The Weekend of the 19th

A little late, sorry.

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Last week, I went in for a few pints of blood and platelets to help counter the effects of chemo. It was an early Saturday morning appointment, 7:00 a.m., and Maria drove me to the hospital. I was able to walk in on my own, guided by her steady presence, and found a wheelchair near the entrance.

I sat for a moment while Maria parked the car. As we made our way to the elevator, a sudden chill swept over me, the kind that sinks deep into your bones and doesn’t let go. It felt like an Ice Walker had brushed past me. Maria noticed right away and gently placed her small windbreaker over my shoulders.

We checked in, but I couldn’t shake the cold. Then I noticed my left arm had started to swell. It didn’t hurt, but it looked off, strange, bloated, and wrong.

At the infusion center, the nurses brought me blankets to fight the chill while we went through the check-in process. That’s when they took my temperature, 101+ degrees. No transfusion today. Instead, I needed to get to the hospital immediately.

Because I’m immunocompromised, I couldn’t wait in the ER lobby. I needed a direct admit to avoid unnecessary exposure. The nursing team understood this, but a physician assistant kept insisting I should go through the ER, despite the risk. Thankfully, the team pushed back and secured a direct admission.

I spent about eight hours in the ER before a bed opened up on the floor.

Once admitted to the floor, things moved quickly. Blood was drawn, lots of it, and some given back to me, thanks to the generosity of donors. Then my fever spiked again.

By Sunday afternoon, they had cultured my blood and found the source of the infection. They jumped into action, and by Monday I was already feeling better. Fast response, right medicine, steady care.

As for my arm, the swelling had everyone concerned. The surgical team believed there might be something serious going on, possibly requiring an operation. I went through a CT scan, an ultrasound, and even an MRI. Nothing turned up. The swelling has gone down now. It’s healing. Still a little sore, but normal-sized again.

The weekend of the 19th left its mark. I made it to my PET scan on Tuesday in preparation for transplant. More on that soon.