Monday, 1-15-10. I will be going to the hospital soon and Roy will be coming home this afternoon. But first the IV Therapy team will be there to have me show them I know how to flush Roy's two lines. I took the class twice but that was a month ago, so last evening I got my instruction sheet out and did some studying. Now we'll see if it works for me. First you unscrew the cap on the new plug, then you wipe with alcohol wipes, then you do this and then that and then you tip the Heprin at 45 degree angle and attach and, and, and, . I am sure the first several times I will have my sheet in front of me while doing this but it will become easier the more I do it. The nurse said yesterday that I would have to hook up some IVs while he is at home also. And then I will need to test out on changing his bandage but I won't have to do that as he just had a new one put on yesterday when they changed out the 3 lumen to a 2 lumen and the bandage change is only once a week.

Yesterday his WBC was 7.1 and neither Roy nor I can remember it being this high since he got sick. On Friday, when they told him he would probably go home, his WBC was 0.6 and they said it would be 1.5 or more on Monday. Well, did he surprise them. On Saturday, it was 3.5 and Sunday it was 7.1. I haven't asked him this morning what it is, but this means the transplant has taken. They told us he would probably continue to need blood, platlets or some type of medicine for several months yet; that there is always the probability of infection and that he will end up back in the hospital and not to be surprised. He has to take his temperature two times a day and if it is 100.5 or more, to the ER he goes; and there are several other things we have to watch for that might put him back in the hospital.

While he has been in the hospital this time, we have met a lot of nice nurses and LPNs. The LPN he has had the last two days name is Irene, my mom's name and Riley's middle name, and she is a runner. She usually runs in the Houston mearathon (sp?), which was Sunday, but she didn't get to this year, but she hopes to one day run the Boston mearathon but she said a person has to qualify to run in that one. And then one of his male nurses is Phillipino and very interesting to talk to. Trudi got to meet him.

I am sure Roy will be coming home with a lot of new meds so I am taking his ID and credit card. It is going to be interesting to see what kind and how many. I have my "hospital sewing bag" all replenished and ready to go as he will be going in to the hospital every day for the next two weeks for blood work, fluids and anything else they determines he needs. The nurse said yesterday that if he is doing great, it might not be the entire two weeks but could be only one week. Then it will be every other day for a long time. We are at +15 days since transplant and have to stay in Houston until day 100 and this is if everything goes as they think it will.

I am so glad we came down here and that the doctors were more than willing to do the transplant. I really feel the doctors at the KU Med Center should have said we don't do transplants after age 65 but go to Houston as they do. Oh well, can't change anything now.