Sunday

Just a quick update on how Bonnie is faring with the chemo and transplant. The Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) unit has a calendar that is based on Transplant Day as Day 0. Today is considered Day +2. Thus far Bonnie’s key blood components (white blood cells, platelets and hemoglobin) remain at normal levels, but are starting to drop. One of the medications she is on causes her magnesium to be very low resulting in the need for magnesium supplement IVs.

Bonnie is very fatigued due in part from the chemo and not sleeping well. It is difficult for her to get more than two hours of sleep at a time due to nursing shift changes, checking of vital signs, and hanging new IVs. We discussed with the team today how we could structure the schedule such that she might get uninterrupted sleep from midnight to 5:00 a.m.

Right now Bonnie is walking about 2 miles each day. The daily goal set by the team is 10 laps which is approximately ¾ of a mile. It is important for Bonnie to keep walking, particularly when the going gets tough. The walking can be a preventative against pneumonia and other complications. The nurses’ motto is one more lap closer to home.

Both the nurses and the doctors say it is good to be bored, but right now the waiting is somewhat monotonous, yet there remains an element of uncertainty waiting for the storm to hit that is on the horizon. We’ve never been in a hurricane before, but in some respects it must be like living along the Gulf of Mexico somewhere, knowing there is a Category 4 or 5 hurricane 2 to 3 days out, tracking a path that will undoubtedly impact you. It’s just that we don’t know and we’re sitting there wondering how much of an impact it will have on us. Will it be the eye of the storm that passes over us or will we only experience some of the torrential rains on the peripheral of the storm?

So, pray for rest, for patience and for peace as we wait for the weather change to come into focus and be clearer. Thanks!

Steve & Bonnie