4th weeks ups and downs

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Oh yes, this was a busy week! Results came to me from Paula on Monday from the cardiologist (Dr Shah) and Dr Burt. Dr Shah did not like the looks of my stress test in the fact that the tachycardia lasted for 1 minute 11 seconds after they stopped the test. So that means I have to have a cardiac catheterization. Don't know when that is going to happen at this point. Bummer! The thing is, though, if there is something wrong with my heart and I need a stent; this is the best time to find out and fix it. If I were to go through the cytoxin (chemo) and it overstresses my heart, it could really be bad. Better to be safe than sorry. As I have said before, they are nothing but thorough!
On Tuesday, we went to the blood center for my IVIg. I get to sit in a recliner for 5 hours for this and it is only a half dose. I am to come back the next day for my 2nd half. When I get done this and we get back to the apartment, I feel a bit warm and take my temperature. It is at 99.0. Now that might not sound too high but my normal temperature runs low, about 95-97 degrees. I'm thinking I'm getting a fever. When it hits 99.5 I call Paula. So, Paula and Dr Burt call me back and say if it goes over 100 to go to the ER. Okay, okay I will. Tried the ice cubes on my head, window open by cool air and a tepid bath. No go, 100.5 and we head to the hospital at about 6pm. Well, let me tell you when you are neutrapenic and you go to the ER, you get quick action! Sat for about 2 minutes and was called to be taken out of there. I got a lot of dirty looks from an almost full ER waiting room. Got to a safe, private, "clean" room and got an IV put in (by the way, if this happens to any of you following me; ask the nurse if she can put it in a vein that is not in the crook of your prominent arm). They pulled blood and my white blood count was 1.2, normal is over 10. My fever was 101 degrees. So I had to be admitted. Back up to the Prentice 16th floor! Only it took until 6am to get me there! At least Eddie knew at 1pm that I was being admitted and he could go home. I was given anti biotic after anti biotic, tylenol, and any other meds I was supposed to take and some more for good measure, I'm sure! All monitored very closely and not without permission! So now it is Wednesday morning and Dr Burt & Amy come by to see how I'm doing. I remind them I need my second batch of IVIg and Amy orders it for me about 10:30am. The rest of the day consists of waiting, being given more anti biotics, oh yeah and nuepogen! 3:30pm still no IVIg, called nurse and she's been on the phone with pharmacy several times to see where it is also. They keep saying it's taking a long time mixing...4:30 still no IVIg; I call Paula, she usually is the go-to gal but she doesn't have pull with the pharmacy folks! In the meantime, I can feel my temperature starting to go up again and sure enough I'm back to 99.1, keep those anti biotics flowing. At 5:30 still no IVIg, nurse says they will bring it up as soon as it is done; they promise by 7pm! "7pm!" I say! Well, it finally got there about 6:45pm and she gave me the pre-meds of tylenol and benedril and says she'll be back in half an hour to start it. I said, ah no, just start it now, at home I don't ever take the pre-meds and I don't have any trouble so just get it going!! The bottle they bring is smaller than the one they brought me when I got it the day before and it had a few more grams of IVIg in it than it was supposed to (42 instead of 39) but we ran it anyway and it was done in about 2 1/2 hours instead of 5. This is more like I was used to when i get it in Florida. Their laws here are different and they mix it with more solution (at least they did the other days I had it). So I wasn't going to complain about it!
When it was finished, I put in my earplugs and put on my eye mask (an absolute MUST for those of you behind me) and slept mostly through the night. Still had to wake for blood draws and vitals from time to time. 
Thursday morning woke for another neupogen shot, and then went off to get the lovely temporary port in the neck for my harvest. Oh, that was enjoyable - ah, not so much. But not painful, just very uncomfortable! Then back to the room; it was all done in about 2 hours. Dr Burt & Amy stopped by and they discharged me to go get my cells harvested. I got rolled over to the Feinburg Blood center and was hooked up in no time. 4 hours later, 20.8 million stem cells were collected!!!! (Only needed 2 million for transplant.) The removal of the port was much better than getting it put in. 

When I came home (apt) I wasn't even hungry, just ate 1/2 bowl of soup and went to bed and slept 14 hours! Friday was just kind of a restful, quiet day and Eddie and I ordered dinner from a company that delivers from all over the city called "Grub Hub"(mark this in your bookmarks if you are coming up for treatment). I got prime rib! It was delicious and I have a least enough leftover for 2 more meals.
Today, Saturday, Eddie left (sad face) but I am feeling much better! My brother and his wife may come for a visit tomorrow.
When I go for the heart cath on Monday, this is what might happen. If they find nothing wrong, they pull the instrument out and we go forth as scheduled! If they should find a blockage, they will put in a stent and the SCT treatment will be postponed for 30 days. I will have to pack up all my stuff and fly home and come back to restart where we left off. Of course, I hope there is nothing to find so I don't have the hassle of the packing, etc. but if it is God's will that this is how a problem in my heart is to be found, then it is all for the best!