Day 4. Nifty Neupogen
We went to the hospital today for the first of ten days of Neupogen shots. Neupogen is Amgen's registered name for filgrastim, or a type of G-CSF (or Colony Stimulating Factor). I believe these colonies are not populated with real people...
Neupogen increases stem cell production. We hope to harvest a lot of stem cells at the end of the month--enough for two transplants (one now and possibly one down the road). This stem cell acceleration is a little like the Forest Service planting fish in lakes for tourist fishing. In this case, we would be hoping to catch 10 million trout.
They administered 2 ml of neupogen (that's a double dosage) in shot form in the back of the arm, subcutaneously (a fancy word for just under the skin...not in the muscle or anything). Well, Richard has very little subcutaneous fat, so they took a hunk of flesh and pinched it while slowly administering the stuff. The nurse said that if you apply pain somewhere else on your body, it lessens IV or shot pain. I guess your brain can't really deal efficiently with more than one pain site. She said she pinches her leg when having blood drawn. That's our Tip For The Day!
Richard felt pretty good today. He had no fever, but felt a little fluish--a general tiredness and malaise. His blood pressure is still low (99/67). Lots of calls from friends and family made the day go by fast for him.
More things highly underrated: Television. To a sick person, TV provides distraction and healing laughter. God bless Seinfeld and the many cable sports channels.
posted by Richard and Robin @ 11:55 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Go Uncle Richard, go. This is crazy stuff, but so glad you seem to be doing so well. Thank you for the website--it's nice not to get the third-time-removed version full of drama and inaccuracy... :)
Richard,
I had neuprogen 23 days straight during my tandem auto pscts in 2003. The nurse suggested injecting in the skin at my abdomen where there is less nerves and more area to select. Almost painless and breezed through them.
Eric Vogt
Palm Desert, CA
Still in CR and taking 50 mg 5 times a week for maintenance therapy.
Richard,
I had neuprogen 23 days straight during my tandem auto pscts in 2003. The onc. nurse suggested injecting in my abdomen, which I found to be much easier and almost no pain during and after the shots. I took them laying down relaxed. The injections were 1200mg each, about 3 times the normal injection.
Something to consider. Another thing, when the PA pulls out the catheter, it hurts. For me, rather badly. The plug seems to knit with the skin and the area surrounding the catheter shrinks.
On the second psct, I put EMLA (lidocaine/prylocaine) ointment on the area to deaden the area and didn't feel a thing. I had been using EMLA for several years for port deadening, but think of putting it on the catheter until the second psct.
Hope this helps you.
Take care. Your transplant will be over soon.
Eric Vogt
Palm Desert, CA
Glad to hear that you are feeling better:)
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