Day +7

Slightly better day for Bruce but still very tired and still finding it hard to eat. First day he has stayed in bed. Drs happy with progress so that is good. Hopefully it's up from here. Katie and I have a business trip to Tauranga tomorrow- back Friday. It's all go really and we are grateful Bruce is getting his treatment now and not just starting the journey although we are learning to sell!!!!!!

Tomorrow is our little Tylers first birthday so not an easy day for Claire, Chris & Hannah. They are going to visit his grave and then do something together.

Well I have done this on the iPhone from hospital so hope it reads ok!

Day +06 (morning)

Bruce's platelet levels have dropped below a count of 10 now so he is really tired and lethargic. The Dr has decided to give him a transfusion of platelets to help him along (which they had said would very likely happen). She has also decided to feed him through a tube for a bit to help him gain some weight and they are re dressing the PICC line so all normal maintenance stuff for his part of the transplant evidently. Over all they are very happy with his progress.

Dr has described the fall out of the chemo like spraying the weeds and killing the grass too. It will take a while for the damage to finally show itself and the new seed that is replanted to start to look like a lawn again. Not sure I have related that correctly but it kind of makes sense.....

Please pray that the stem cells start replicating quickly :) We have heard from some of the nurses that some of the other transplant patients after Bruce are having a harder time especially the guy he que jumped. That puts where Bruce is up to into perspective and we are grateful!

Again thank you all for your love and prayers - we feel them!

Day + 5

All going OK still. Have started getting a bit dry in the mouth, and also a bit of diarrhea today. Feeling reasonably tired (surprise surprise) so trying to snooze as and when I can. I isn't stopping me sleep at night so I figure my body must need it.

Joel came in after work and we had a nice time chatting together for ages. Jeanette then arrived and it was good to spend some time together. Jeanette & Katie are off down to Tauranga on Thursday/Friday on business.

I'm sure looking forward to getting out of here and being able to make myself useful again - however, I DO realise the importance of making the most of this phase of the recovery process, so I'm not about to try anything unrealistic (or worthy of lectures).

Again, thanks so much for all the expressions of help & support & prayers etc. Brilliant!

Cheers
Bruce

Day + 4

All going OK still. Had a reasonable (hospital grade) sleep. Threw up my anti nausea pills this morning (kind of a cute irony there I thought) so they did them straight into the PICC line instead. Still had to have a couple of tabs orally, but fortunately they stayed down OK.

Around about now (Day + 4) is when I'm likely to be at my worst. While I do feel a bit tired, I'm quite OK - so I'll take this as being just fine. Have had a few issues in managing the diabetes over the last week. The important 3-way balance between dosage; food intake and exercise is always fundamental. They have been experimenting a bit with my doses. I would like the leave the doses where they were and just fix the food!

Never mind, we'll get it sorted. Sounds like that if all is going well with various counts and monitoring points, they might let me escape here around Day +14. That would certainly be appreciated. It would mean quite a few trips in and out to the Daystay clinic for monitoring, but I'd rather do it that way than stay in here another week.

Thanks for all the messages of love and support and prayers etc. Always very much appreciated - and quite tangible.

Cheers
Bruce

Day +2

Bruce has had an ok day. As he gets lower platelet levels he has got tired but that is to be expected. Today he has continued to be nauseous too so they are plying him with tablets to ward this off which are kind of working. It comes from the cumulative effect of the chemo and the preservative in the Stem Cells. The nurse called it Anti freeze. Two more days to go to the lowest point so we are hoping and praying that things will not deteriorate too much more. I was able to get up there today with my cold seeming not to have got worst thankfully!

Looking forward to some fine weather so I can get my very bored little puppy dog out of the house. She has just discovered that she can stretch up and get things of the fire mantle piece! Oh dear - it's like having a big 2 year old in the house at times :) As Caesar says 'a bad dog is a bored dog' and he's not wrong there! Off to get my Dog Owners Licence from Auckland City tomorrow so I pay less registration fees for the dogs.

Have a great weekend!

Day +1 (morning)

Had a good night last night. After the Dr's rounds this morning, they carried out their threat to move me out 'onto the Ward'. Fortunately, I still get a room to myself instead of being in a 4-pack room.

So far I haven't had any trouble with mouth ulcers etc which they warned me of.

Apparently Day +4 is when my resistance will be at its lowest. After that the stem cells start to kick in slowly but surely. Yeeha.

