Bone Marrow Donation: Day 3 Injections

I've never been so tired and restless at the same time.  My bones ache.  My muscles ache.  I kinda feel like my skin is full, like the Stay Puft Marshmallow man without the cool outfit.  I totally agree., me and that outfit together are a scary thought.

When I am up and moving around I feel better but the muscles in my back start aching and I have to sit back down.  The longer I sit though the stiffer my muscles get and I have to get back up and stretch.  So it's a conundrum.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not in pain.  This doesn't "hurt."  I just can't get comfortable right now.

After my shot yesterday, I took a nap and when I woke up my body was so stiff that I had to sit there for about 10 minutes before could get up.  On the other hand, when I woke up this morning I felt fine.

The nurse has already been by today to give me my shot so I'm achy again.

Only 2 more days for me though.  I get another shot tomorrow (Wednesday) and then we head down to Houston to check into the hotel (courtesy of Be The Match) and the procedure will take place Thursday morning.  I'm told that it will be a minimum of four hours attached to the machines and up to eight hours.  Personally, I'm hoping for four.

Geaux Tide? Roll Tigers?
During last night's BCS championship game, I spent half of the time up and walking around and it was not because of nerves.  I really thought LSU would have a better game but outside of that I didn't really care who won.  I just kept thinking that whomever won, either way the Aggies are going up against the BCS Nation Champs during their first season in the SEC.  That's a steep hill no matter who you are.

All I have to say is, WHOOOOP!!! GiG'eM Ags!!!

*On a funny side note here.  Texas A&M is telling Tim Tebow and the Broncos that the "12th Man" is trademarked and that they are not allowed to use it without permission.  Click here for the story.

Be careful Ags.  Tebow has friends in high places 

Bone Marrow Donation: Day 2 Injections

Just got the second injections, and if you ever decide or are chosen to do this, ask that the medicine is not fresh out of the refrigerator.  The cold filgrastim burns a little more than at room temperature going in, but I am told that this medicine is a couple hundred dollars an injection and needs to be kept refrigerated.

I'm achy but not in pain.  It feels like a combination of growing pains and the onset of a cold or flu.  I considered describing it as feeling like you've been hit by a car or been in a car accident, but I didn't want to give A (aka The Wife) any ideas.  Besides, the last time that I was in an accident (knock on wood) my best-friend Bert decided to take us for a spin, literally, down I35 during rush hour.  I came out of that one sporting a nice big raspberry on my forehead. 

The wife keeps trying to get me to take a pain reliever, but as I told her, I can handle it right now but may be inclined later.  She however is not convinced and has decided to take her job as my care-taker very seriously.

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It's been a couple hours now since the I got the second shot and while I'm still achy the worst part is waking up after having laid still for so long.  It took a couple of minutes to get past the fight that my muscles and bones put up.  Every part of my body is sore especially my joints and lower back.

Like I said before though, I can handle a week with an achy body as opposed to what this lady with Leukemia has had to endure.  On a side note from that, I did learn that this lady that I am helping is not in Texas and where ever she is takes a "couple of planes" to get to.  I think I find out where she is after 30 days.  The wife seems to think it is after 90 days.  I guess time will tell.

Bone Marrow Donation: Day 1 Injections

I got the first injections today, Sunday, January 8th, to donate Bone Marrow on Thursday.  We had to drive down to Houston, Pearland to be exact, so that I could meet with the coordinator and they could ensure that I didn't have a reaction to the first dose.

I should probably explain.  I'm being given filgrastim once a day for five days to increase the number of red blood cells in my body.  Doses 2,3, and 4 will be given to me here in College Station by a nurse recently retired from this program.  On the fifth day, the day of the donation, I have to be at the hospital at about 8am and will get the 5th and final shot.

I'm told that the side effects include achy muscles and bones, like the onset of the flu.  While I'm not in pain (yet) I am already starting to feel the effects.  Thankfully I'm only going to feel like this for a week, but the lady who needs the donation hasn't felt good for awhile.  I think I'll keep mine.

Another plus of all of this is that my beautiful, caring, thoughtful wife has agreed to take care of me and I'm not sure she knows what she is in for.  Since she and I have been together, I can't remember being sick very often.  And no way am I grumpy when I'm sick ;)

I've also been forced to agreed to try to behave, but as I've told my loving wife I've tried before and I'm not very good at being good.

Maybe I'll be able to keep up with the blog this week, since I don't think I'm going to be doing much else.  I basically have an excuse to lay around the house.  WAHOO!!!!

If you are interested in finding out more about becoming a Bone Marrow Donor, you can click on the picture or this link.  Be The Match

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On a school note:

I got my books ordered for the Spring semester.  I did pretty good, spending less than $100 for three classes.  I have to purchase access to a web program that is going to cost me about $130 still, but seriously 4 classes and less than $300.  There have been some semesters that I paid nearly as much for books as I did to take the classes themselves.

