Day Zero Minus One

About an hour ago I finished my last chemotherapy, thymoglobin (known around here as "the rabbit"). In about an hour a medium dose of Melphalan will kill off some of my marrow and stun the rest, so as to prepare it for the infusion of donor cells tomorrow. No more dex.

I will get a data point on the effectiveness of TMG (rabbit) and cladribine as a combined agents against kappa light-chain disease. There is some talk that they work, but at the moment it is difficult to imagine there being use outside of an in-patient basis.

Last night I had an unexpectedly painful reaction to the drugs. Broke right through morphine. Required every drug we had on the list to give me relief.

In an hour or so, the Melphalan will be administered. My choice will have been made, permanently. I have a pool going, if you'd care to contribute. Because I have Brit nurse, some quantity of Porter is involved. I think this picture of Moby Dick is not exactly the one I wanted. I wanted the one where the crew commits to hunting Moby Dick. Click on the picture of awesome detail.

Now I must suck on ice chips constantly. Because the hospital doesn't allow direct access to photos, like you'll find on Google Images no pictures. Which is too bad, because I want my epitaph to read, "We didn't think he needed it." Maybe later, when Verizon's 3G network may be usable, I'll add the picture I want.

$5, live or die, if you want in to the pool.

PS — The Melphalan was administered at 2:15.  The Moby Dick moment of commitment has passed. There is no going back. The dose was about half of the dose of an autologous transplant, who knows how much marrow that kills, and how much is left as "food" for the donor cells? Not I.

PPS — My epitaph: "They thought I wouldn't need it."