresses appreciation for his family

My brother Andy Larigakis planned and coordinated the event, Claudia Ferris capably MC'ed and rest of family from both sides did a fabulous job of entertaining and informing the the community about this opportunity to save a life.

Mousiki Parea

Recording Artist Wanting Qu

Stem Cell Recipient and Cancer Survivor and Cyclist Rob Nagel and his mom--in-law

Gelato at White Rock Pier with Zoe & Caroline

This week is testing week, where I get poked and prodded to ensure I am fit to tolerate the procedure, and admission to VGH is Sept 8 with my transplant on Sept 14, which becomes my second birthday. I am told to expect to be in hospital for 4-6 weeks and not feel well enough to take visitors except immediate family.

It has been intimated that my donor is a young woman and I will take on her blood type and gender, so I told my daughter to hold me back if I get crazy with the shopping. She said, "Don't worry Dad, I'll just embrace it"

The Road Ahead

Remission Continues

It is now day 25 on my new medication and I am continuing to enjoy a clinical remission.  I am able to enjoy swimming in the pool and shopping at Costco. Simple things hold indescribable pleasure when they have been denied. Like my first road ride in 3 months when Todd came by:

 My medical team wanted to see a sustained remission prior to proceeding to stem cell transplant, and it looks like we have one, so things are being scheduled for admission to hospital in early September with a week of "conditioning" followed by my procedure in mid September.

I want to acknowledge the deluge of greetings, prayers, cards, books, and gifts that keep coming my way. Every single one of them is received with gratitude and love, and they have all contributed to getting me through to this remission and will carry me on to the next phase of treatment. A large basket of gourmet goods from the Peace Arch Hospital Emergency staff is one of the most recent, and was quickly consumed by family and teenage visitors.

I now see this disease as something that has temporarily occupied my body, and will soon be purged so that my family and I can carry on, much as before.

My chance at a cure for this lymphoma is only possible because of the generosity of an anonymous donor from somewhere in the world. The donor registry includes 300,000 people across Canada and 30 million worldwide. In order to raise awareness and increase the pool of available donors, particularly in the Greek community, my family has launched a donor drive through Facebook. Donation is as easy as giving a unit of blood.

And they have booked a OneMatch Cafe event at the St George's Greek Church Community Hall in Vancouver on August 24 from 5-9:30 pm. I am told the electronic traffic on the OneMatch site has increased 100-fold over the past few days.

Please see the links below:

OneMatch Poster

Facebook Event

"Clinical Remission"

After a fantastic retreat to Long Beach with friends, we have returned home with body and spirit renewed and good news. The new medication I have been on for the last 14 days has taken away virtually all my symptoms and we are cautiously using the term clinical remission. I have more energy and am able to get out and do things again like shopping and light gardening. It is my 4th line chemotherapy and was provided by special release from Ottawa at a cost of $10,000 per month, and appears to be my salvation.

The other good news is that I have been confirmed to have a match for my bone marrow transplant, and the procedure could proceed as early as a month from now. The response to the public OneMatch.ca has been phenomenal and I thank everyone who has participated so far and those who tried but were denied registry because of age (who says 50 is getting old?). The drive will continue, and although it may not now benefit me, it will benefit many others for years to come and will continue to raise awareness in the community.

                      As my doctor said to me last week, "We were all due for a break!"