Day -7: Through the gates of hell

I have a second birthday! Well, at least the day of life saving stem cell tranplantation is commonly  called like that. So start thinking about birthday presents cause in one week is B-day! Just a card is also sufficient. ;) Address: Anja Meininger, Room 4, Nazi station, 666 Hell, Germany. Got it?

Just a few suggestions what a "Happy second Birthday" card could look like. ;)

But seriously, the day of stem cell transplantation is called "Day Zero", and the days before this date are counted backwards- that´s why today we´re at Day minus 7. So today I have passed the gates to isolation station and made myself comfy in my new home for the next coming weeks.

I specifically asekd for a room with ocean view! Aw man, service isn´t what it used to be!

Usual bureaucracy stuff (yeeahh, all of it) and disinfectant shower before I could use my bed. A not very hearty reunion with my Pürierte Holländer (OMG, four weeks of that stuff????) and suddenly I already had a needle in my port and some sodium chloride solution hanging. Yep, they really like their bewässern here. Also got my first chemo med today (BCNU or Carmustin) and the side effects have been...interesting. At first I just looked like the Red Hulk cause my face turned very red and I had the feeling somone was trying to push my brain out through my eyes.

Nope, brain doesn´t fit through eyes. But yowza, that hurts!

This feeling passed within one or two hours and the rest of the evening´s been quiet. Until now. Parts of my skin are tearing and I´m bleeding and it really hurts. And the ointment I got here in hospital now is burning like hell even though it should help ease the pain and the itching. But somehow that´s good, cause I wouldn´t trust a cytostatic med that didn´t leave me behind feeling like shit. ;) And until now I really felt too good here!

So that was Day One of BEAM in isolation and Day -7 of ASCT (autologous stem cell transplantation). Will keep you posted the next days, somehow I have the feeling I´m back to long, sleepless nights. :)

P.S.: Did I mention my neighbor from DHAP left me a nice farewell gift? Oh ja, that resistant germ. Thanks, but you really shouldn't have! No, I mean it, you REALLY shouldn't have. -.-