Day 11

It's a mixed report today. Vlad's numbers are great: White cells 3.4, red 2.79, hemoglobin 8.4, platelets 25.

But he's very groggy and his oxygen levels aren't wonderful. His lungs are not perfectly clear, and we're fighting him a little to get him to do something besides sleep. Around 8:30 last night, he got oxycodone, ativan and ambien at the same time; just like the night before.* But this time during the night his oxygen levels dropped really low. And he was very out of it. He tried to speak but he couldn't form words because he was so drugged out. He's been on oxygen off and on; but he keeps taking off the mask. Now it's like he won't completely wake up. I think it'll be OK eventually, but right now, things are a little anxious. (*UPDATE: Vlad reminded me later that he had been on oxycodone all day, whereas the day earlier he had not. This may have made the difference?)

He just got a bowl of Valiya's borscht. Then he got nauseated again, not from the borscht itself, but from eating something in general. He got some more Zofran to kill the nausea. I told him I'd give him 30 minutes to let the meds take effect. Now he's back sleeping hard again. I gotta wake him up and make him walk and do breathing exercises. It's gonna get a little ugly in a few minutes.

He shouldn't require the oxycodone tonight because he doesn't need any more Neupogen, the medication that stimulates the grafting and causes the bone pain. (He doesn't need Neupogen because his numbers are so good.) So I'm hoping this groggy bear phase will be over soon.