Day -7//Coctails and Shots

Just another day of coctails and shots! That is, coctails of pills and shots of Filgrastim. Hey, a girl can dream!! 

Today started the coctails of everything “anti-“. Antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, antinausea, anti anything that could make me sick while my white blood cell count is really low and my susceptibility to illnesses is really high. 

It is little illnesses and infections that normally wouldn’t do much damage to an otherwise healthy person that could send a HSCT patient to the hospital quickly resulting in sepsis. Caution is critical during this month of treatment and as well as my year of recovery. I will have to be extremely cautious to avoid any sicknesses and germs while my new immune system is forming. They say that I’ll have an immune system of a newborn baby…Except newborns have the added benefit of receiving natural antibodies from their mom or formula. I will be proudly sporting a mask when I’m crowded areas and hand washing using hand sanitizer like a crazy lady. I’ve got too much to lose by letting my guard down. This month is going to be tough but the real battle starts once I return home to my amazing husband (who comes in contact with who knows how many germs at work from helping customers) and my adorable 4 year old daughter (who is a walking germ vending machine), not to mention my two adorable dogs who love to roll around in anything dead or smelly they find in the back yard. I’m going to have my work cut out for me when I return home but it’s going to be so worth it to kiss this disease goodbye!

That’s all I have for today. It is hard to believe I’ve been here for one week already! 

Next week will include blood draws, picc line placement, and stem cell harvest! Big week ahead.