Sunday day +5

They have been telling me since the treatment program began that days +5, +6, and +7 (after transplant) were going to be the worst days that I would suffer. And I now believe them. Today started off lousy with me falling while trying to get out of the tub shower. Emma had gone to the breakfast room to eat so that she could go bring me some breakfast after I had gotten dressed. When she returned I had managed to get my underware on and was sitting on the bed. I had virtually no energy, but recovered some after a light meal. We got to the BMT clinic a few minutes before 9:00 and they started on their procedures a few minutes later (vital signs, blood collection, infusion of a drug designed to serve as an immune system for me). When the blood work was reported it showed that my white blood count was 0.04 C and probably will go to 0.02 or lower by Tuesday. I will be off the dexamethasone tomorrow and my sleeping should improve. I have been getting a maximum of 5 hours sleep each night.

This is Infusion Nurse Marti; she is the first nurse to tell me that my color was coming back during the blood transfusion. The nurse who worked on me this morning, Malene, told me that my platelets are so low that I will need an infusion of platelets tomorrow morning so the session will last about 3 hours. We also talked about the side effects of thalidomide, which I have been taking since Sept. 4 and will continue through tonight. I have had all of them except the drowsiness, but the loss of energy is the most notable. She said the sleep problem is due to the dexamethasone, which has some stronger side effects.