I'm ready to be back. I'm almost ready to go back.  One more week should be enough to push me over the edge and send me running back!

It's a Wonderful Life!

I've been trying to write something, anything since New Year's, but no luck.  My mind is in over-drive and I can't seem to complete a thought.  So every post I write kinda trails off as another idea or thought passes across my mind.  So rather than fight it, I'm going to write.

School is about to start back.  I'm starting senior methods.  I'll be in the classroom at least 2 days a week (Monday & Tuesday for sure), and class Thursdays.  I should will graduate this fall.  It has been a crazy tough road and the closer I get to the end the more potholes that seem to pop up.  If I were actually driving along this road, I think I'd still be a little nervous about where it leads.

I'm sitting here watching Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness on Nickelodeon and this seriously has to be the best cartoon based on a movie.  It's like the day-to-day of Po in between the movies :)

KUNG FU PANDA!

So, senior methods!? 

Rent is due.  Our electric bill has been outrageous! That is whole 'nother story in itself.  The condensed version is that our A/C unit has been freezing up and running constantly for the last few months.  YIPPEE!!

It's fixed now and we are hoping to see it in the next bill, and the best part was that we had to convince the landlord that there was something wrong. Seriously???

Thankfully I have an awesome family and a wonderful wife and we will survive this.  

I AM A VERY LUCKY MAN! (when I am smart enough to stop and take notice of it)  

Nothing is ever set before us that we cannot handle through family, faith and fortitude.  

That is one of the posts I started working on but can't seem to complete.  Family, Faith and Fortitude.  As much as I want to write it, I want it to convey what I actually mean and so far its been complicated at best.  

The family and fortitude are easier, but my faith, is just that FAITH.  I am not religious.  I do not think that any one religion is correct, and I am not sure that any of the religions are wrong.  I believe that within every religion there is an aspect of truth and the rest of it is an exaggeration on a misunderstanding.  

The best way I can describe it is like a game of telephone or Chinese Whispers according to Wikipedia (every high-school and college students favorite starting point for research).  

Originally, a story or idea was told to a group and in turn those people took what they heard and passed it along. Over time the story was altered ever so slightly and changed the meaning.  Now consider if that were to happen over a couple thousand years, what would you have?

Dozens of 'religions' claiming that their's is the only way?!  To what end?  

What do we gain by choosing the correct church to be seen in on Sunday morning?

When I was in the Army, I had the opportunity to attend several different worship services, (in lieu of K.P. duty I'll admit), sometimes several in one day and it always caught me as odd that they all preached the same  message.  

Be good. (You know whether or not you are good)

Live a good life. (Again, you know!)

Don't forget your fellow man. (Either way, good or bad, you can't do it alone.)

Anyways, that's just my opinion.  

I guess it wasn't that complicated.  Maybe I just make things complicated.

So senior methods.  

I'm really looking forward to being back in the classroom and I'm hoping to actually be in a Math classroom this year, but man those kids scare the sh!t outta me and you can't beat'em anymore (LoL I'm just kidding).

The teachers and schools shouldn't have to spank the kids.  That is the parents responsibility.  Mine is to make the kids want to think.  To know what questions to ask and how to understand the answers.  

AND THAT SCARES THE CR@P OUTTA ME TOO! 

Nothing is ever set before us that we cannot handle with family, faith and fortitude. 

Bone Marrow Donation

I was recently informed that I was a match for a 74 year-old woman with leukemia in need of a marrow transplant.  It's a huge honor, but I'm confused why people keep acting like I'm doing something extraordinary. I agree that it's a good deed but if you found out that you could save someone's life, wouldn't you do it?

Its not like they are not going to have to drill into my hip or cut my leg off, so why not?  I'm going to be given a medicine for 5 days that increases my red blood cells and on the 5th day they take out the cells the same way they take plasma or blood.**

As a matter of fact if you are interested in getting signed-up, here is the link.  Be The Match

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So after I found out that I was matched to someone in need of a marrow transplant I was asked to go by the local blood bank for additional tests, which consisted of a couple of tubes of blood being drawn.

A week or so later I was told that the recipient and I were a good match and asked to drive down to Houston for a physical and more blood tests.

So Amanda and I drove down to south Houston to start the process for the bone marrow donation.  We met with a woman at the blood bank that took a couple of blood samples and showed a brief video describing the process that is in store for me and while I am not being paid for this donation, I will not be out any money for the process.  (I'm being reimbursed for travel, food, and lodging as needed.)

After the blood bank, we were sent over to the hospital for the rest of the physical which included a UA, an EKG, and a chest x-ray.  All in all, the whole process only took about 3 hours and it didn't feel like we were there that long.  Everyone involved was really nice and anytime we needed or asked for anything that were right on it.

Now I just have to wait until January 8th to start the medicine and the donation will take place on the 12th.


**The side effects of the medicine include flu like symptoms (headaches, body aches, nausea) and they said that those effects wear off after a week or so.