Day 5 and 6 Stem cell stimulation and steroids

Now that I have been accepted for treatment, my body needs to get ready for what is coming.  The key to this treatment is the chemotherapy.  Chemotherapy will be used to kill off my immune system.  Not the entire immune system, just the parts with the MS will be killed off.  But before we do that, we have to prepare for the recovery.  That is where the stem cells come in.  Now before anyone gets all worked up or  starts to form some kind of boycott, let me just say, this has absolutely nothing to do with embryos or babies.  These are MY STEM CELLS.  Everyone has them in their body.   The stem cells we are using are in my bone marrow.

There are various ways stem cells can be extracted.  In the old days, they would break bones and suck out the marrow.  Modern medicine is not so barbaric.  Today we use drugs to make the body do amazing things, and this is how we get the stem cells.  Over the past three days, I have been getting G-CSF stimulation injections twice daily.  The full name for G-CSF is granulocyte colony stimulating factor. This medicine will be injected subcutaneously (under the skin.  In my case the shoulder) and will stimulate the stem cells to move from the bone marrow through the bones and into the bloodstream.  There are a series of injections.  First injection  at 11 p.m. and second at 3 a.m.

The modern way to extract stem cells is much less painful.  That is not to say there is no pain.  Let’s not forget, those little stem cells are moving through my bones.  That can and many times does result in bone pain.  For me, the first two days there were no problem.  However, when I woke up this morning on day 3 of 4 for the stimulation injections, my back was in excruciating pain.  I let the nurse know and she came in with a shot of something and within 20 minutes, the pain was gone!  I have gone all day and feel pretty good as far as the bone pain, but it is creeping back so I will ask for something when the nurse comes around.

In addition to the stem cel stimulation, I am also being administered daily doses of IV steroids.  We get the IV drip sometime between 10 and 11 in the morning and it only takes about 30 minutes.  We had a pic line inserted on the first day to make this process easier.  I have to be honest, that line bugged the heck out of me.  They left it in and it was poking me and itching like crazy.  And although we have four days of this process, the pic line came out today after the 3rd infusion.  That is because tomorrow they will insert a gigantic catheter in my neck to collect the stem cels and we will just use that catheter to get the last dose of steroids in.  More on that later.

 

So if you ask people  their opinion on MS treatment and steroids you would get a wide range of responses.  Some people rave about the steroid treatments.  They can make you feel great, give you lots of energy, reduce inflammation and as a result reduce MS symptoms.  For me that has not been my experience.  Steroids for me have certainly not fallen into the category of performance enhancing anything.  What I have found in the past and actually forgotten until this week, is that they can knock you on your butt!

After the first infusion, We did venture out of the hospital grounds for a little supply operation.  A group of us went and got what we needed.  After stopping at the market, some of the group wanted to go out to dinner,  but I was done.  I was short of breath and my chest was getting a bit tight.  So I went back to the hospital with one of the guys from our group.

Yesterday (day 2 of steroids) we ventured out again.  The walk from the hospital to the tram nearly made me pass out.  My lungs were burning and my chest got tight again.  I almost turned back.  I probably should have.  Instead I slowed things down and tried to rest.  Once we got on the tram, I got about a 10 minute break which allowed me to rest and recover.

My sister and I then met up with a friend of the family who drove us around Moscow, and told us the history and showed us the landmarks.  She also gave us some maps and explained how the Metro worked.  But when we got back to my sisters hotel and had dinner, it was getting late and I had to get back to the hospital.  If I’m not back by 9pm, I will get locked out.

We had dinner with people from our group so 3 of us  started to make our way back to the tram.  Unfortunately a normal gait for me now was enough for my chest to tighten up and my lungs to feel like they were on fire.  I had to slow it down.  One of my friends stayed with  me and the other went ahead to tell the guard that two were still coming and please leave the gate open.  We made it back with 10 minutes to spare.

When the nurse came to check on my and I told her of my issues.  Thank goodness for Google translate.  She immediately called my doctor (its now 9:00 pm).  She told him what was going on and then put me on the phone.  The doctor asked me how I was doing now that I was resting,  and I told him I was much better.  He told me to rest and take it easy.  They took my blood pressure which was a little high and gave me some medicine for that.

My nurse last night was like an angel.  She came back to check on me and shared pictures of her family and wedding.  I also shared pictures of my family and my wedding.  It was a very intense bonding moment even though we did not speak the same language.  It didn’t matter.  We had the pictures to tell our stories.  We ended with hugs and kisses on the cheeks.  That is the european way after all.  It was really beautiful.  It is just one of the things I love about this place.  Everyone treats you like family.

I settled into bed at about 10 pm knowing that shots were coming in about an hour.  They did and I was actually able to get back to sleep even after the 3am shots.  I must be adjusting to the time.  Our plan for tomorrow is to take the Metro to Red Square and then back to the palace marketplace to do some souvenir shopping.  Not sure how that is going to workout.  I will have to take it slow….very very slow.