on day -23

first an explanation of today's title (this is kathleen writing)
Margie's tentative transplant day is May 10 which in the transplant world is Day 0.
So, based on that day, Margie's first day at Hutchinson out patient (Seattle cancer care Alliance) is day minus 23. Get it?

I am up in Seattle today, friday, it's about 4pm and margie's taking a nap. She had another bone marrow biopsy done today at about 1pm and by the time we left Hutch, came back to the apartment, she was wiped out, so time for a nap.
I'm transcribing here what she wrote on her first day, wednesday day minus 23:

9:30 pm:
It's hard to stop and write tonight after our first day at the cancer care alliance.
I feel good but exhausted mentally. Everything went perfectly, they have a system and organization that takes care of you and makes you feel you're in the right place- reassuring I guess- no one is running out the doors.

Four hours includied blood draws (painlessly) from the hickman catheter, medical history and physical, having a schedule explained to me for the next two days while Cathy had a EKG, blood draw(ouch), chest and x-ray.

Tomorrow I get what Cathy had and we attend two conferences, one with the attending physician.

I was also assigned a medical team designated the "Blue Team" . So, I'm off to bed and mercifully we don't have to return tomorrow till 1pm. So, a relaxing morning at home sounds perfect (at the apartment)

April 19th:
No appointments till 1pm! But they sent us home with paperwork to read - hours of it. Research consents: as in "can they take an extra vial of blood for 9 weeks on and on and on...It took four hours to read it all. I was spacey by the time I got to the clinic.

So, chest x-ray, EKG, met with finance people, found out I have more drug coverage than we thought. Then onto pulmonary functions which was hard because we're not used to emptying out our lungs on command and I had a tickly post nasal drip throughout so I loosened my tight clothes and started again doing better this time.

Then on to my first assigned Doctor Riddel- liked him- reviewed transplant process and signed consent for it then went over all the research consent requests. I am giving an extra sample (called a "pull") of bone marrow for research which I hope they appreciate - for the good of others.

all for now, margie's up from her nap and will post more in the next two days so that we're all up to speed...
Love from Margie