Day +22

Aug. 31/07 Larry had a co-worker stop by with our mail today. This cheered Larry up very much to get to talk with someone from work. Jack Skundrich was on his way to see some of his family, and took time to droop off our mail. This was very nice of him. He stayed for about an hour and got Larry all caught up on things at the shop.

Larry & Jack Skundrich

Pictures of around the apartment

Squirrel hanging by his back feet eating a crackerSquirrel looking for a cracker

Two squirrels looking for a cracker

Exercise room at the Community Center

Game room at the Community Center

Visiting room at the Community Center

Laundry room at the Community Center
Outside of the Community Center

Larry at the door of the apartment

The building were our apartment is

Inside of the apartment

Inside of the apartment

Day +21

Aug 30/07 Larry's doctors appointment went very good today. The doctor said that if everything keeps going the way it has that we may get go home in two weeks, and just come down here once a week to see the doctor and get blood work done. This will make it nice for us. They took his central line out today, because it was getting red again. He also told us that the doctor (Sarwar) we had back home no longer works in Lima. He has moved down to Columbus to work at Grant Hospital. We'll miss him he was a very nice doctor, but Doctor Hofmeister has been great with us. We'll stay with him until he turns us over to someone else back home, or someone at James Cancer Hospital. We would like to stay at the James Cancer Hospital. It's hard when you get to know a doctor and they have to turn you over to someone else.

Day +20

Aug. 29/07 Larry's feeling a little bit better today. He went over to the community center and worked out for a little bit. That makes it nice for him with it being so hot out. The time that he goes there's know one in there, and he wears the latex gloves. We have a lot of squirrels around the apartment. When I took the trash out this morning there was one in the trashcan that I put my trash in, and it scared the squirrel not saying what it did to me at the time. ;P I'm just glad that there wasn't a camera around at that time. They are fun to watch playing in the yard. One of the squirrels took a girls little ball. She tried to get the squirrel to droop it but that didn't happen and he took it up a tree.

Day +19

Aug 28/07 Not much to report today. Larry's feeling a little better today. Larry took a walk this morning before it got hot out side. It got very hot here today, so we stayed in side. This evening it cooled off, so Larry took another short walk.

Day +18

Aug 27/07 Larry's having a bad day with the shaking, and he said that he just don't feel very good. I think that maybe it's one of the pills that he takes on Mondays and Thursdays only. I'll watch and see if he has the same trouble this Thursday. We go to the doctor on Thursday and I'll ask him if that pill can do that.

Day +17

Aug. 26/07 Larry had a good day, so we went for a long walk. His hair is falling out again, but they said that it would not all fall out this time we'll see. There's not much to report we're just waiting for all the numbers to get were they need to be, so we can go home.

Day +16

Aug. 25/07 I took Larry home today to get the mail and do some laundry. He did OK with the trip, but he got tired. He took a long nap when we got to the house. I don't thing we'll do that again for a while. I'll just have to wait for someone to come down here to be with Larry, so I can run home. Each day things get better.

Day +15

Aug. 24/07 Larry had some blood work done today, and they said that everything is looking so good. We'll get the numbers next Thursday, so I can tell you were he's at. He's still having some pain in his legs and back.

Day +14

Aug. 23/07 Larry's having some pain and a lot of shaking today, but every thing's going OK. He goes to the hospital tomorrow for a checkup. I'll let you know how things go. My sister Terry was here today for a little bit. That was nice because it makes the day go by faster.

Day +13

Aug. 22/07 Larry got out of the hospital around 10:30am. He's doing just fine. I'm happy to have him with me at the apartment. All the nurses and doctors at the James Cancer Hospital have been so nice and helpful. They tried to make our stay there as comfortable as possible. He goes back Friday at 12:00pm to see the nurse practitioner, and then next week on Thursday see doctor Hofmeister. We'll let you know how things are going.

Day +12

Aug. 21/07 Larry's doing very well, so they are springing him from this joint tomorrow morning. He'll be going to the apartment to stay there until we can go home. He will not have an mailing address at the apartment, so you can send mail to the home address. I go home once a week to get the mail, or just e-mail him.

Day +11

Aug. 20/07 Larry's doctor said that he will be going to the apartment on Wednesday or Thursday. This is very exciting news. He's still having a lot of back pain from the Neupogen, but he only has one or two shots left on them. They will check around day ninty to see if this put him in remission. He's aloud to go outside for a hour now, but that's with a mask on.

D +10

Aug. 19/07 Larry got to see the kids outside for a little bit today. He's having a lot of back pain today. It could be from the Neupogen that there giving him every day. His white count was 0.7 up from 0.5, the Platelet Count was up to 33 from 31 the Hgb was 11.3 up from 11.1 the Hct was 32.1 down from 32.3. Other then seeing the babys this hasn't been a very good day for him.

Day +9

Aug. 18/07 Nathan came down yesterday morning and stayed the night. We had a very nice visit with him, and then he went home around 4:30pm. Then Shawn came up around 6:00pm to stay the night, so he can pick up Beth and the boys tomorrow. They have been at Beth's mom and dads house. The nurses got Larry and I a Anniversary cake today for our Anniversary today. Larry has been doing fine today. The doctor said that everything is still on track. His counts are still going up and down. He's still getting the Neupogen shots, and will until his white counts come up.

