Day Plus 35,36,37,38,39,40-Back To The Hospital

Much can be said about these past six days (Wednesday Aug 23-Monday Aug 28). We went to the ER Wednesday night to figure out what was going on with my persisting fevers. In fact Wednesday night was the highest temperature I've had during all of this madness. I had brought a day's worth of extra clothes in my backpack along with a few snacks, and my phone and charger, anticipating they may keep me an extra day. WRONG. They ran a bunch of tests including CT scans, all of which came back negative, but decided to have me admitted into the hospital for monitoring shortly after midnight. They put me in a nice solo room in the F-Ground unit of the hospital, which is normally for hematology and oncology patients. It was very spacious and had a nice view out the window. It even had a bed with an inflatable mattress that would adjust as you moved around. This was my best room yet. Unfortunately my stay would be short-lived. As the doctors tried to rule things out, on Friday, they decided to have my chest catheter removed. It was the only foreign thing in my body so perhaps there was an infection from the line. It would make sense. For something that required outpatient surgery to put in, it came out within a second. It just took a quick pull by the PA, counting me down, and telling me to take a deep breath, and at exhale, it was out. It must have been a foot long tube. I was tempted to ask for it as a souvenir but I thought maybe not. In its place, they inserted some temporary peripheral IVs in each arm. Later that Friday afternoon, my nurse told me they were moving me again, the story of my life, this time back to where it all began, E1 unit.

Here was another twist to the hospital saga. On Friday, my social worker stopped by to tell us that if the patient is admitted back into the hospital, our housing situation could be revoked because it is meant for the patient, even though the caregiver is still living there, and there were people on the waiting list for the apartments. So if it were to come down to it, my wife, who is supposed to be my caregiver (let me stress CAREGIVER), would have to move 3 months worth of belongings using our small Camry into some storage unit or who knows where, and possibly have to sleep in the hospital atrium for who knows how many days. How heartless is that? Who came up with that policy? We found out later from the BMT nurses that in fact 7 out of 10 BMT patients end up back in the hospital for things just like this. Our social worker was the bearer of bad news. From what I was told, it wasn't a Stanford thing, and that our social worker would do her best to stretch it out as long as she could, possibly until Monday or Tuesday. I was tempted to just say well if you can't find anything wrong with me then I'm going home (our apartment) now. Fortunately for us, we trust in a God who is greater than any policy or bureaucracy. So before we moved to my new room, Becky and I just prayed.

1 Chronicles 29:11
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.

As I was transported on my hijacked air cushioned bed from F-Ground, going back to the E1 unit brought back a flood of memories. My new room was 144A (A meant I had a window view and more storage). If there was an A, that meant that there was also a B, meaning I had a roommate once again. For now, let's call him Lazy Boy. He was a 20 year old kid from Dixon who had his mom with him everyday. On Saturday, after all the ongoing tests came back negative, I tested positive for Cytomegalovirus (CMV) which is a common virus that can infect almost anyone. Once infected, your body retains the virus for life. Most people don't know they have CMV because it rarely causes problems in healthy people. In fact both I and my sister who donated her bone marrow had the CMV virus already, like many people, but it was dormant in me as they tested for it regularly during my first hospital stay, when I was admitted to the ER on Wednesday, and the following days, until this Saturday when blood tests came back positive. They found it so early that it hopefully can be easily treated with medication. So that was what the doctors were saying was the cause of my fevers and possibly nausea. In order to be discharged I had to go 48 hours without a fever (anything below 100.4 deg Fahrenheit). So I spent the following days taking in fluids, and more meds, along with playing some new games on the phone, Clash of Clans and Clash Royale (thanks Julian and Mike), and watching the Dbacks sweep the Giants with Becky.

