Yeah, I’m home after another sleepless night in Duarte (home of City of Hope). Vital sign checks, late night IV on top of a falling phosphorus (phosphate) level, noisy and beeping infusion pumps, code blues called on other floors, the need to empty my bladder all through the night from the liters of fluids being poured into me to clean out any toxins, and finally the recurrent hiccups robbed me of the healing power of sleep.
But if that’s my worst complaint, that’s pretty sweet.
And the hospital had a pretty decent vegan menu, and the food was way better than when I had my transplant there 15 years ago. I have a pretty room with a beautiful view of the mountains. See my pictures below.
Lots of possible reasons for the low phosphate and the hiccups, but they are not worth much thought as they are all manageable and of no significant import.
I napped in my bed this afternoon after doing a little catch-up work and woke up to do an interview for EndPoints News on mental health issues in CLL. I think I was pretty clear-headed. I grilled some salmon and celebrated with some vegan chocolate cake. I am going for a night walk now that it’s cooled down. I am feeling pretty normal.
Patty promises she won’t be waking me to take my temp or BP every few hours, and there is no chance she will be drawing any blood, so I think I will finally get a good night’s sleep if the hiccups don’t wake me up.
I have one more day of high-dose steroids. Then off for three days and restart all over again when I go back to hospital next Sunday.
I am upbeat.
Stay strong. We are all in this together.
Brian
Brian Koffman MDCM (retired) MS Ed (he, him, his)
Co-Founder, Executive VP, and Chief Medical Officer
CLL Society, Inc.
