Day + 7

Yesterday was  shot, blood draw, hematologist consult day. My white cell count continues to go down. Wednesday, it was 1300. Friday, it was 1100. Yesterday, it was 500. The doc says it should start rising by the next blood draw tomorrow. All in our group are feeling tired and weaker. We should bounce back after our counts rise. Once the count gets to a certain level, Filgrastim  shots will end and the rituximaub infusion can be scheduled. That could be as soon as Wednesday. That will be the final medical step in this HSCT journey. Then we will all be released to fly home on Saturday! 

I have been lightly shedding my hair for several days. This morning, I found quite a bit of hair on my pillow. Then after breakfast, a lot fell out when I tugged at it. Dave and I decided it was time for the clippers. He buzzed me with the number 1 guard. I was the last of Group 3 to lose my hair. We all match now. 

Every morning, a man in a pickup truck stops in front of the little gated housing complex across the street. He blows a high pitched horn to signal his arrival. He is delivering fresh milk in metal milk cans! The women come out of the houses to meet him at the truck, and the milkman ladles the milk into their pitchers or buckets. We look forward to watching this scene from our little balcony each day. 

We are planning to meet our group for a visit this afternoon in the apartment courtyard. We are allowed 20 minutes daily in open air, in the shade, wearing our masks. Kind of sounds like prison, huh? Lots of restrictions about food, contact with others, cleanliness... all for the purpose of keeping us safe while we grow our baby immune systems. 

The milkman is here!

This afternoon, we willgo down to the