So, back to my roomie Lazy Boy. He wasn't as bad as the last guy, Big Country. But this kid was lazy. I was there for almost 4 days, and not once did he take a shower (even at the continual prompting of his nurses; it was always, "in a little bit"), brush his teeth, change his clothes, or do his mouth care (salt water rinses). He was constantly vomiting from chemo and getting diarrhea. You could only imagine the odors that were slowly building up on the other side of that curtain. All he would do was sleep, go on his phone, and watch tv, while his mom sat there on her tablet. In fact, he was so lazy, when his IV machine would beep, he would often just let it keep on beeping, never calling anyone on the intercom, until a nurse would randomly walk in. Imagine our annoyance hearing beep, beep, beep, beep for 20 minutes. Out of stubbornness on my end I wasn't going to call for him. But on one occasion I did call for my nurse to bring applesauce knowing she would walk over to his machine to fix his beeping. There was one awkward moment when we overheard Lazy Boy and his mom arguing, and him basically telling her to shutup on numerous occasions. It was sad, yet humorous and entertaining on our end as we could hear them just over the curtain.

On Saturday, one of my coworkers Joanna and her friend stopped by for a quick visit, bearing gifts and all. My coworkers decided to fill a small BioMarin rolling luggage with all sorts of Asian treats, magazines, and a Rivals for Catan 2 player board game. I couldn't believe how much stuff was in there. And they brought me a nice yellow orchid as well. I definitely could feel the BioMarin QA Validation love! I'm thankful for such a great group of folks that I work with. To cap off the night, I was also able to stream the Mayweather vs McGregor fight from my phone. It was a much better fight than I was expecting.

On Sunday, we were able to Skype into church service again for both morning and evening. One of the other cool things was being able to see and chat with some of the nurses and nurse assistants who previously took care of me during my first stay on E1. That is probably the only thing I will miss. With no fevers all day Sunday, Monday was definitely looking like a possible discharge date.

On Monday morning, one of the doctors came by to tell me they were going to discharge me later in the afternoon. In celebration, I ordered me a nice cheeseburger with bacon and soy cheese, along with potato wedges and a Pepsi. Unfortunately the bun withered in the covered plate as our pharmacist nurse came by to give us a teaching lesson on how to administer the Ganciclovir (used to treat my CMV) filled ball at home. The minute she left I devoured that burger, withered bun and all, and had visions of a Wendy's bacon cheeseburger. No restaurant food for me until 90 days following transplant. By 5pm that Monday, it was time to go. On my way out the door I passed by my roomie thinking of the Fresh Prince line, "Yo homes smell you later." I was once again wheeled out in a wheelchair to see the outside, feel the gentle breeze and heat from the afternoon sun. I was free once again and we still had an apartment, in God's always perfect timing.

Isaiah 55:9
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Day Plus 33,34-You Talkin Bout Practice?

Monday was filled with another visit to the Cancer Center. While most visits are only 1-2 hours long, this day, however, turned into a 3 hour visit. We checked in at 8:00am for my 8:10am appointment, however we were not called back until 8:50am. Apparently the check-in counter did not check me in properly upon initial arrival, until I asked why it was taking so long closer to 8:40am. The squeaky wheel always gets the oil as Becky would say. They did the usual vitals, visited with the nurse and the physicians assistant, and this time visited with the doctor. No new news with handling the fevers. Blood counts continue to look good, with the exception of my platelets which continue to drop. They said its pretty normal, but could be a result of fighting off whatever is causing the fevers.

I still also continue to take several 1-2 hour naps during the day. For some reason, after awaking from a nap this day, I finally decided to try to start learning to play the ukulele. I asked Becky to bring it thinking I may want to learn while I had all this time on my hands. So I downloaded an ukulele tuner app and tried to tune the ukulele. It was much harder than I thought, perhaps because I've never learned to play any instruments. Then I went on YouTube to find some beginner lessons for chords to play on the ukulele. In learning the C, A-minor, F, and G chords, I learned how to position your fingers on specific frets and strings. The most common chord sequence used in hundreds of songs is the C-G-Am-F chord sequence. Now I just need to continue to practice, practice, practice.

Tuesday was no appointments. I spent a portion of the day continuing to practice, in my obsessive compulsive way, the ukulele in the C-G-Am-F chord sequence, progressing from one chord to the other and back again, each time stating the name of the chord aloud. Becky said it eventually started to sound good. I'll take that as a compliment, considering she knows how to play the guitar and the piano.

