Eight Dwarfs? Dizzy is here....

I guess I spoke too soon. Dizzy joined us today. Don lost about 10 lbs of fluid in the past 24 hours as the effects of the steroids wore off. That resulted in a big drop in blood pressure. He barely made it out of the shower this morning before going to the hospital. His BP was 85/50 (seated), so they gave him a liter of fluids. The also gave him some Zofran for nausea, which has helped with fluid intake. The Zofran is less sedating, so Don has been awake most of the afternoon. I took a big nap, however!

His white count and platelets are dropping. WBC was o.41 K/uL and platelets were 115 K/uL today. His hemoglobin is better than the last time around (11.8 g/dL). Of course, fatigue is a major problem and he becomes winded easily.

As luck would have it, we shared a room today with another nurse practitioner with MM. She works with a neurology group in Florida. A neat lady (43 yrs old) who was diagnosed when they were planning back surgery. She had a plasmacytoma in her hip (a consolidated tumor that arises outside of the bone marrow). Before she got into treatment, she developed critical hyperviscosity with plasma cells occupying 70% of her blood (normal is 14%). She and her husband shared an amazing testimony of their blessings in getting treatment. They found housing through a Baptist church in Little Rock because their pastor at home knew someone.... They have been connected with Angel Flight, which provides air transportation to and from treatment free of charge. A friend is living at their house to care for their two children who have been left behind, etc. etc.

Their story is a reminder of the many blessings we have experienced in this journey. Not the least of which is the many friends who continue to call, email, etc. Don is lying on the couch as I write this and sends his greetings. Es todo bueno con el Dios.