I was told this morning that all going well, I may be able to go home around Day +14 which would be good. There will be quite a few monitoring checks etc at Daystay, but that would be fine by me. Watch this space.

Cheers,
Bruce

Did you ever wonder why there are no dead penguins on the ice in Antarctica - where do they go ?

Wonder no more ! ! !

It is a known fact that the penguin is a very ritualistic bird which lives an
extremely ordered and complex life.
The penguin is very committed to its family and will mate for life, as well
as maintaining a form of compassionate contact with its offspring
throughout its life.
If a penguin is found dead on the ice surface, other members of the family
and social circle have been known to dig holes in the ice, using their
vestigial wings and beaks, until the hole is deep enough for the dead bird
to be rolled into and buried.
The male penguins then gather in a circle around the fresh grave and sing:



Freeze a jolly good fellow! Then they kick him in the icehole.

Day 0 - Stem Cell Transplant day

Bruce would be writing this but he has had trouble with his Vodem internet access so called to ask if I could do the blog...

Bruce is going really well - I look sicker than he does! They let me in with a mask.. just.... nurse muttering that what I have is more than just a light cold. Needless to say I didn't stay long as I began to cough and didn't want the indignity of being chucked out!

The cell transplant went well and he had only a small reaction to the preservative the cells were stored in which was great (some people spend the whole time vomiting as they go in). The long list of side effects that were supposed to happen over the time of the chemo haven't to this point although the cumulative effect is still working and his platelet count is still dropping so we wait and pray.

Bruce's Mum fell today getting onto a bus so has a very nasty wound on her lower calf/ankle which meant a trip to A & E to get that sorted. Fortunately nothing was broken so it just means trips back to have the Dr check for infection and probably some antibiotics for the next few days and then she can have it dressed daily at home by a nurse. Grateful with all that is going on that she is still able to hobble around her house and it's attached to ours!

Well I'm off to bed to try and kick this cold - rotten timing really with so much on....

Day -1 (minus one)

Well, here's a turn-up for the books. Jeanette is feeling pretty rotten tonight with a cold that has been threatening her for a few days and has now taken hold. She has asked me to update the Blog instead. I only have limited net access her, but here goes...

Had the nastiest one of the chemo potions today (Melphalan) which so far has gone well. Had a small period of feeling a bit sick late in the afternoon while Joel was visiting. Got rid of a pathetic little offering of a couple of teaspoons worth and felt OK again pretty much straight away. They gave me more anti nausea stuff via the IV just to make sure.

I sucked plenty of ice, before - during & after the infusion, which evidently helps reduce the severity of mouth ulcers often associated with this medication.

Tomorrow is Day Zero when I get the freshly thawed stem cells put back in. I'll tell you more once I've been there...done that. They just told me I can keep the bags as a souvenir if I want!

Sorry Michelle, no jokes tonight!

Cheers
Bruce

Day -2 (minus two)

Another pretty straightforward day today. The white cells and platelet counts are certainly coming down, but I feel fine and am still trying to get used to having time to sit and read (and doze this afternoon). I'm usually focussed on work-related stuff, so feel a bit guilty.

I've been reading a very funny book by Justin Brown called 'Teed off in USA' which documents a crazy 28 day road/train trip from New York, down the east coast, along the Gulf of Mexico, Texas and Las Vegas (or Lost Wages as Steve Laffoon puts it). In every place he visits, his goal is to meet someone off the front page of the daily newspaper and try and get to play a round of golf with them. The resulting situations, personalities, experiences and mayhem is very entertaining.

Thanks again for your messages of love and support and prayers etc.

Cheers,

Bruce

Stevie Wonder meets Tiger Woods and offers to give him a game.
"You're kidding, you really want to play me?" says Tiger.
"Sure" says Stevie. "How about we make it interesting - let's play for $100,000".
Tiger insists that he couldn't possibly play him for money due to his sight handicap, but Stevie argues until he gets his own way.
"Okay", Tiger says, its your money. "When do you want to play?"
"Midnight".

Day -03

Bruce has had an easy day today. It seems there are 2-3 people on the ward at a similar stage as Bruce either a day before or behind so it's kind of weird knowing there are people there in the ward but not seeing them. Bruce has yet to bump into any of them. The nurse we spoke to this after noon said it's very quiet a the moment for them but next weekend will be very busy as all the patients will be at their most vulnerable.

