Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Stick it to me...
Well, injection days 2-4 were pretty rough. I got very sick...started with deep bone pain, and ending with nausea and vomitting. (Lots of it.) I want to send out a massive "thank you" to my mom, to Mo, and to Stephen for making my days and nights more bearable through it all. Thank you for every time you held my hair out of my face, thank you for the glasses of water you fetched me, and thank you for trying to make me smile through it all.
There isn't much video from the past few days, since I have been super sick. But I recorded when and what I could. I'll follow up with more later.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Injection Day #1
Well, things are really beginning to move. We are 5 days out from the procedure, so I am starting my Filgrastim injections today.
Everything went great up at Duke, and I even got to meet another donor who had just finished the process...you can find out more about him in the video.
Everything went great up at Duke, and I even got to meet another donor who had just finished the process...you can find out more about him in the video.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
You Don't Know Jack
The Number 2 top question I have been getting from everyone has been asking about the recipient...who is he, where is he, how do you know him, etc. The truth is, I don't know Jack.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Let's Get Physical, Physical, I Wanna Get Physical
September 30th- Heading up to Duke for my Physical Assessment.
<________________________________________________________________ Later that day...
___________________________________________________
Wow- I cannot say enough about Duke! The morning I left I kind of prepped myself to spend a lot of time in waiting rooms, a lot of time wandering around searching desperately for my next exam location, and some more time waiting. Boy was I wrong!
First I met with Alma to get quite a lot of blood drawn, check my weight (yikes! i've gotta work on making that a smaller number asap), height, blood pressure, and do a urine test. (Side note: When I was in the Duke bathrooms, I was SO impressed with their water-saving toilets. You simply flush UP for liquid waste, and DOWN for solid waste...it was awesome...yay for green toilets!)
Next I met with my program coordinator and a nurse practioner to go through some more paperwork and to complete the physical exam. They were great---super friendly, really sweet, and one was even an O's fan...that has to be a good sign! :) They were really knowledgeable about the procedure, answered any questions I had, gave me some more info on what to expect the day of the procedure, and just chitchatted with me about hair and sports and travelling. It was nice to see such friendly faces and be able to connect on a personal level with the staff there.
After my bloodwork and physical were done, they had me scheduled for a chest x-ray and an EKG, both of those clinics being located on other Duke campus buildings across town. When they told me that, in my head I started to think "Grrrrreat. This is when I am going to get lost, be driving in circles for hours, and spike my bloodpressure so high that they will deny me as a donor!" Again, I was wrong.
They have thought of everything there, and they had a patient shuttle lined up just to carry me from campus to campus. It was AWESOME. My driver was Ray, and he was the highlite of my day. One of the sweetest southern gentlemen I have met since moving to the South. He really made my day. We talked about everything while we drove...marriage, writing novels, food, the beach. He was a real character. Oh Ray, if only I was 60 years older, I'd be comin' after ya!
My xray and EKG tests went amazingly quickly. I didn't have to sit in the waiting rooms at all. The minute I checked in they were ready for me. It really was like VIP service; I was so impressed.
I should hear back in a week or so with the results of the tests, but I'm not expecting anything to flag.
After coming home, one of my best friends Mo called me and said she had lined up an appointment at a local salon for the two of us to go have pink hair extensions put in. All of the money goes toward breast cancer research, so it was a great way to end the day. (If you're interested in getting some extensions yourself, then you can go on this website and find a local salon in your area.) October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, so this is a great (and long-lasting) way to show your support and donate to the cause.
Taking care of all the bloodwork.
I pretty much love the girls at the Bone Marrow Transplant Program!
Just having a little fun with my mask for the day!
Pink Positive!
<________________________________________________________________ Later that day...
___________________________________________________
Wow- I cannot say enough about Duke! The morning I left I kind of prepped myself to spend a lot of time in waiting rooms, a lot of time wandering around searching desperately for my next exam location, and some more time waiting. Boy was I wrong!
First I met with Alma to get quite a lot of blood drawn, check my weight (yikes! i've gotta work on making that a smaller number asap), height, blood pressure, and do a urine test. (Side note: When I was in the Duke bathrooms, I was SO impressed with their water-saving toilets. You simply flush UP for liquid waste, and DOWN for solid waste...it was awesome...yay for green toilets!)
