In the previous posting I meant to say lV and not Ivy. After it's posted, I cannot change it using email so I would have to go to the computer and do an edit using the computer.
Here is a photo of cards that Reta has put up that we have received since we have gotten here. We very much appreciate the cards, they mean a lot.

Today has been uneventful and I've not had any nausea today and I am thankful. I have not felt really good but I'm not sick either just don't feel as good as usual. I thought I would try updating this blog using email and also posting some photos to give it a good test. I thought if I could post photos and make it somewhat more interesting to read.

My white count dropped today to 0.9. I will start taking growth factor shots are neupogen shots later today. That should cause my white cell count to start to recover.

Kathy and Darlene thanks for your comments. We will be looking forward to seeing you all when we get back.

Here is a photo of the PICC line they installed. I will have it until I get discharged from the hospital. They put it in so that they could administer the chemo using my port and use the PICC line for other things like blood and platelets and any other Ivy that I might need.

Just a quick update to say that I've had very little nausea tonight. I was able to get all of the potassium that I was getting pumped in and it just finished about 10 p.m. I sure hope tomorrow I'm not hooked of those pumps again that was five days I was on those pumps. I don't like it. It is so hard to go even to the bathroom. That is all for today.

June 27, 2013..  A doctor came by about 6 p.m. yesterday from the office that did my neck surgery and removed the staples from my surgery incision. The chemo bags ran out about 10:00pm last night. I thought I would be free and unhooked from the IV lines and pumps but they put me on a 10 hour infusion of potassium. I also received a bag of platelets. My white count had dropped to 1.74 when they drew the blood samples about 5am today. I am having some slight nausea at times but nothing bad so far. 
The doctor that makes rounds each day and has been very helpful in providing information asked me if I had a medical background. I told him no and he said I seemed to know a lot about multiple myeloma and treatment. I said I felt like the more I know, the better off I would be. I was pleased with his comment but I wish I knew nothing about multiple myeloma.

I tried to post last night using email and it did not work. I think I have it ok now so if there is a posting that has a smaller font and looks different, it will be due to sending the post via email. Doing this will help me since I don't have to get the computer out and set it up. I have the posting time set to central time. It has not been set for that time zone in the past. 

June 26, 2017.. I am updating the blog early in the day and will probably need to update it later today. So far, I am doing all the updates using the computer. If I use email to update it, that would be much easier but not sure how well it would work. 
So far, I have had no ill effects of the chemo. My white count went from 6.54 yesterday to 4.03 today. It looks like the chemo has started to bring down my counts. 
I checked back on my backup photos and found photos of the chemo bag labels when I got the VDTPACE in November, 2013 and saw that was the same strength that I am getting today.
The side effects of this chemo should start soon and should last 10 days or more days after the chemo start day.

June 25, 2017.. It has been an uneventful day of just getting the chemo and being in the room. Tonight, they will hang the last two bags of chemo that will be pump out about 9:00pm tomorrow night. I will be glad to get unhooked from these lines and pump.

June 23, 2017.. This is the first time I have been able to post an update since the last posting I did on June the 8th. I will try to post the most important things that have happened since then. Remember I want to post them in such a way so that I can reference them later for information. I wish I had done every blog when we come here under the same blog. I see the value in having them all together and I also wish I had given the blog a different name not referencing a time in the title. I fear if I would change it now, it would change the link for people following now.

The posts from today on, for this blog, will probably made using email since I won't have access to the computer. 

Starting after June 8th:

June 9th - 10th, 2017..  Went to hospital to be admitted and got settled in the room. 

During creating this posting which I had completed up to today except for few additions, the computer shut down and I lost everything so I will attempt to recreate what I had. 

June 11th - 12th.. Prepare for surgery and get surgery in the morning on the 12th. Surgery lasted for about 2.5 hours. They had predicted it would take 3 to 5 hours. Our dear friends Steve and Kathy from back home drove over 1200 miles to visit us and give us support. 

June 12th - 22nd.. Spent 10 days recovering from the surgery. During this time I received blood and platelets. As of now, I have received 6 units of blood. I have not kept up with the platelets I have gotten so far but guessing it is about the same number of bags as the blood. Our dear friends Wayne (Ken) and Peggy from back home drove over 1200 miles to visit us and give us support on the 20th. 
Started VDTPACE chemo combinations at 8:30pm. They will be pumping in around the clock for the next 4 days.

June 23rd - 24th.. Not feeling any side effects of the chemo yet. 
They tell me they will start about day 6 through 10. This is when my blood counts will drop so much.