Day Plus 28,29,30,31,32-I've Got the Fever

Wednesday and Thursday were pretty quiet. Friday night, however, I ended up with a low grade fever of about 100.7 degrees. Becky called the hospital to find out if there was anything we should do. In the end I ended up just taking a Tylenol, but they also wanted me to come in on Saturday morning to the Cancer Center to get checked out. What I thought was going to be a quick visit ended up being a 7 hour stay. They performed some bloodwork, a urine sample, and a swab (they take this very thin, long swab and put it far down your nose to test for any viruses), gave me fluids, magnesium, and a chest x-ray. And there was a lot of waiting in between. All the tests came back negative. They think the virus just could be a result of my body fighting the grafted bone marrow. On Sunday, we were able to Skype into church service again. Later that Sunday, my parents and sister came by to visit bearing gifts as requested: Frosted Mini Wheats, toilet paper, and paper towels. My low-grade fever continued to persist that day, so later that evening, Becky called the hospital again. The doctor wanted her to pickup some antibiotics for me to start taking. Up to this day, my nausea also continues to come and go. It comes on real strong for several minutes, where I am able to either wait it out, take some Ativan to get rid of it almost immediately, or just vomit if it becomes too overwhelming.

Everyday I am reminded that while it seems like the worst is over, these low-grade fevers and nausea remind me that I am not back to normal health. The same can be said with how we are to trust in God both in the largest of trials like getting a bone marrow transplant, and even in the minutia of daily everyday life, like minor fevers, and occasional nausea. We can easily think that God will deal with all the big things, and I will deal with all the little things. But that is not the case.

Psalm 55:22 says "Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved."

1 Peter 5:6-7 says "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

There is no anxiety, worry, care, or trial, big or small, that the Lord will not handle, because He cares for His children, those who trust Him. So it is with boldness and confidence that I can cast these fevers and nausea on the Lord.

Day Plus 25,26,27-Can I Win the Lottery?

Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, as the previous days, were pretty uneventful, as things continue to get back to normal healthwise. We were able to Skype again into Sunday morning's service at Community Bible Church thanks to Julian. Thank goodness for technology and friends! Later that evening, Becky and I finally watched the live action Beauty and the Beast, which I thought was pretty good. On Monday, hemoglobin rose from 11.9 to 12.2 and white blood cells jumped from 3.2 to 4. On Monday night, me and some of my friends held our annual KYFFL (Kenyon Youngstrom Fantasy Football League) draft lottery (I Facetimed of course), where we determine our draft order for our football draft later in September. We've probably been playing for 15 years. Based on our records from the previous season, the worst teams get more gumballs with their names on it, increasing their chances for getting a higher pick. We use a gumball machine to dispense the gumballs. I ended up with the #5 pick out of 10. I also watched the Power Rangers movie that night, which was a total dud. On Tuesday, Abner stopped by to visit again after overseeing a job at Facebook.

Day Plus 22,23,24-Getting Back to Normal

On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, things continue to get back to normal. On Thursday my parents came by with Ellaya and made a pot of sinigang (Filipino dish with pork spareribs, spinach, tomatoes, eggplant, and sour broth) with Becky. It lasted me 3 days. On Saturday Dr. Alicia also came by to visit, bringing Becky a sandwich from Ike's. My results from Friday's Cancer Center visit continue to amaze us. Hemoglobin climbed again from 11.2 to 11.9. White blood cells jumped dramatically from 2.4 to 3.2. Also, my state disability finally got approved, so now I'm getting a full paycheck.

Day Plus 20,21-Hemoglobin Rising

Tuesday and Wednesday were pretty quiet. On Tuesday I had a chance to finally walk around our complex for the first time and check out all the nice common areas. Swimming pool, spa, gym, bike storage, indoor and outdoor lounges, bbq/patio area, firepit, business center, etc. This place is awesome. Too bad I can't go swimming for a while because of my weakened immune system.

On Wednesday I had another appointment at the Cancer Center. Having early appointments between 7-8am are nice because you get to avoid the early morning traffic driving down El Camino Real as well as get some good parking spots at the hospital. So the Lord continues to amaze us day by day, as my hemoglobin results amazingly continue to rise, going from 10.6 on Monday to 11.2 this Wednesday. Normal is 13.5-18. I can't believe how close I am at getting back to normal again. To God be the Glory!