Next I met with my program coordinator and a nurse practioner to go through some more paperwork and to complete the physical exam. They were great---super friendly, really sweet, and one was even an O's fan...that has to be a good sign! :) They were really knowledgeable about the procedure, answered any questions I had, gave me some more info on what to expect the day of the procedure, and just chitchatted with me about hair and sports and travelling. It was nice to see such friendly faces and be able to connect on a personal level with the staff there.
After my bloodwork and physical were done, they had me scheduled for a chest x-ray and an EKG, both of those clinics being located on other Duke campus buildings across town. When they told me that, in my head I started to think "Grrrrreat. This is when I am going to get lost, be driving in circles for hours, and spike my bloodpressure so high that they will deny me as a donor!" Again, I was wrong.
They have thought of everything there, and they had a patient shuttle lined up just to carry me from campus to campus. It was AWESOME. My driver was Ray, and he was the highlite of my day. One of the sweetest southern gentlemen I have met since moving to the South. He really made my day. We talked about everything while we drove...marriage, writing novels, food, the beach. He was a real character. Oh Ray, if only I was 60 years older, I'd be comin' after ya!
My xray and EKG tests went amazingly quickly. I didn't have to sit in the waiting rooms at all. The minute I checked in they were ready for me. It really was like VIP service; I was so impressed.
I should hear back in a week or so with the results of the tests, but I'm not expecting anything to flag.
After coming home, one of my best friends Mo called me and said she had lined up an appointment at a local salon for the two of us to go have pink hair extensions put in. All of the money goes toward breast cancer research, so it was a great way to end the day. (If you're interested in getting some extensions yourself, then you can go on this website and find a local salon in your area.) October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, so this is a great (and long-lasting) way to show your support and donate to the cause.
I pretty much love the girls at the Bone Marrow Transplant Program!
Why is this blog called "Nothin' But the Blood"?
The number one question people are asking me about this whole thing is "How do they do it?" People out there want to know more about the actual procedure itself, what it entails, will it hurt, how long will you be out of the office, etc.
I've explained a little bit in the video below what the procedure will be like, but only in very basic terms. If you are interested in a more detailed, medical explanation you can go to this link and read up on it.
I've explained a little bit in the video below what the procedure will be like, but only in very basic terms. If you are interested in a more detailed, medical explanation you can go to this link and read up on it.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Sign here. And here. Oh, right there, too. And one signature here. And date here. Initial there.
So today I had my conference call with Ginger. It ended up being a little over 2 hours on the phone (whew!), but it was absolutely worth it. She answered all of my question, walked me through every single bit of the procedure with me, and took me through all the paperwork. There were a quite a few consent forms to sign, a very long health history questionnare, and some insurance beneficiary paperwork to fill out. I signed my name about 18 times at least! Once the paperwork was completed, I shipped it back off to them for their records. (They pre-paid for the shipping...they think of EVERYTHING!) I can't say enough about how thorough they have been. For an organization-junkie like me, it is really appreciated. They have thought of everything.
While we were on the phone we also went ahead and scheduled my physical and the procedure itself.
While we were on the phone we also went ahead and scheduled my physical and the procedure itself.
Here's a Quarter, Call Someone Who Cares
Today I'm having a conference call with Ginger my Donor Specialist to go over all the information they sent me in the package. I have a few questions for her, and we'll go over all the forms together to make sure I understand everything I'm signing.
Hey Mr. Postman!
Today I got a package in the mail with a TON of information to look over...consent forms, info booklets, health questionnares, and an informational DVD to watch.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
You may ask yourself, "How did I get here?"
It is humbling to recognize how little control we really have over our own lives. So many outside forces can alter our best laid plans. Timing. Weather. Health. We are at the mercy of anything and everything. Call it what you will...fate, the butterfly effect, destiny, chance.
On February 7th, 2009 it was any combination of the above.
My friend Morgan and I had planned on going to Independence Mall for a shopping trip. We also knew that there was a "Drive For Change" Bone Marrow-thon taking place at the mall that day. We discussed it briefly with each other, and said while we were at the mall we should go ahead and register. But we were mostly heading to the mall to shop the sales.
After making a few purchases, we found ourselves at the end of the mall where the Drive for Change registration was setup. So we filled out our National Marrow Donation registration paperwork, stuck a few cotton swabs in our mouth to collect our DNA, and picked up our goody bags full of T-shirts, informational pamphlets, and coupons for some stores in the mall. The whole process probably took no more than 15 minutes.
