Adventures in BMT: Day -5 and -4

“My aim is to achieve sustainable change, not just make a cute little makeover.”
– Jamie Oliver

Today, the nurses organized a mini Lancôme makeover party. We received samples of products, a cute makeup bag and a shower sponge. They served yummy petit fours and sparkling pink lemonade in little champagne flutes. It’s like a cruise around here. But seriously, these amazing nurses make it worthwhile.

I have settled into my new digs and the associated routine of hospital life. The food is the biggest challenge so far. I can’t eat the salads that I love so much nor the fresh plums, peaches and apples I adore. Bacteria in produce makes it unsafe – so I’ve been reduced to oranges and bananas which are protected by their inedible skins. Safe vegetables have to be cooked to within an inch of disintegration in order to be free from bacteria.

On the upside, there are these thick milkshakes available every afternoon at 3 PM in chocolate, vanilla and strawberry flavors. I suspect they’re meant for the post-transplant period when nothing stays down and solids are impossible to chew, but I’ve already made them a habit with chocolate being the flavor of choice.

Two new conditioning drugs have been added to my regimen. In addition to the Fludaramine started on Tuesday, I now receive a 30-minute infusion of Prednisolone (a steroid) to lessen the adverse effects of Anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG). ATG is an infusion of rabbit-derived antibodies against human T cells and is used in the prevention of rejection in organ transplantation. The ATG infusion runs over 6-hours. Stay tuned, there are more drugs coming prior to the transplant.

I know, this is riveting information. You’re welcome.