We arrived at Moffitt at noon today, checked in and once again quickly settled into the room. Nick is in the BMT Unit 4 West, Room 4735. Just as before, there are a flurry of doctors and nurses stopping in to ensure Nick is settled in and all is well in preparation for the chemotherapy (FluBu) that begins tonight at 9:00 pm. So far, so good. Nick is in good spirits and outwardly seems as confident as ever. I'm sure he's a little nervous, but in typical "Nick fashion", he shows no uncertainty. He greets everyone that stops by with his contagious smile and the kindest of words. Regardless of the staff's demeanor when they enter, they leave Nick's room with a chuckle and smile. Once again, and even at the toughest of times, Nick proves that kindness certainly does have a ripple effect. The only thing more entertaining for me is to see the look on the faces of the Moffitt staff when Nick offers them a chocolate (he stashed away for exactly this reason) or a Little Greek pen or "free baklava" pass!
The nurse just finished our "white board calendar". Doesn't look like much right now, but this board will track of Nick's W (white blood cells), H (hemoglobin), and P (platelets). Today we start with W 4.02, H 7.2 , P 247. Hemoglobin is low, but they will transfuse him at 7.0. The white blood cell count will drop to nearly 0 a day or two after transplant and should climb back up the week after. This board also records his schedule which is basically, chemo or "FluBu" today, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Nick "rests" on Thursday and is transplanted with the donor stem cells on Friday.
Just as a reminder...Nick's immune system will be seriously compromised. Because of this, we can only allow immediate family members for personal visits. Also, no flowers are allowed on the BMT unit. Please feel free to email, text, and/or reply on this blog. Nick will receive all messages and will respond as he can. The days ahead will be difficult so he asks for your patience if he cannot respond as quickly as usual. If you'd like to send a card, our address is: 3424 Cypress Landing Drive, Valrico, FL 33596. Although I will be staying at Moffitt through the BMT on Friday, I will be going home late each night to sleep/shower/grab mail and returning early each morning for the doctor's "rounds". Most importantly, please keep Nick and his Donor in your prayers! My sincere thanks, R.
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