They had really been pressing for people to register who came from ethnically diverse backgrounds. Morgan and I are your average, everyday Caucasians, so we figured we'd probably never get called for a match since they were so set on getting donors who were African-American, Latino, and Asian. But we figured we'd go ahead anyway. Heck, we were there...why not?
I really did not think about it much again once we left the mall. A few weeks later while cleaning out my closet, I came across the T-shirt they gave us reading "Drive for Change" in big letters across the front. Knowing I would never really wear it, I packed it in the bag with some other items to take to Goodwill.
But fast-forward exactly 5 months, and that day would be yanked back into my memory with one phone call.
On July 13, 2009 I received an email. It was the National Marrow Donor Program writing to say I came up as a match for an urgent case. No sooner had I finished reading the email then my cell phone wrang. I already knew who it had to be.
Sure enough, Susan from the National Marrow Donor Program was calling. She told me I came up as a match for a very urgent case, and asked if I would be willing to proceed with the process. Before I knew it, I was scheduled for bloodtests at the local LabCorp. All I knew at that point was the recipient's diagnosis, which is Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
I was excited and anxious. Full of questions. And the word "urgent" kept popping into my head. An "urgent case". In big, red font.
I was on fire- I was READY! "Okay, let's do this thing," I thought to myself. I was ready to drop everything and do whatever it took to get this mystery person from "urgent" to "improving". So I went for bloodtests, filled out some health questionarres, and waited. And waited. And waited. Weeks went by, and I didn't hear anything. I was disappointed, and thought maybe something on my questionare or my bloodwork threw up some red flags and they decided I wouldn't be a prime candidate. I was sad. Not knowing what happened to the "urgent" recipient.
But on September 17th I got another call from them. Bloodwork looked good, and we were ready to take the next step.
So here we go...this is my journey in becoming a donor. It is my hope that people will follow along, become aware of the opportunity to register as a donor, and support the efforts taking place to bring hope to those who need it.
- Andy
On February 7th, 2009 it was any combination of the above.
My friend Morgan and I had planned on going to Independence Mall for a shopping trip. We also knew that there was a "Drive For Change" Bone Marrow-thon taking place at the mall that day. We discussed it briefly with each other, and said while we were at the mall we should go ahead and register. But we were mostly heading to the mall to shop the sales.
After making a few purchases, we found ourselves at the end of the mall where the Drive for Change registration was setup. So we filled out our National Marrow Donation registration paperwork, stuck a few cotton swabs in our mouth to collect our DNA, and picked up our goody bags full of T-shirts, informational pamphlets, and coupons for some stores in the mall. The whole process probably took no more than 15 minutes.
They had really been pressing for people to register who came from ethnically diverse backgrounds. Morgan and I are your average, everyday Caucasians, so we figured we'd probably never get called for a match since they were so set on getting donors who were African-American, Latino, and Asian. But we figured we'd go ahead anyway. Heck, we were there...why not?
I really did not think about it much again once we left the mall. A few weeks later while cleaning out my closet, I came across the T-shirt they gave us reading "Drive for Change" in big letters across the front. Knowing I would never really wear it, I packed it in the bag with some other items to take to Goodwill.
But fast-forward exactly 5 months, and that day would be yanked back into my memory with one phone call.
On July 13, 2009 I received an email. It was the National Marrow Donor Program writing to say I came up as a match for an urgent case. No sooner had I finished reading the email then my cell phone wrang. I already knew who it had to be.
Sure enough, Susan from the National Marrow Donor Program was calling. She told me I came up as a match for a very urgent case, and asked if I would be willing to proceed with the process. Before I knew it, I was scheduled for bloodtests at the local LabCorp. All I knew at that point was the recipient's diagnosis, which is Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
I was excited and anxious. Full of questions. And the word "urgent" kept popping into my head. An "urgent case". In big, red font.
I was on fire- I was READY! "Okay, let's do this thing," I thought to myself. I was ready to drop everything and do whatever it took to get this mystery person from "urgent" to "improving". So I went for bloodtests, filled out some health questionarres, and waited. And waited. And waited. Weeks went by, and I didn't hear anything. I was disappointed, and thought maybe something on my questionare or my bloodwork threw up some red flags and they decided I wouldn't be a prime candidate. I was sad. Not knowing what happened to the "urgent" recipient.
But on September 17th I got another call from them. Bloodwork looked good, and we were ready to take the next step.
So here we go...this is my journey in becoming a donor. It is my hope that people will follow along, become aware of the opportunity to register as a donor, and support the efforts taking place to bring hope to those who need it.
- Andy
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