New medication schedule

Jennifer, Nursing Supervisor, at the BMT clinic called me Thursday afternoon to tell me that my blood work on Tuesday showed that the CMV count was negative again; the second consecutive negative count so I am ready for a maintenance-like medication regime. She faxed to the nearby RiteAid pharmacy a prescription for a new pill that I am to take on Monday, Wednesday and Friday along with thalidomide, which I am to start taking Monday evening. I also start taking dexamethasone Monday morning for 4 days a week (Monday-Thursday); whereas the thalidomide is taken daily for an unknown amount of time. I expect to get a schedule Tuesday that will give me particulars on the time periods involved.

I am not looking forward to the dexamethasone-thalidomide combination because that combination kept me awake when I was taking it last month. The thalidomide is supposed to cause drowsiness but it didn't seem to work that way for me, even when I also took Ambien in the evenings.

After Jennifer called me I called RiteAid and learned that Jennifer had failed to indicate how many pills should be supplied and they would have to call her to get the quantity. When I called them back I learned they did not have enough pills on hand to filll the prescription, but I would be able to pick up the prescription Friday afternoon, which I forgot to do. I will only take these pills 3 days a week along with the thalidomide and I have enough of them to last for 90 days, but I doubt that I will take the thalidomide continuously for 90 days. I think there willl be breaks of a week or more between somewhat longer periods of thalidomide use.

The edema in my lower legs seemed to be completely gone this morning, but Emma (and Karen) insisted that I continue to wear the support hose. I didn't want to do so because my weight was 175 pounds this morning, which means that I have lost 12 pounds of water since we came home from the U. of U. Guest House and there shouldn't be any more un-wanted liquid in my system to cause the edema. Maybe I can do without them tomorrow. I continue to feel good, but also have no real strength in my legs.