Day Plus 51-64-Staying Healthy

For the past 14 days, from Friday Sept 8-Friday Sept 22, I've just been trying to stay healthy. God has been kind to allow me not to catch anything since I've had the transplant and now have a weakened immune system. I've been swabbed more times than I'd like, but every time the results came back negative. During this time, a lot of our friends who have planned to visit have either gotten sick or were around sick people. It must be that time of the year again. Becky even got a flu shot, but she ended up getting sick with congestion and other symptoms so we had to take additional precautionary measures.

Despite my transplant being successful, my weakened immune system was due in large part to the Ganciclovir grenade I've been taking for the past month to treat the cytomegalovirus (CMV) that was detected almost a month ago in my blood. It was expected that this antiviral medication would lower my white blood cell and platelet counts, which have been steadily on the decline. Fortunately, with the CMV now being at undetectable levels in my blood, the doctors decided to take me off of the Ganciclovir just yesterday, so my white blood cells and platelets should start rising again. So at this point, all I've been trying to fight off is the occasional nausea that comes in the evenings.

In other efforts to stay healthy, I continue to try to drink at least 2-3 liters of fluids per day, ranging from water, to Gatorade, to iced tea, to lemonade. We've also been trying to exercise, key word being try, by doing walking videos in the apartment or going to the gym for some cardio. I'm still 25lbs lighter than when I first checked into the hospital, so I'm glad I haven't gained what I lost with my diet being back to normal.

Day Plus 41-50-God Provides

The Grenade

For the past 10 days, from Tuesday Aug 29-Thursday Sept 7, I've just been resting, recovering and relaxing in the apartment from my CMV virus. I still had slight fevers in the 99s, but nothing to worry about. It was only until the past 3 or 4 days that my temperature finally became normal. I guess that means the Ganciclovir grenade (or Christmas ornament) which Becky administers to me twice a day is working. This antiviral medication will continue until CMV counts are undetectable in my blood. During this time, some of my counts have dropped, particularly my platelets and white blood cells, but the doctors say this is normal when you have CMV and are taking Ganciclovir. Hemoglobin and absolute neutrophil count (ANC) remain steady.

Force Friday at Target

On the lighter side of things, I was excited to experience Force Friday on Friday Sept 1. I was planning on going to Target Friday morning with Becky to see and snag some of the new Star Wars releases (less people early morning so it was possible for me to go out in public). Unfortunately the two Targets near our apartment (both only 2-3 miles away) had midnight openings so that meant a lot more people, so I decided to pass and do some internet shopping instead, which was a bust. Becky went out for me later in the day Friday and found one of the things I was considering, a 6" Stars Wars Black Series Rey and Speeder. Elias was also able to snag a couple other 6" figures (Hera and Thrawn) for me at Target Concord on his way home from work.

KYFFL 2017 Draft (I'm in the iPad)

The following day, on Saturday, we held our annual Fantasy Football draft, which has been ongoing for the past 15 years. It is a 10 man league, and all of us have been friends for many, many years. This is always done in person over breakfast at someone's house, using an actual draft board with players names on stickers. Thanks to technology, I was able to FaceTime into the draft. I had the #4 pick which I used to select Julio Jones. My 2nd round pick was Tom Brady. I felt good about my team overall.

One of the other pieces of awesome news I heard during this past week was that my critical illness insurance claim from Aflac was approved, which issues me a lump sum payout. Not bad for only $8 a paycheck. I honestly wasn't sure it would be approved because it was a pre-existing condition, which started in August 2016, but I had only signed up for the insurance during my work's open enrollment period in November 2016, with coverage starting in 2017. When I signed up I didn't know I was going to need a transplant, but I knew it was a possibility. All I can say is that God provides. Becky and I couldn't believe it when I followed up with Aflac during this past week only to learn it had already been approved and deposited to my account. This was another one of God's great provisions during this whole bone marrow transplant journey.

Psalm 40:4-5
⁴ How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust,
And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.
⁵ Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count.

I cannot help but reflect on how God has proven Himself faithful time and time again during this journey. These are only the major highlights of how He has provided for Becky and I both financially and physically, because as the psalmist stated, "many are the wonders which You have done...If I would declare and speak of them, they would be too numerous to count."

• My sister was a perfect 10/10 bone marrow match. Who knows how long I would have waited to find a match through the bone marrow registry.
• Only days before my hospital admission, Becky found a place to stay only 2 miles away at the Stanford Guest House for the roughly 30 days I would be in the hospital, which is very hard to get into year round, and is open only to guests of Stanford University, SLAC Lab, and hospital.
• Medical insurance agreed to reimburse our lodging ($50/day for when Becky was by herself and $100/day when Becky and I were staying together). Initial conversations with Anthem required us to be 75 miles or more from our home to the hospital to be covered for lodging reimbursement. We were slightly under 75 miles, but it wasn't until days before my hospital admission that Anthem allowed us to use alternate routes over 75 miles to be eligible for reimbursement.
• Stanford Hospital was able to get us financial assistance for lodging when Becky and I were together upon discharge, basically reducing our apartment rent to $60/day (not including Anthem reimbursements).
• Aflac critical illness insurance claim was approved. This was approved, despite my condition being pre-existing to signing up for the insurance.
• I received and continue to receive the very best medical care possible by knowledgeable, skilled, and compassionate nurses and doctors at the hospital. 

Rey's Speeder and Campbell's Soups