Aug.4,2008 back to hospital for test

Russ was releasted from the hospital Aug 1 we found a great motel to rent and are doing good. Had to be back to hospital Aug. 2 for blood test and all was well. (we don't have internet at the hotel) His blood tests came back good. Today we came b ack to have blood checked again Russ said he feels tired today so something must be down will see soon.He is still having a hard time sleeping but has had energy and eats everything in sight. Hair is still coming out, and skin is peeling off he is real glad to be out of the hospital and eating real food again. You all take care and we will see you soon back in the valley. Thanks for all your prayers, blogs and calls
Russ and Carol

FINALLY!!!! Moving is tomorrow . The heart doctor finally came by about 5 pm and released me.

Knowing how fast the doctor move it will be noon before we hit the door. We will staying at the Chase Suite on 4th south and 7th east. I think that is accross the steet from the Chuck O Rama.

I should be back home in about 2 weeks if I don't catch some bug.

My amune system is like a baby's. I will have to have my childhood shots in about 6 month. I have a shorter list of food that have to be prepared by Carol to stay away from Mic-organisms which take away most thing grown in dirt that do not have a thick skin.

Well it will all be worth it if we can get 5 year out of the transplant.

Thanks for your prayer and hope we can keep the blog going from the motel .

Wednesday, day15 or so.

Soory about the blog being down. The blog was not down but the blog works wwent brain dead.

Great news the bone marrow doctor are ready to release me to out patient care. We now need the Cardiolgy to release me. Have I told you about lack of commication better the too?

Hope they come in today but is 4 pm.

Probably will need tomorrow to get every body on board with medication and things.

We may have internet access so we will just to wait and see.


Russ

July 26, 2008

Today is day +12, Russ is still not feeling well very weak, his temp. is still high, and went up again this afternoon so more test were taken to make sure he doesn't have an infection, so far he hasn't. So we are hopeful it is his body starting to produce white blood cells and everything else he needs to get better and come home. He was ready to come home a week ago. Not a lot to report good news is his heart is doing good and not giving him any trouble today, the Dr. are feeling good about his progress so far he keeps telling everyone to speed up the clock. Time does go real slow up here in this little room. There is a branch here for the patients and staff to go to church and they come to visit durning the week, there real kind people and so willing to help and so glad to see you at church every Sunday.They come to your room if you can't come to them.
Thanks for all your blogs they sure help to brighten our day.
Love Russ and Carol

july 25,2008

Today is + 11, Our morning started at 2 a.m. Russ couldn't sleep he couldn't have food or water incase they were doing his cardovert in the morning, so no breakfast and no word from the heart Dr. then at 11a.m. word came that his heart was back in rythum and that was good news. He needed more plasma cell today and his temp. started to go up around 1p.m. as of now it's abour 101, so more blood is taken for lab work is make sure it's not an infection. HE hasn't felt very good all day,and has slept most of the afternoon. Please send prayers our way, thanks for all your blogs. Love Carol and Russ

July 24, 2008

Well today is day + 10 Today started out great the Dr. told us that Russ was starting to build white blood cells he is to 200 so we were excited, and then the nurse said she was told his heaart had gone back into it's normal rythmn, but then she said she didn't think so and the heart Dr, never came today so we are still hoping for the best tomorrow. Later in the day Russ felt real warm to me and when the cna took his temp it was 99 then ahour later it was 100, the nurse took blood to have it tested for infection. She told us it could be because his white blood cells are starting to come back or that he has a infection so we have to wait, but they started him on meds. just in case. It's so good to hear from all of you thanks for all you do,your prayers and putting Russ's name in the temple I know thats why things are going so well up here. Love Russ and Carol

July 23, 2008

Today is day +9 we are coming along everything with the bone marrow is going great, the Dr. are very pleased. But the heart is giving us problems,yesterday we had to cardovirt to get it back into rythem, and then this morning it went out again. The heart Dr. feel that with everything thats going on we may have this problem, so they started Russ on IV heart med to help and if this doesn't help we will do another cardovirt Friday. Well othern than that he is doing OK. We are waiting for the PT to come and show him same exercises he can do while he is in bed since he can't get out of bed for a while,he pluged into a machine. Well herehshe is so I'll sign off for now Thanks for everything. Love Russ and Caeol

Tuesday, day (8). It was a hard day. Started with very low blood pressure reading during the the 5 am reading. I was fasting for the heart procedure so I could not eat or drink so the IVed some liquid. Did help a lot.

