Transplant Day 0

DAY O MONDAY 4/14/08

Well, it is done. Pretty simple really. They froze the stem cells after they collected them and today they just thawed the bags out in warm water, put them in 7 different syringes and slowly put them back.

No real problems with side effects, but I was told that in about a week to 10 days the intense chemo will really start kicking my butt. Megan was here with me and 2 nurses. All the nurses and doctors have been very nice and I give them thanks. Also, most importantly, thanks be to God and His Glorious Son for helping my family through this phase of treatment without any major side effects. Last night they gave me some steroids which kept me up until about 5:30am, my mind was racing and I think I got maybe 3-4 hours of sleep.

I am hoping to start composing some music about my entire cancer experience, starting with Diagnosis and ending with Cure, with everything else in between. As my mind was racing last night, the song Hey There Delilah came to mind so I rewrote the lyrics. Maybe I’ll add some punch to it with some electric guitar, bass and drums when I am feeling up to it.

Here it is:

HEY THERE LYMPHOMA

Music by The Plain White Tees
Lyrics by Captain Chemo

Hey there Lymphoma

What's it like inside my body?

Hope you know that you are leaving soon

And I’m not very sorry

Yes it’s true

My light shines bright it out shines you

You know it's true

Hey there Lymphoma

Don't be messing with my family

They’re all standing here beside me

Megan, Jacob, Josh and Abby

Close their eyes

They pray at night for your demise

And so do I

Oh you know I do hate thee

Oh for what you’ve done to me

Oh you know I do hate thee

Because you’ve hurt my family

Hurt my family

Hey there Lymphoma I know times are getting hard

Just be thankful that you’re not a man

You’d be bloodied, bruised and scarred

And most of all I’d laugh my ass off as you fall

Then watch you crawl

Hey there Lymphoma

There’s not so much left to say

If every person that has crossed your path

Could beat you in this way

I'd help them all

Even more the harder you would fall

We'd have a ball

Oh you know I do hate thee

Oh for what you’ve done to me

Oh you know I do hate thee

Because you’ve hurt my family

15 tumors seems like a lot

But they've got pills and drugs and doc’s

I'd cut you out if I had no other way

Some people they might laugh at me

And I'll just laugh along you see

I hope that none of them will feel your pain

Lymphoma I can promise you

That by the time I’m through with you

My world will never ever be the same

And you're to blame

Hey there Lymphoma

I’m not sorry and I won’t miss you

Every time I take them to the park

I’ll need a box of tissues for my eyes

I can’t believe you made me cry

But I’m not sad to say goodbye

Hey there Lymphoma take a ride

Cause I’m alive

Oh you know I do hate thee

Oh for what you’ve done to me

Oh you know I do hate thee

Because you’ve hurt my family

Hurt my family

Hemoglobin 10.3

WBC 5.4

Platelets 118