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Day +34: enjoying freedom and steady improvement

Last week brought a couple of challenges.  The combination of high blood pressure and gout made for a slow week.  High Blood pressure is a common side affect from the anti-donor rejection med tacrolimus.  The Gout attack was a side effect from the chemo which breaks down the urate crystals in your body into Uric acid which goes directly to the colder big toe part of the body.  I had not idea how painful and debilitating gout can be, but now I appreciate what others go through.  Once again it was medicine to the rescue and those issues are now mostly under control.

I have only needed platelets once and have not needed a whole blood transfusion over 10 days while my counts continue to improve.   This means my body is working.   I had a couple of key tests this week to measure the progress. First is a bone marrow biopsy to determine if there is any remaining cells with leukemia.  The second is a blood test, called Chimerism, to determine the percentage of cells from the donor vs. my original cells.  Did you know it’s possible to have 2 different sets of DNA in a single body?  This is called human chimerism, a very rare condition that can occur naturally.   The things you learn through the process and when you have a lot of free time.  I won’t get the results for about 10 days.  Meanwhile, my daily return visits to MD Anderson have reduced to just Tuesdays and Fridays.

We rented an apartment (https://goo.gl/maps/BS9tYJLWS39uxxyP8) for December and January and are really happy with the choice. It’s a bit further away from the medical campus, but within the 15 minute requirement with a commute that stays off the crazy Houston highways.  

We’ve been spending our time going on short walks, cooking, watching lots of TV, and doing the 1000 piece “Big House” puzzle (thanks again Mitch, it’s a big challenge like Michigan football as of late).  The real exciting news is that we’re planning to have Tara and Eric drive down from Denver for a visit over Christmas.  Can’t wait!

Stay safe and hope everyone is healthy,

Gary



Comments

  1. Rosemary SladeDecember 11, 2020 at 9:37 AM

    Gary, I am SO pleased to hear about your improving condition, and your never ending optimism (with each new challenge that gets in the way).

    I’m particularly excited to hear you’re able to get out for short walks!! Sending love to you & the Greishaber tribe😍

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nort and SusanDecember 12, 2020 at 3:40 PM

    Gary good for you to overcome the side effects and continue to increase counts! We love you and think about you constantly. Pretty soon you'll be on your bike...

    ReplyDelete

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