They took me in at 9am for the heart procedure. Carol said they had to shock me twice before I become rythic again. I think that helped me feel a little better.

Plasma count was down so I had a transfusion about 11am. For some reason the transfusion did not help so I am getting another transfusion as we speak. Hope this one will help the numbers.

Blood pressure has come back up.

Tyson, Val and Kelsie came up about noon. Good to visit with them. They took Carol and went touring. The have tickets to the rodeo so the came and took Carol to the Yeh!

Dr. like to blood numbers and pleased with the progress. I hope tomorrow will less eventful.

Monday day (7). Sleep better on the rock hard hospital pillow last night and was a 3/4 of 10 on my strength and how I feel scale.

Maybe I felt to good because 10 am my heart when out of rythmn. This happened during the stem cell recovery too. I had to have a procedure to shock it back into rythmn and they plan to repeat the procedure tomorrow.

Holding my own on the eating and nausha issues. I thought that might be getting better but the Dr. said not to count on that.

No infections or mouth sores, still have not lost my hair. Dr said don't plan on keeping the hair it will go.

Thanks for your prayers and we will just keep plugging along. All of you get out and run to the west at the same time so the earth will spin faster?

Sunday July 20, 2008

Today is +6 Russ fills a little weaker than yesterday the Dr. told us that his whie cell count was down to zero and as long as he doesn't get any infections from here on out he will be OK. He is still fighting to keep all his food down and doing good , that will be another factor in his going home sooner is if he can eat food and keep it down. It helps keep his spirits up reading the blog, thankyou all so much for writing to us, we are so blessed to have such good friends and family.We sure have some great nurses,and cna's this helps the days go by faster. Will you all take care, and thanks so much for all you do for us. Love Russ and Carol

Saterday July 19, 2008

Today has been a good day Russ is progressing well, maybe a little weaker than yesterday,but doing good. Still fighting potasium and now sodium, so the Dr. are working on meds. to help this problem. He still has to watch his water intake but can and have all the icecream, milkshakes, puddings and gatorade he can eat. He eats real slow and this way he seems to be able to keep things down. On a strength scale he saids he is at a 3, he can get up ande take care of his needs and go for shorts walks, and he is not in any pain. So far so good. Thanks again for all your notes and prayers we know prayers are answered because of how things are going up here. Thanks again for all your support Love Russ and Carol

Friday day (4) of 14 if anyone but me is counting. Again, nock on wood, thing are going as well as can be expected. Little weaker today as cell continue to die off but not bad side effects.

They gave me a blood transfustion today. Though was they wanted to keep my blood volume up to take presure off my heart. Transfustion have their own resk but I guess you put your trust in the Doctors and move on.

Again we have a lot of time to thing about you and hope thing are going well for you until we can get back home.

Thursday afternoon finds me as well as I can possible be. The doctors are very happy that I am not yet seeing major side effects. They all cousion that they will come but the longer I can go and eat the hope is the the bad days will be fewer.

The heart is doing well. Water levels are staying in place so we hope that will b0d will.

Just neeed some one to wind the clock up. This country boy can only take some much AC hospital before the seams may start to fray.

The count days start from when I got the last Stem Cells so today is day (3) even thought we have been a week. Not that anyone is counting?

We miss all of you and fell you hope and prayers. Thanks Russ & Carol

for kelcie, ellie and cole

hi kids loved hearing from you, Kelcie I don't mind the hospital except it's really cold. When I get to cold I go run the stairs ,grandpa and I are on the 8th floor so I run down to the main floor and try to get back up, so far I have only been able to get to the 6th floor and then I ride thr elavator to the 8th floor. Ellie grandpa is doing very good so far,they really try to make him feel good every day, and he is doing grate today, he goes for a walk two times a day and sometimes three. He has to wear a mask over his mouth and nose and glover on his hands so he won't get any germs,grandpa's room has a special filter to take out all the bad germs too.The Doctors are really pleased with his progress so far. Cole thank you for taking care of grandpa's dog give her a hug for grandpa . Cole grandpa said to tell you Polly likes to play in the water and chase the hose, have your Dad show you how to play with her. Morgan and Alec it was great to hear about your bike ride and the snake I'm glad it was dead. Thanks to every one we really love hearing from you and the things that are going on at home, and in the valley. You all take care and thanks for all your prayers for us. Love Carol and Russ AKA Grandma and Grandpa

Wednesday wake up felling well. My strenghth seems to be good but during the day seemed to wavier. Nausiana will be the =big problem is sounds like. I had a little trouble with breakfast egg but regrouped. Thing cold are the thing that helps.

