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Total US troop deaths in Iraq to date (09/01/07) since 03/20/03: 3739

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(Sources: US Dept. of Defense, Iraq Coalition Casualty Count)

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APHERESIS ME TO PIECES: Seeing as how I have now begun my long-term stay within the U of Penna Health System (and likely risking a lawsuit by posting about it), I feel I should add a few more words about my condition. The nurse just gave me some dexamethasone so that should keep me going for at least a good 30 minutes.

Because I agreed to participate in a clinical drug study, I was allowed to stay in a free hotel room virtually on the hospital premises. That was some relief, as having to haul my ass back home every day after they were done harvesting my stem cells would have been just too much trouble. And the neupogen kills your appetite and otherwise depletes your energy and will to travel.

So, Monday morning the 12th, I got a double-headed catheter implanted in my chest, in order to facilitate the harvesting. Take that, pierced children of the 21st century! I will post a picture when able:


I flatter myself that I now resemble a distant cousin of the Predator. Later that night, I got my first shot of the clinical study drug, apparently of the same family as neupogen, and also apparently just as good as queasing up my stomach.

That caused some problems with the next morning, as I couldn't eat breakfast, and I learned the rough way that the apheresis process does not mesh well with an empty belly. After an hour of being hooked up to the machine, my head felt like a party balloon with little bits of sand being blown around inside of it. Why I didn't heave, I'll never understand. This first day's process took three hours, by the end of which my folks had shown up, and gently led be back to my hotel room. They also very kindly left me some take out which I couldn't possibly eat.

Ah, but there was good news after all. Much later I picked up a phone message from one of the nurses handling my case, informing me that my first day's harvesting was a tremendous success: 5.4 million stem cells collected, out of a hoped-for total of six million. Looks like the neupogen and study drug were doing their jobs, and I'd have only one more day of harvesting. I celebrated by fainting.
posted by Red at 4:56 PM