The Harvest

Wednesday morning, I reported to outpatient radiology around 7:00, where I hurried up and waited to have the central line inserted. I was finally ushered into a room that resembled an operating room, but I think it was designed to do things like they were doing to me. It was equipped with a large ultra-sound machine that could also be used as an x-ray machine. The machine allowed the doctor to place things inside of people without bumping around too much.

I put on a gown and laid on a table that had no room for my arms. The nurse (male) attached some arm things, and all was well for lying down. The nurse then put a frame over my head, then I was draped. My head was in a tunnel-like space, and the nurse lifted part of the drape so I could see out of the side opposite from where the doctor (female) was working. I didn't feel quite so confined. The doctor administered a local anesthetic, which hurt, but the right side of my neck was soon numb. After the anesthetic took effect (within seconds), I felt some poking and probing, and at one point, I thought I saw a shadow through the drape of the doctor pushing something into my neck. In a few minutes, maybe 20, my neck had three tubes hanging out, attached to one tube in the superior vena cava.

I then proceeded to the 8th floor, where I received two more nupogen injections, then I went to the aphoresis room. I was hooked up to the aphoresis machine, and we were on our way. Absent the central line insertion, I went through the same procedure Thursday. Wednesday, I was on the machine for about four hours, and Thursday I was on the machine for about three and a half hours.

On Wednesday and Thursday, they collected a total of 4.44 million stem cells; they were shooting for between 5 and 10 million, so the doctor decided more harvesting was necessary. Today, I went through the harvest procedure again for about 4 1/2 hours.

After the procedure today, a nurse (Sharon) took out the central line. Taking out the line was a simple process. She clipped the sutures and pulled out the tube. The exciting part was, she had to push on my neck for about 10 minutes so I wouldn't bleed. My neck was tender, and I felt like the nurse was pushing against a bad bruise. Within a few minutes, however, it was all over, and I am now wearing a bandage with a sticker on it that says I am not to remove the bandage for 24 hours. I also cannot get it wet, which means no shower today. I have not showered for three days. :(