I have not gotten any mounth sores so they are incouaged by that but understand that we are any two days down the two week trail. No infections any major issues so that good.

Carol and I enjoy every word form you and look forward to hering form you.

Good Luck and be safe until we see you again,

Russ and Carol

second day of strm cells

Had a long night, Russ's blood presure droped real low, so no one got any sleep except Russ. He sleep all night.This morning we went for a walk and Russ did his breathing exercises,had breakfast. All the Dr. come to see him ,then lunch and stem cells at 3:00. All went well and after it was over he said he felt really good.They have some real funkie food but if he doesn't keep eating they will have to put in a feeding tube. So far the only thing he has trouble with is bing sick to his stomack.Today he has keep everything down so far. He get the hickups Dr. said that happens alot with chemo patients. I don't get alot of sleep up here it's to noisy,doors slaming,buzzers going off, nurses coming in at all hours of the night I don't know how any one can get any sleep it's crazy.But they are taking great care of Russ and they are very good ant what they do I thankful for that. I'am also thankful for all of you and your comments and prayers, we are truley blessed with such good friends and family. Keep the comments coming we really enjoy hearing from you. Love Carol

first stem cells

Had a great breakfast all his favorite things, then they gave him more pills and one got stuck and that did it, he lost his food. His tummy is more upset every day but they have good medicine for that problem.
At 1:00 they started his first stem cells and all went well. With every bag and there were 8 today they take his blood pressure, tempture, and heart rate,to make sure nothing has changed.
We were told it takes 2 weeks for the stem cells to start working and that these cells are like homing pidgons they know right where to go. So he did well and his weight only went up 2 pounds , he felt real weak for a couple of hours after but is up eating now.We are at day +1, and 8 more bags tomorrow and then we start to get better.Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers, we really enjoy hearing from all of you on the blog. love Carol

Sunday was the day between the cheom and the Stem -Cel Monday. We have are fighting the water on the heart and uper body. I have gained 10 lb of water which will not be useful when adding the stem cell as that will add flows as will.

Nuasha has started set in. Food is hard to look at and I am started to weak.

No mouth sores and working hard to stop them if possible.

So this evening plan is stay close to the toliet and hope we can balance a little better.

Carol is holding up will and is a big help as I am telered to the medicane post.

saturday well today is day -2, russ is on his last chemo. We had a crazy night every time he would fall asleep he would have electric shock go through his arms,or legs or back, he wasn't sure what was going on ,eather did anyone else. The Dr. were puzzled this morning nothing like that has happened before but everything is ok so forward and onward. Russ also recieved his first blood transfusion today. Dr. don't want his red blood cells to get to low since they are the ones that carry the oxygen to the body. Russ's heart Dr. from Richfield came to see him yesterday, he is giong to stay on as his heart Dr. up here so we won't have to see so many Dr. as we did last week, this is good. Well chemo is almost done and so far no side effects yet,only problem is the water, his weight is up so they plan on working on this problem later on this afternoon. Well thanks for all your thoughts and prayers, we are so greatful for all of you. Please keep us in your prayers. love ya all Carol

Friday morning the testing all came back a go for chemo. After a night of thought and prayer Carol and I felt good about proceding with the Transplant.

We took the first treatment of chemo at 2:00 pm today and very uneventful. Which is the norm, the side effect to be discused in upcoming Blog. lThree hours in I have not felt any ill effects?

The plan is chemo again Saturday and that will be the end of the chemo. Sunday is a rest day. Monday the Sterm cells will be re-introduced back into me. This will take two day as well.

Thanks for your thoughts on my behave.

Wednesday started by swallowing a camra with a wire on it so the could take better pictures of my heart. They did not find any blood clots so the Dr. put me out and shocked my heart back into rythmn.

We checked out of the IHC in Midvale and headed to LDS hospital and check into the bone marrow center. More blood work ups today and frank talk about the transplant not be a cure but a 2 - 5 relief the the protien problem that is causing the heart problems??? My condition Some thought and praying about proceding.

A Blog For Family and Friends

This blog is for family and friends to check on Russ Peterson's progress with the bone marrow transplant. Carol will try to update the blog daily so they can cut down on all the cell phone calls.