Psalm 34
I will bless the Lord at all times;
    his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
² My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
    let the humble hear and be glad.
³ Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
    and let us exalt his name together!

On Wednesday night, Ron and Michelle were also able to come and visit for a few hours. They brought some NY style pizza and garlic knots from across the street, which Becky was able to enjoy but I could not (no restaurant food for me for 2 months). Ron, however, did bring a Nerf Rival gun (Apollo XV-700) for me to enjoy, which shoots the much faster Nerf high impact rounds rather than the darts. Hmm, what should I shoot?

Day Plus 17,18,19-Catching Up On Sleep

On Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, after having slept about 2-3 hours per night my final week at the hospital, I found myself catching up on some much needed sleep. It helped that we had a nice plush king sized bed in our new apartment, not to mention a very comfortable couch. The weekend was pretty quiet, except for the loud bass-thumping music that someone decided to start playing at midnight on Friday night. We, as well as other neighbors I'm sure, ended up calling security, to complain about the music. It eventually stopped after 30 minutes. We found out it came from a party that a bunch of Facebook interns threw that night.

We had a few guests over the weekend. Rhonda came by to visit Saturday afternoon. Tay and Margaret also came by Sunday afternoon, bringing some bins and boxes full of supplies from our home. On Sunday, Becky made me some beefsteak and rice for dinner, a simple Filipino dish consisting of thinly cut beef, onions, soy sauce, and lemon. That definitely hit the spot for 3 or 4 meals.

On Monday, I went in for another appointment at the Cancer Center. We spoke with the nurse, she drew my blood and waited for the results, spoke with the nurse practitioner, and eventually spoke with the doctor. We continue to be amazed that my results, for the most part, continue to increase. Hemoglobin climbed to 10.6, after previously being 9.8 and 8.7 from the prior labs. No wonder I've been feeling good. More oxygen to my body. That's probably been the highest hemoglobin count that I've had since over a year ago when all this started. All I can say is that God is good! 

Day Plus 16-My First Day of Freedom

The day started off with a return to trip to the Cancer Center. After being released from the hospital, I still have to return to the Cancer Center 3 times a week, then eventually 2 times a week, then eventually 1 time a week. I get my labs done, speak with the nurse about my health, speak with a dietician about what I've been eating and drinking, and speak with one of the physician assistants or doctors regarding the lab results once they return. As I sat in the open seat which had a great panoramic view of a tree canopy, I noticed how happy and cheerful everyone was who was there. I guess you would be if you were done with your bone marrow transplant and out of the hospital, where things seemed much gloomier. I saw 2 of my ex roomies while sitting there. Dirty Harry walked on by in his same hiked up jogging pants. Then I noticed Gus, my favorite roomie, sit down in the chair across from me. Once he saw us, he and his wife came over and gave both me and Becky warm hugs and handshakes. What a pleasant surprise to see them. They were a very sweet couple. His transplant was done as well, and they were coming in for the usual tests like we were doing. One interesting sidenote, my Physician's Assistant Brooke, who towered at perhaps 6'4" or 6'3" was actually an ex-Stanford women's basketball player. I asked if she played volleyball or basketball for college because she was so tall. One other interesting note was that I lost 22 lbs in the 3 weeks that I was in the hospital. A pound a day. Let's hope I can continue that trend now that I'm out.

The rest of the day was filled with visits from some dear friends. Jeff came by for a little bit mid-day in between job site visits and gave me a little gift, a Draymond Green bobblehead. Earlier in the evening Abner came by for a few hours as he was waiting to oversee a job at Facebook later that night. He and Jeff got me a Fantasy Football Legend shirt. Then later in the evening, the Moores and Lucases came by to hang out, bringing Becky some yummy, delicious ramen, which of course I was not allowed to have. It was a fun day overall just catching up with everyone.

