It has been a busy couple of weeks--as I had mentioned before, I've had lots of appointments and testing leading up to the transplant. Everything has checked out, and things are now underway.
On Monday, I arrived here at Sloan-Kettering. I was scheduled to have a Hickman triple-lumen catheter placed. The procedure itself took all of about 15 minutes, but it required arriving at the hospital at 10:30 AM and then being moved around from one waiting room to another until abut 3:30. Finally, it was done and I got to go and move in to my new Upper East Side pied-à-terre, on the 8th floor Transplant Unit of Sloan-Kettering. I don't exactly have the biggest room on the unit, and I definitely don't have a nice river view. But since I'm going to be a long-stay tenant, they might move me to a better room should things empty out.
I had a little bit of a fever on Sunday night and Monday morning, sort of out of the blue. This had me quite worried, both because I didn't want some infection to throw off the very intricately planned transplant calendar before me, but also because the last time I had unexplained low grade fevers, it turned out to be a big problem. Thankfully though, it seems that things have resolved--I have not had any fever since yesterday afternoon, and we'll probably go ahead as planned.
Speaking of the calendar, a word about terminology: The day of my transplant is considered Day Zero. Negative numbers count down until then, and positive numbers will increment the days after. With the current schedule, I'm to have 4 days of Total Body Irradiation (TBI) starting on Tuesday (Day -9), then 4 days of high-dose chemotherapy, then a day of rest, and then the transplant on Thursday of next week. Of course, any unplanned events might change the transplant date, and thus the numbering scheme. But now we're all on the same page. I'll probably be in the hospital for about the first 4 weeks or so post-transplant.
Day +100 is a key date. The first 100 days after transplant are the most risky, and making it to the 100-day mark in one piece will be a big milestone. If the current transplant date holds, that will put us at 4th of July weekend. Now that will be one celebratory barbeque!
By the way, who wants to see my new tattoos?
Yes, the keenly observant among you noticed the little post on the right side of this page last week, announcing that I had gone out and gotten myself a couple of tattoos before this BMT business. I promised pictures to prove it, so here you go:
What? You don't see it? Did you look carefully? The black dot on my chest, centered between the ends of my collarbones. That's the first tattoo. The second is at a corresponding spot on my back, though I have never seen it myself.
Did you think I was talking about a big cupid or Harley-Davidson logo or something? :-)
I got these little tattoos when I had my simulation session for the TBI last week. They will serve as markers so that the techs can align the machine with my body the same exact way each time. Having been told this explanation, you might respond with "Why not just use a Sharpie??" Well, the mark needs to stay put for a few weeks, and we can't risk a smudge!
Anyway, that is all the happenings for now. I will try to post a Day (-9) entry this evening, telling you all how the day went (and my first actual TBI session, which will be any minute now...)
Oh, I should add a word about getting in touch with me, since some have asked. I don't have a room phone, but do have my cell phone here. I also (obviously) have internet access for email and chatting (sam_moghtaderi on Skype, sammoghtaderi on AIM, and just moghtaderi on Gmail--though the latter doesn't seem to be working from here). And if you've got a webcam, well we can do that too!
I would also like to add Sam Mogtaderi@DaGrinch. org
Mogtaderi@BKindaHOUSE.org
DiabolicalDrM@PRIME.org
SAMORG@org.org.com
FriendsofLadenSwallows@Nee.org
WhosyourdaddyBillGates@SteveJobs.org
And the ever popular...
ICanBniceCanuBKnicetoo.org.gov/herring
Of course this may explain why I can only reach you with my Iphone and Alumin Foil helmet.
Posted by: Paul | 18 March 2008 at 09:45 AM
Good luck Sam! We're all pulling for you here in Medical Anthro and sending our best!
Posted by: Arian | 18 March 2008 at 03:03 PM
Look forward to more of your Pulitzer Prize caliber writing to keep me informed. Oh and, I see that you shaved off the Goh-T!
Posted by: Hooman | 19 March 2008 at 01:12 AM