Today has seen me running around sorting lighting for the new office that we are currently having renovated.

Thanks for taking the time to catch up on us and for your love and prayers!

Day -04 Saturday 19 June

Jeanette at the helm of the blog now! Sorry - you are probably going to get the bullet points now and no jokes! As soon as Bruce gets back home I am sure they will all resume :)

Bruce went in last night (Friday) in time for his evening Chemo. Claire and Chris had their joint birthday party here at Allendale Road today so we didn't want to take the risk that he would get a bug from anyone given his treatment had already started.

Today they have allowed him to roam a little as his platelets are still OK so immunity not to bad. This enabled him to go and spend some time with Gerald, a friend who has cancer as well but in a different part of the ward.

Bruce has found out there is an exercycle within the small ward so he can go down to the room if he wants to exercise in a sterile room. I think it will be short lived as the chemo sets in but will be really great once he begins to regain his strength as he needs to balance his exercise,insulin and food intake being a diabetic.

That is all for now - BED TIME for me...its been a long day :)

First Day all went well...

I rocked up to the Haemotology Ward this morning all ready to go at 8:00. There were a few hold-ups (out of their control) at the Hospital end of things, including the chemo supplier having been slow with their delivery of my 'cocktail'. (The 'B' part of the B.E.A.M. regime).

Had a catch up with Lois van Wardenburg in the Whanau Room - to our mutual surprise. Later, Gerald woke up and I went to his (adjoining) ward and had a few minutes with him which was good.

The excellent nursing staff got me all hooked up by about 2:00 and the infusion went without a hitch (no headaches or hot flushes as they said often can happen). I explained that I hadn't yet hit menopause!

Home for nice dinner and off to a small group thing tonight. Tonight will be the last sleep in my own bed for a while. I check in tomorrow morning again at 8:00 and get the first day of the 'E' part of the BEAM. In the evening I get the 'A' component. These two are repeated for a few days.

We have Claire & Chris's joint birthday party at our place on Saturday. Rosie will be banished for the day, and I'll stay on the hospital and avoid the risk of any unwanted but well-meaning infections which on the law of averages are pretty likely to be around with a group of 40 people.

I have my own room in the isolation part of the ward. Certainly better and nicer than the usual 4-bed jobs.

Thanks for the messages of support etc. Always much appreciated, even if I can't get to answer or acknowledge all of them.

Cheers
Bruce

PICC line in place, everything ready to go ...

The insertion of 520mm of fine tubing up one of my veins from the hinge of my elbow to the top of my heart went smoothly today. Not as uncomfortable as I'd thought it might be. The Dr did a very nice neat and surprisingly quick job.

After that, I had a chest X-ray. Very straightforward, then some lunch and off to Haemotology Daystay for the clerical side of pre-admission for Thursday morning's start to the chemo. Then back over to the main Hospital for an ECG which I then carried back to Haemotology for my file.

There was a little bit of 'ooze' evident under the transparent dressing for the exit of the PICC line. They hummed and hared as to whether to try and redo the dressing or leave it as is. After watching it for a while, they decided it was best to just keep a good eye on it and call them in the morning to see if anything had changed. I've just had a look again now, and there's no fresh signs of ooze, so hopefully that is a good sign.

Tomorrow, I have my once-a-year check-up with eye specialist who checks me for any signs of Diabetic Retinopathy. Hopefully that will remain fine.

More news as and when it comes to hand.

Just to remind anyone thinking they'd like to visit me that Jeanette has been appointed (by the Medics) to be 'gatekeeper'. I will be extremely prone to infection after a few days of chemo, and they have very strict rules about visitor's health, numbers, etc. They reckon I will very likely not really be up to holding pleasant sociable conversations during some stages of the procedure. I'd like to prove them wrong, but I guess they've done this a lot more times than I have!

Thanks again for your love, prayers and support.

Cheers
Bruce

News Flash...

Wow, 2 x blogs in one day! Just had a call from the Hospital to say they'd like to bring things forward by a week, so I'll go in on Monday for my PICC line and an Xray and some other preliminary stuff and start the countdown. Monday will be Day -(minus)9. The chemo starts on Day -6, and the stem cells go back in Day 0 (Wednesday 23rd). Then we count the days upwards.

Off right now to get last intravenous Vitamin C before the fun starts.

