I just woke up and I feel terrible.  My joints are aching like no tomorrow, and my head is absolutely pounding.  So I figured…it’s time to write something in my journal. 

 

Yesterday, I had a bone marrow biopsy in celebration of my Day 100 post-transplant.  The 100th day is a big landmark to hit.   My dad came down to take me to the hospital.  The new cancer facility is absolultely gorgeous.  By the way it looks inside, they are probably only using 50% of the building right now.  They anticipate their cancer treatment facility to grow tremendously so they built it big enough.  Anyways, we waited for quite awhile as there were a lot of patients there that morning.  This biopsy had to be one of the worst ones, though.  It took her a solid half of an hour of digging back there to finally get what she needed.  They showed me the core of my bone afterwards, and it was about an inch long! My lower back is throbbing today along with my left butt cheek. 

 

 

I’ve also got some sort of sinus/chest congestion or infection going on as well so that doesn’t help my situation at all either.  My immune system is total garbage and they’ve got me on two seperate drugs which suppress it even further.  I’m surprised I hadn’t gotten sick sooner than I did.  This is the first infection I think I’ve gotten since I’ve been out of the hospital.  There’s not much that I can do for it though.  I just have to keep taking my anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal medications.  Those are the only things which are probably keeping me from catching something that could kill me.  

 

So yeah…I’m feeling like crap today and I’ve got tickets to go see C.C. Sabathia pitch his first game for the Milwaukee Brewers tonight.  I think it’s a toss-up whether or not I am going to feel better by the time the game starts.  I’ll probably spend most of the day in bed trying to shake these symptoms.  

 

I’ve just been so busy lately.  Not that that’s a bad thing.  It’s good that I am getting out, exercising, socializing, etc…but for a guy that’s only 100 days out of a bone marrow transplant, it is quite taxing.  I can really tell that it’s starting to wear me down.  This next week I’m entering a more vegetative state to recooperate before I go to work next Monday.

 

Went up to Two Rivers this past weekend for the 4th of July and my sister’s birthday/graduation party.   I had a pretty good time.  Good food, fireworks, family…can’t go wrong. 

 

About four years ago, I gave my older brother Mike a ring.  On it, I wrote the date of mine and his bone marrow transplant and “Blood Brothers for Life.”  Well, it seemed only appropriate that I reciprocate the same for my sister since now she is the one that saved my life.  I picked her up a white gold bracelet from Green Bay and a circular charm that reads “Life” and the date of mine and her transplant.  I think she really likes it…fit perfectly. 

 

Sorry for the shortness of this journal entry…going to go back and lay down.  I’ll write again in about a week to let you know how it goes my first day.  I hope everyone had a fun and safe holiday weekend!

 

Take care,

Eric