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Re: Plumbing!

Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2021 3:51 pm
by drmoss_ca
Discharged home to stay. Just out-patient visits for now. The plumbing was yanked out—literally yanked, by a physician from Croatia, who said Slavically, "Is troublemaker. Is stuck. Will come though." And so it did, though not before he had lifted me bodily off the bed by the tube. Very nice man.

Next hurdle is when the cyclosporine is reduced in 2-3 weeks. This is an immunosuppressant that serves initially in an anti-rejection role to prevent my own marrow killing off the transplant. Since the transplant looks like it has already killed my marrow (fingers crossed!), the drug now serves to keep the transplanted marrow from attacking the rest of me, which it will see as foreign. But the cyclosporine is nasty stuff, and one can't stay on it forever, so we start to reduce it at about Day 70 and see what kind of auto-immune things happen. Acute Graft Versus Host Disease usually takes the form of rashes, severe diarrhoea, and breathing difficulties. It would be treated with steroids. The later, chronic form can occur anytime in any type of autoimmune disease.

Re: Plumbing!

Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2021 7:29 pm
by CMur12
Major stuff. Fingers crossed!

- Murray

Re: Plumbing!

Posted: Sun Apr 11, 2021 10:49 am
by drmoss_ca
Finding myself with camera and film, I thought I'd do a series of self-portraits which may be a bit too honest for comfortable viewing. It's been an intense experience, and I still don't know how it will turn out. Wears you down a bit.

Image

Image

Image

It is nice to know that I haven't forgotten how to process a film after an eleven month gap!

Re: Plumbing!

Posted: Sun Apr 11, 2021 8:26 pm
by CMur12
Chris, I'm impressed that you are back home, processing film! Thankfully, it would appear that the chemicals only burned off what was on the outside of your head.

Hang in there. We're still rooting for you!

- Murray

Re: Plumbing!

Posted: Mon Apr 12, 2021 5:53 am
by Sam
Chris Glad to know you were home. The pictures look wonderful and I’ve always thought that black and white photos convey much more emotion then color. We just hope your recovery goes very well and that you speed right along.

Re: Plumbing!

Posted: Mon Apr 12, 2021 8:02 am
by fallingwickets
last pic could be used for the poster of hitchcock's next film *the shaver* :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

keeping all crossed for a speedy recovery

clive

Re: Plumbing!

Posted: Mon Apr 12, 2021 8:53 am
by brothers
Welcome home!

Re: Plumbing!

Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2021 12:14 am
by Pauldog
In the earlier photo, you look a lot like Bill Murray.

Get better, Chris!

Re: Plumbing!

Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2021 7:42 am
by drmoss_ca
What's that up there? Hair!

Image

Re: Plumbing!

Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2021 8:57 am
by Sam
You now have more than me!

Re: Plumbing!

Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2021 2:09 pm
by CMur12
Chris, congratulations on the return of the hair. I hope it brings you added strength and energy as well.

- Murray

Re: Plumbing!

Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2021 12:48 pm
by fallingwickets
You now have more than me!
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
same

Re: Plumbing!

Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2021 8:10 pm
by John Rose
drmoss_ca wrote: Thu Apr 08, 2021 3:51 pm[snip]
The plumbing was yanked out—literally yanked, by a physician from Croatia, who said Slavically, "Is troublemaker. Is stuck. Will come though." And so it did, though not before he had lifted me bodily off the bed by the tube. Very nice man.
[snip]
:-k Didn't that leave a hole in your jugular?

Re: Plumbing!

Posted: Wed Aug 04, 2021 3:01 am
by drmoss_ca
John Rose wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 8:10 pm
drmoss_ca wrote: Thu Apr 08, 2021 3:51 pm[snip]
The plumbing was yanked out—literally yanked, by a physician from Croatia, who said Slavically, "Is troublemaker. Is stuck. Will come though." And so it did, though not before he had lifted me bodily off the bed by the tube. Very nice man.
[snip]
:-k Didn't that leave a hole in your jugular?
Everyone should have one!

"Press here. Press hard. Will stop."

"Да, drug!"

Re: Plumbing!

Posted: Wed Aug 04, 2021 11:03 am
by John Rose
drmoss_ca wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 3:01 am Everyone should have one!
"Press here. Press hard. Will stop."
"Да, drug!"
=D> "Tragedy plus time equals comedy." - Steve Allen

Re: Plumbing!

Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2021 6:22 pm
by Rufus
John Rose wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 8:10 pm
drmoss_ca wrote: Thu Apr 08, 2021 3:51 pm[snip]
The plumbing was yanked out—literally yanked, by a physician from Croatia, who said Slavically, "Is troublemaker. Is stuck. Will come though." And so it did, though not before he had lifted me bodily off the bed by the tube. Very nice man.
[snip]
:-k Didn't that leave a hole in your jugular?
I’ve had two chest tubes removed. Not a pleasant experience at all, but I must say that once they were out I felt a hell of a lot better physically.

Re: Plumbing!

Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2021 1:58 pm
by drmoss_ca
Only remaining problem is graft versus host disease of the gut. A month on a liquid diet has led to a 41lb weight loss:

Image

Re: Plumbing!

Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2021 4:33 pm
by CMur12
Thanks for the update, Chris. I've been wondering how you were doing. Though that's a very large weight loss, you don't look gaunt or unhealthy in the photo.

I've never heard of "graft versus host disease of the gut." Does it have anything to do with the change in blood type to that of the bone marrow donor or is it typical of transplants in general? (Or none of the above?)

- Murray

Re: Plumbing!

Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2021 5:05 pm
by drmoss_ca
Thee new immune system regards all the rest of me as foreign tissue as no match is perfect. Consequently one gets any kind of auto-immune (though it's not quite auto in the sense of self here) disease you can imagine. This is lumped together as graft versus host disease.

Re: Plumbing!

Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2021 4:30 am
by Rufus
I must say that you look very good after shedding the 41 lbs. =D>