Day #3 at UCLA

Dose #3 of 5 of VP16, Ifosfamide,Mesna and oral dexamethasone. So far things are going ok. Dale is tired from being woken up every few hours by the nurses or to have to use the restroom. His IV hydration, running at 140ml/hr, keeps his kidneys and bladder from becoming damaged form the chemotherapy but it also makes him "pee" a lot. He told his doctor that he didn't need a room ,just a bathroom with a tub so he would have a place to sleep in there. His Hgb was 7 this morning. This is fairly low so he is receiving a blood transfusion now as I type. There is a directed donor tag on the bag so if you were donor number 8133824, thank you so much for this life saving gift. We were happy to see this tag and it was very heart warming to know that blood and platelets are still being donated for Dale. Dale used to be a B+ but after the transplant last year he is now an O+ which is Derek's blood type. He is starting to feel nauseous. Although, he ate 2 bowls of Grandma June's clam chowder for lunch. Hopefully he will feel better in the morning. During the day, Dale tries to keep up with his school work. In the evening he has been learning the art of Hawaiian printing from a friend from hula. It involves carving out a picture in a piece of bamboo to create a stamp and then using that stamp to makes prints on fabric. Tomorrow Derek is scheduled to come to UCLA to get clearance for the stem cell harvest. This probably involves a physical and some blood tests. We are grateful Derek is willing to help DaLe again. Thank you for your conintued support and prayers.....