Cheers,

Bruce

Counting down...

Happy birthday to Claire today!

Had my heart echo-sound scan on Wednesday (another Philips machine, Kevin R - but getting a bit old). So utterly cool to see your own heart pumping away on the screen in real time (then again, it may have just been the same old video they play to every patient!). I was told all was good and normal.

Just got back from my lung function test this morning. It involves a series of breathing tests via a monitoring machine, again with a screen you can see. Again, I was told I was in the range of normal and they got the similar multiple test results they were after.

I guess this data helps them know just how hard they can clobber me with the chemo before the stem cells go back in.

Things continue to be busy with work (http://www.50pluslifestyle.co.nz ) and I'm trying to get my caseload under control before skiving off to hospital so that Jeanette & Katie don't have too many loose ends left to tie off here at the office.

Dinner tonight with Claire & Chris & Hannah.

Cheers
Bruce
021941293; 8455421
bruce@50pluslifestyle.co.nz

Holiday weekend

This weekend (just gone) was Queen's Birthday weekend and makes a nice excuse to get away for a mid winter break. We (Jeanette & I plus both dogs) went with Chris & Claire & Hannah up to Algies Bay. The weather was patchy but we all had a good time. Hannah had been eagerly looking forward to a short holiday with us and seemed to enjoy herself. Fortunately we managed to avoid the hideous traffic both on the way up there, and on the return trip this afternoon.

We need to make the most of the short working week and get several things nailed in the process. I have a couple of tests this week as part of the 'work up' for the next round of treatment (as per previous blog entry).

All the best,

Bruce
bbremner@ihug.co.nz
(09)8455421; 021-941293

The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine was fully recovered.

A grenade fell onto a kitchen floor in France resulting in
Linoleum Blownapart.

You are stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.

Local Area Network in Australia: The LAN down under.

He broke into song because he couldn't find the key.

A calendar's days are numbered.

A lot of money is tainted: 'Taint yours, and 'taint mine.

A boiled egg is hard to beat.

He had a photographic memory which was never developed.

A plateau is a high form of flattery.

The short fortuneteller who escaped from prison: a small medium at large.

Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.

When you've seen one shopping center you've seen a mall.

If you jump off a Paris bridge, you are in Seine.

When she saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she'd dye.

Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead to know basis.

Santa's helpers are subordinate clauses.

Acupuncture: a jab well done.

Marathon runners with bad shoes
suffer the agony of de feet

All systems GO...

Saw Leanne, the Haemotologist today. She is very happy with how things are proceeding thus far and all is looking good to fire ahead with the transplant. The CT scan last week shows lymph nodes all under the magical 10mm size threshold and show that the last two lots of chemo have been effective. All their other tests and monitoring seems fine.

I still have a routine/mandatory pre-chemo heart ultrasound; a respiratory function test and an ECG before the next chemo starts. I get my PICC line inserted early on Monday June 21st (happy birthday Murray!) and they will do the ECG and all the hospital admission stuff that day to save the bureaucratic stuff later.

Thursday 24th they start the chemo, kicking off with some BCNU as an entree on the first day, followed by 4 x days of Etoposide au naturale over the next four days. Although admitted as a patient, I can possibly come home for chunks of the first couple of days. Tuesday 29th we finish with a cheeky little desert number called Melphalan.

Wednesday 30th June they re-infuse my peripheral blood stem cells and I begin the process of recovering from the chemo clobbering, which I'm told is quite a bit more solid than anything I've had thus far. Although I've seemed to get off quite lightly before, they said to be in no doubt that this time will be considerably more of a battering.

We had time this afternoon with a variety of folk involved in the whole process. It was good to get a lot more clarity (much abridged in this little epistle) and plenty of reading material to bone up on beforehand. I quite like trying to get a reasonable understanding of the process and sequence of what happens.

We'll try and keep yáll posted on developments as we go.

Cheers
Bruce

1. A bicycle can't stand alone; it is two tired.
2. A will is a dead giveaway.
3. Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.
4. A backward poet writes inverse.
5. In a democracy it's your vote that counts; in feudalism, it's your Count that votes.
6. A chicken crossing the road: poultry in motion.
7. If you don't pay your exorcist you may be repossessed.
8. With her marriage she got a new name and a dress.
9. Show me a piano falling down a mine shaft and I'll show you A-flat miner.
10. When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.