Monday the 23, I went to Grand Rapids St. Mary's for a pet/ ct scan, won't know the results til I get to Detroit next week having a good week getting ready for the trip to Detroit on the 2nd of December.
thanks for all your support.
john

Got home last night,Thurs, and the harvest was sucessful so my next thing is a pet cat scan at St. Mary's in G.R. on monday the 23rd.then back down to Detroit on the 2nd of Dec. for my 28 day stint in isolation. Oh well as long as it works.
This process has been very interesting, have met many wonderful people along the way.
Thank you for all the prayers and messages, it is really appreaciated.
Love you all,
John

finally

Yay! Finally.....got the old John Deere combine fired up. Started harvesting stem-cells yesterday. Almost didn't tho. They thought my white count was too low, but then they changed their minds.
So today is day 2 of the harvest. Will it be enough? Dunno? Might go home tonight, maybe tomorrow.

Otherwise....still fatigued, laying here makes me lose my voice, some pain from the boost medicine. I can take it as long as it takes away the cancer.

Thanks for prayers and thoughts. If you had your toes crossed, you can relax now. Wouldn't want you to trip yourself.

Harvest time take two?

wellllll........so my lab test revealed the numbers weren't quite high enough. so i got a transfusion of platelets and other stuff. they doctor thinks i'll be ready tuesday. please keep your fingers crossed. the longer we wait to start the harvest, the longer we stay in detroit. not that it's a horrible place, would just rather be home.

Harvest Time

Went down to Detroit on Friday (13th) to get tested. We have built up enough stem-cells from the 6 shots per day I've been giving myself. Shots aren't too bad. They got the levels up so I'm happy about that!
So today (Monday) starts harvest time. I'm back in Detroit again. I'm told it'll take about 6 hours a day. I have to lie down while they do it. I'm hooked up to a machine that takes out my blood and filters out the stem-cells and plasma and then I get the rest back. This process might take 1, 2 or 3 days. Will keep you updated. These stem-cells will be kept frozen for me until it's time to give them back to their rightful owner. :)
Michelle says I should explain what the stem-cells are. In the most basic terms: stem-cells are immature blood cells made in the bone marrow. They are pure and disease-free. So after I get hit with a HUGE dose of chemo in a couple of weeks, I'll get the stem-cells back and will be able to have disease-free, clean cells to start all over with. (stem-cells are good, not to be confused with EMBRYONIC stem-cells).
As far as other stuff, we are staying in the guest housing down here at the complex. Later when I'm actually in the hospital full-time here, Kay will stay in the guest housing. Will be back in Ludington Wednesday or Thursday. I'll still be in "isolation" as my blood levels build back up again. Can't take any chance catching a cold or flu. I'm not allowed to go to church or the stores or restaurants. If I need to go out, I wear a mask. Feel free to call or write e-mails though.
So please pray for a good harvest. It's the right time of the year for that.

Catch ya later,
John

back in town

Been down to Motown since Wednesday (4th), got back Saturday night. Had a central cetheter put in. There are 3 lines to it, so fun fun when it comes time to clean it everyother day. Started taking Neupogen to increase stem-cell growth. Will return to Detroit on Friday the 13th to check my progress in producing the stem cells. Harvest of my stem-cells is set the 16th. Will take 1-3 days to harvest.

Doing good, expect I feel like shit on a white chicken. Very tired, no energy. Gets me out of yardwork.

Also got a BIG dose of chemo while I was down there. Bigger than the doses I received here at Free Soil clinic. 8,000 units compared to 200 units. They are trying to burn me down. Whatever works. Fine with me. I suppose what hair I didn't lose will be gone now.

I am isolated. No contact with outside people or places(except immediate family). Gotta keep the germs away.

Hope y'all are doing good.
Check ya later.
John
"bald is beautiful"

hello

this is to let you all know i'm still kicking but not hard as i used to. i'm on my way to detroit to get all better, i hope. let me know what is going on in the outside world.