Bone Marrow Donation: Day 4 Injections

I had just had my last injections before the procedure tomorrow!!!  I'm excited!  I'm excited to be helping this lady, where ever she is, and I am excited to be done taking these shots!  The shots this morning kinda burned going in.

The nurse that has been coming to give me the shots was asking how was feeling this morning and I told her  I felt fine, surprisingly.  The only thing is, is that I am aware of my spleen or rather I am aware of pressure in the area of my spleen.  I agree, that is an unusual statement.  Apparently though, for all of us that are not nurses or doctors, the spleen serves a vital role in helping to remove old red blood cells and can swell while taking filgrastim.  The medicine that they have been injecting into me to increase the red cells.

Well when I mentioned it to the nurse, she immediately had me call the Be The Match coordinator who called the doctor and the doctor called me back all in less than 5 minutes.  Even if you are related to the doctor, have you ever had a doctor call you back that quick?

So we have to stop by the hospital on our way into Houston this evening, but before you worry, I'm fine.


The most difficult part of this has been judging pains.  On a scale of 1 - 10 (10 being unbearable), I'd say 5 at the worst.  If I did feel 'pain,' it was a rolling pain, it would hurt for a second and then it would pass just as quickly.  For the most part I would call the "pains" an ache ... or family.  

I think have a high threshold for pain, and if you ever met my family you'd agree; as far as the aches I've felt, they are really no different than waking up mornings and realizing that you didn't move all night long.  Add to that the fact that I am no longer a spring chicken, not yet old but definitely not as young as I used to be.  You learn to deal with the pains.  They are after all stuck with me too (I'm just kidding, I love my family).

My part in all of this is almost done.  I really appreciate all of the support that I have gotten during all of this.  You all make this easier to do just knowing that you care enough to check in.  So THANK YOU!

Don't tell my wife I said this but I think that she was right.  It will be about a year before we find out how she is doing, so if she survives the Zombie Apocalypse we will know about this time next year.  To find out more about the apocalypse you should go check out Breann at Life and Love of a Parrothead.