Day Plus 15-Discharge Day August 3rd

Today is the day Becky and I have been waiting for.  Over 3 weeks ago I checked into the Stanford hospital on Tuesday July 11. On Wednesday July 19, I received my bone marrow transplant. Today, on Thursday August 3, I get to check out about a week earlier than expected because of my improved counts.White blood cells are at 1.9. Platelets are at 259,000. Hemoglobin is at 8.7. And ANC (Average Neutrophil Count) is at 1.41. While the doctors can marvel at how my body has responded and recovered so quickly, all I can say is To God Be the Glory (Becky got me this shirt by the way as discharge gift). As I look back at all that I have gone through over this past year, and especially these past 3 weeks, I cannot help but give thanks to God both amidst times of trial and amidst times of joy. He is the one who has preserved both me and Becky throughout everything and continues to fulfill His purposes through me in my weakness.

Psalm 138

I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
    before the gods I sing your praise;
² I bow down toward your holy temple
    and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
    for you have exalted above all things
    your name and your word.
³ On the day I called, you answered me;
    my strength of soul you increased.

⁴ All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord,
    for they have heard the words of your mouth,
⁵ and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
    for great is the glory of the Lord.
⁶ For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly,
    but the haughty he knows from afar.

⁷ Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
    you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
    and your right hand delivers me.
⁸ The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
    your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
    Do not forsake the work of your hands.

I cannot say that everything went as expected this day. I woke up in the middle of the night to my roomie, Big Country, getting out of bed to set off his bed alarm numerous times. He sounded belligerent as he began to reject medical care from his nurses as they sought to give him medication and check his vitals. He kept asking for the head nurse and eventually to speak to the head doctor when he came in the morning. After I took a shower that morning, I exited my bathroom to find a team of nurses and the head doctor speaking to him very seriously to try to find out what was going on in his head. He was 5 days away from being discharged, but had apparently just lost it. I sat there for a few seconds, thinking how really awkward this was just being behind the curtain. One of the nurses asked if I could just step outside for a little bit. That was the last time I set foot in my room. I spent the entire the morning and early afternoon hanging out in the conference room, which was actually very comfortable. The nurses brought all my belongings in the room so I could pack. The physical therapist, pharmacist, nurses, and social workers all gave me their discharge instructions in the conference room. What a way to cap off my stay. I was very, very happy to get out of there.

Becky had a car load full of our stuff that she was able to drop off at the new apartment, 8 miles away. She then came back to pick me up and the rest of my belongings. As I left that afternoon, there was no fanfare, no balloons, no cheering. Just a few quaint goodbyes to the nurses and nurses assistants who helped take care of me. I was rolled out in a wheel chair along with my luggage by several gentlemen out to the fountain where Becky was waiting. I couldn't believe it. Sunlight, fresh air, and freedom. God is good. We drove 8 miles to Mountain View going down El Camino Real to see the new place. I loved it.

Day Plus 14-To Go or Not to Go That Is The Question

So from the previous post, my results put me way ahead of schedule. The doctors and nurses started talking about a possible Thursday discharge, depending on how I felt, but that it would ultimately be up to me. Otherwise if I wanted to stay until Friday or the weekend, those were options as well. At this point, all I'm really dealing with are the sores in my mouth which continue to heal every day. I'm able to swallow whatever I can chew or drink with no problems.

They also moved in yet another roommate, a man I roomed with for about an hour during one of many musical chair moves. Let's call him Big Country because he plays country music all day long on full blast. At this point I am tired of this roommate thing for obvious reasons. I probably had my own room for only about 5-6 days of my stay. If there is one thing I have not liked about my whole stay at Stanford is this rotating shared room situation, which they did warn me about when I was first admitted. Let me count the roomies:

1. King James
2. Big Country (1hour)
3. Gus
4. The Celebrity
5. Dirty Harry
6. Big Country

Our housing situation after discharge was also finally resolved yesterday. While we were wanting to get into the Home Apartments across the street from the hospital for convenience and cost (free after insurance reimbursements), our social worker told us that it may not be a good situation for a 2 month stay. The rooms are small and there is only a portable AC that you could bring around into each room. I guess it gets pretty hot here during summer so a good AC is important. So we were offered the Oakwood Apartments in Mountain View which are only 8 miles away from the hospital. We would actually be getting a 2nd floor, 1 BR/1BA, pool view apartment. The place was only built about a year ago and is open mostly to hospital patients and corporate tenants. Check out this video of Oakwood Apartments Mountain View.

