Day +3

So far today has not been kind to our dear Scott. Having bottomed out, his body is feeling very sore, weak, and restless.

A swollen bump on the back of his head (similar to the lump he had in his armpit during round1 and his knee during consolidation), is preventing him from resting his head and is quite painful. He’s experiencing a fair bit of nausea, which he hasn’t faced in previous rounds, and the inevitable mucusitis is developing, which is causing a swollen and sore mouth.

These next couple of weeks are not going to be a breeze, and I’m getting the impression that today is a taste of what’s to come.

This whole transplant process feels so backwards. Scott received his new cells at a time he was feeling relatively healthy. But unlike an organ transplant, where the patient receives the organ, comes through surgery and works with their body to recover, Scott will be feeling worse when you would think he should be on the upswing. If I didn’t understand the process (in as much as I do, which is fairly basic) I would be confused, wondering why his body is breaking down, rather than thriving. But we have been told often to expect what is happening now, and I am reminded of the expression “it’s always darkest before the dawn”.

Before the preparation therapy started, Scott told me he wants to make sure he doesn’t need a feeding tube – a necessity for some patients as the mucusitis worsens (a side effect of the particular chemo received). Though his appetite is fairly non existent, he is making sure to keep taking his protein shakes and drinking his glutamine supplements. These will help with the developing mucusitis, and allow him to continue eating and drinking, avoiding intervention.

One day closer to recovery.