Thank You it was good

Day +8

Aug. 17/07 Larry had a bad night. He was having some pain and felt nauseated. Today he's been very tired all day, and shakey. I hope tonight is better for him. Tomorrow is our 34th anniversary, and I love him more every day. He's been there for me every day. I LOVE YOU LARRY.

Day +7

Aug. 16/07 All Larry's counts have dropped today. His white cells are back down to 0.3 and the Hgb are back down to 10.7 the Hct are down to 30.3 and his platelet count is down to 45 from 62. They're going to start the Neupogen shots today. His line area is a little red so they are going to just watch it for now. This is Larry's new doctor. Larry's day started out OK, but as the day went on he got filling bad. He'll be getting his Neupogen shot at 6:00pm, and that will make his bones ache all over. The next few days will be hard for him.

Doctor Guido Marcucci

Day +6

Aug. 15/07 Larry's white cells dropped a little today from 0.5 to 0.4, but the doctor said this happens sometimes. Tomorrow Larry will be getting a new doctor because of the shift rotation. I went home today, and came right back.

D +5

Aug.14/07 Larry's white cells came up a little bit today. They were at 0.3 yesterday and today they were 0.5. His room is very cold tonight I hope he don't get sick because of it. I'm going home tomorrow to pay some bills and do some laundry for Larry. I'll come back in the evening.

Day +4

Aug. 13/07 Larry's doing really good, so not much to report. We are just waiting for David's stem cells to find there new home and start going to work. His counts are still dropping right now. They will bottom out soon then they'll start back up.

Day +3

Aug. 12/07 Here's the pictures that I told you I would get. I just can't get everyone to look at the camera all at the same time. Beth's parents came down to pick up her and the boys for them to stay with them for a week. We had a very nice visit with everyone. Larry's doing good today. Larry with Spencer, Paul, Sue, and Mason

Larry, Spencer, Paul, Sue, Mason, Beth, and Shawn

Day +2

Aug. 11/07 Larry got to see the grand kids today for a little while in the family room on the third floor. The doctor likes what he's seeing in his recovery so far. I forgot to take pictures of the kids. I'll do it tomorrow when they come back up.

Day +1

Aug. 10/07 This is the first day after the transplant, and everything is looking good. All his numbers are were they need to be. The doctor said that he likes what he sees. Shawn and his family are coming up on Saturday for a visit.

Day 0

Aug. 9/07 We have reached Day 0. Today Larry received his transplant. David's cells went in smoothly at around 10AM. At around 4:00PM he started not feeling very well but he took a nap and that seems to have passed. The nurse said his throat looked a little red but he said he couldn't feel it. A little bit later he started to get a sore throat. He is currently waiting for the nurse to come in after the shift change so he can let her know.

His white blood cells are at .8 but could still drop down to as low as .1 just like the first time. His platelets are at 138 which means his blood could still clot if he got cut or scraped and began bleeding.

Larry just before he gets his brothers stem cells
This is the nurse with David stem cells

The nurse hanging his new stem cells

Larry getting his brothers stem cells

Day -1

Aug. 8/07 Larry's brother got his stem cells collected today, and they were able to get all they need in one collection. Larry's back to eating, and filling a lot better today. Today was a rest day for Larry, so not much to report. I forgot to get pictures of David why he was getting his cells collected, so I was going to take one after but he declined.

Day -2

Aug 7/07 Larry's doing a little better tonight. He's not vomiting any more. The doctors say everything is looking good. Tomorrow his brother David is coming down for his stem cell collection, and if needed again on Thursday. Larry's getting a two day rest before he gets his brothers stem cells. Larry's still aloud to go out side, but it's to hot out there for him with a mask on. I haven't been taking any pictures because Larry's been so sick. Well Dareth the Nurse Proctitioner came in today and told us that she'll be seeing Larry again.
We had a nice lady stop in that seen Larry's Blog. Connie Jenkins has Multiple Myeloma also, and has been in remission for 2 1/2 years now with her own stem cells. Connie is from West Mansfield, OH.. It was nice to talk with someone that has been in Larry's shoes.

Day -3

Aug 6/07 Larry's been really sick today. He didn't get any sleep last night, and he hasn't had anything to eat today. They gave him something to help him with the vomiting, so he's been sleeping most of the day. He just just starting vomiting, so I'm out of here. I'll let you know tomorrow how things go.

Day -4

Aug 5, 07 Larry's morning started out a little rough. Doctor Devine said that every thing's right on corse. He got his Fludarabine and they started his Cytoxan today all so. I went home today and got the cable for the camera, so here's some picture.

Doctor Devine, MD

Med. Student Brad Blaser

Day -5

Aug. 4/07 Larry got to go out side today, so that was nice. Every thing's coming along nicely. We got the report back from Dr. Craig Hofmeister, and this what he had to say. Larry just barely misses a partial response from autologous transplant. They would have like to see a better response. Here's a calendar, so you can see how things will be going.

D -6

Larry's doing really good with the Fludarabine. He got some more today at 4:00pm Aug 3-07. We went out side for an hour today, and this maybe his last time out side. We have all different doctors, so we've got to learn all the new names again. Dareth the nurse practitioner from the last time has stoped in and to see how things are going, but she's not Larry's nurse practitioner this time.

Day -7

Larry's back at the James Hospital for his Allogeneic Blood and Marrow Transplant. We got here around 7:00am this Thursday morning on Aug. 2-07. They put the central venous catheter in around 9:00am, and he got his first round of Fludarabine also. He has been very nervous today. I forgot the cable for the camera so no pictures for now.