It is amazing! I love the modern furnishings in the place. Becky loves that each apartment has its own washer and dryer. And the common areas are great: patio, pool, bbq area, fire pit area, lounge, fitness room. Great for when guests come. The only caveat would be the cost ($60/day after insurance reimbursements) and driving to the Cancer Center 3 times a week, but it shouldn't be too bad at only 8 miles and Cancer Center parking being validated.

Day Plus 13-Staying Ahead of the Curve

The results from my labs continue to show that I'm ahead of the curve, which is what the doctors have been telling me. Typical total hospital stay is 1 month, which would put me at 08/11/17 for discharge. White blood cell counts have increased from a low of 0.1 during Days+7 to +10 to 0.8 today. Platelets have increased from a low of 9000 on Day+9 to 58,000 today. The doctors have also mentioned possibly discharging me either over the weekend or sooner if the labs results continue their upward trend and my mouth sores heal. That would put me ahead of schedule by about a week. We will see. Ultimately my schedule is in God's hands. Hopefully we will be able to get into the Home Apartments right across the street from the hospital.

SPOILER ALERT. This just came in earlier this evening. Now even though these test results will be used tomorrow for Day+14, I just received wonderful news that I just had to share. My WBC's have now jumped from 0.8 to 1.8. Platelets have now jumped from 58,000 to 143,000. And get this. My hemoglobin has jumped from 7.8 to 8.9, my hemoglobin, which for the past year I've been having checked every week to determine if I need to have a blood transfusion, my hemoglobin which has never gone up on its own without a blood transfusion. FYI, hemoglobin is a protein that is found inside the red blood cells and is responsible for carrying the oxygen coming from the lungs to the different parts of the body. And the red blood cells are produced in the bone marrow, which mine has not been producing over the past year. But here's the bad news. Because of all the improvements in my results, I had to give up my solo room to a more deserving patient and move back to a shared room. Let's call my new roomie Dirty Harry because he sounds like Clint Eastwood and is always cursing. He moves out tomorrow, so hopefully I stay solo in my shared room until discharge.

In light of tonight's great news, I cannot help but think of 2 Corinthians 4:7-10, which says:
⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. ⁸ We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; ¹⁰ always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. During my trial with my blood for this past year, I have realized how fragile our lives are, much like jars of clay. Hear I am as 40 year old dealing with a blood cancer. Yet despite my affliction and perplexity in all this, never have I felt crushed nor have I been driven to despair as I continue to trust God and Jesus Christ in all this. Because I know that all power belongs to God and not to me or any man. God who created us and knows the very number of hairs on our head. God, who Himself was the one who granted wisdom and knowledge to the doctors and nurses who treated me. I have much to be thankful for today.

Day Plus 10,11,12-No Appetite For Pain

With all the sores in my mouth and throat, eating and drinking has become very painful. Ensure shakes, cream of wheat, and beef broth have been my go to meals. Management of my throat and mouth pains was the priority over the weekend. I was given increased doses of Dilaudid at first to control the pain so I could go to sleep. 1mg Dilaudid worked well to knock me out for a few hours but not decrease the pain. They eventually gave me a PCA (patient controlled analgesia) to deliver a set Fentanyl dose to control the pain. The machine had a trigger button that I could use in 15 minute increments to deliver the drug into my IV. I made funny YouTube video below based on it. It was pre-set to 12.5 micrograms at first, which didn't seem to work for me, so they doubled it to 25, which also didn't work for me. At that point I gave up on it. The other issue I had was the secretions constantly building up in mouth from the mucositis. I was constantly spitting clear secretions into the sink and into cups so they set me up with one of those suction wands like you would see at the dentist. That helped a lot with clearing my mouth.

My parents and uncle from Nebraska came to visit one of the days. Most of the days, if I'm not sleeping, I've been keeping busy watching Netflix and Firestick, playing PS3, and playing Transformers and Words with Friends against Becky on my phone. I even played a quick game of UFC on PS3 against one of my nurse assistants, Gustavo. Velasquez vs Lesnar. I lost as Lesnar. Maybe I let him win.