Day +16

My neutrophils kicked it in!
WBC: 0.6 (from 0.3)
ANC: 0.45 (from 0.20)

Hemoglobin and platelets are low, but held pretty steady. My magnesium dropped a lot and I needed 3 bags via IV. I hope I'm able to maintain my levels with oral supplements now that I'm eating again. Slowly, but surely.

I still have some sores in my mouth and my throat is a little raw, but it is SO much better. I was able to eat solids for every meal and didn't order a single protein shake today. I even took all my meds in pill form without gagging! The 24/7 IV is no more.

If all continues to go well, I will be heading home on Saturday. Because I'm not yet at the 0.50 level for ANCs, and you need them to be 0.50 or above for two days in a row, Saturday is the earliest I could be released. The other thing is that Monday is a holiday, and if I went home on Friday, I'd have to come back to the Day Hospital over the weekend. Waiting until Saturday will allow me to have a regular appointment on Tuesday. Discharge planning started today! I got to watch an expertly-acted video on going home after a bone marrow transplant. The pharmacy is starting to put together my meds schedule. I will still meet with the dietician to learn more about home food safety and need to be evaluated and released by Physical Therapy (probably both tomorrow). When Greg picks me up, he will be able to come up for an hour and we will both have teaching about going home and safety. Greg's been cleaning the house like crazy.

I walked a few times today. I don't think I'm going to get in a second Marrow-thon before I leave (unless I just walk every free moment between now and then...). But I'm okay with that. I felt kind of bored and just generally antsy today for the first time. I think that it's just the fact that going home is in my near future and it feels odd to be here when I could be there. Patience...

My kids are rock stars. Travis mostly moved home by himself yesterday, emptying his apartment and cleaning and packing the CRV before driving home alone last night. When he realized that not everything would fit into the CRV, Cara came through and saved the day, driving five hours round trip to pick up the stuff that didn't fit. It's been so strange to see the memories pop up from Cara's graduation and move home which were three years ago this week. Travis got none of that, and we didn't get to participate in it. Obviously I wouldn't have been able to attend his graduation even if it weren't COVID-19, but everything just seems so surreal.