Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Mick McKellar Update -- Day +373


This has to be short because it is getting late and today has been a long and winding road for the intrepid trekker.

Yeah, we got there...

Marian and I left for Rochester yesterday morning, just after the snowplow opened our road...about 9:00 AM. The first hundred and twenty miles were pretty much what we expected on M-26, US 45, M-28, and US 2 through Ironwood -- snow-covered and icy, snow-covered and slushy, or just snow-covered road with a bit of blowing and drifting going on. A brief attempt at some lake-effect snow appeared on the far side of Mass City, but it did not last long. Once past Ironwood, and as we reached Ashland and turned on US 63 South, the roads were only wet and soon were dry. We even had some sun to light our way and arrived in Rochester after 6:00 PM.

Internet Silence

So, why no report? We are at the Founder's House, part of the Gift of Life Transplant House campus -- the original and first space used for GoL. Although wireless networking is available onsite and a password was provided, no instructions were in our handbook regarding configuration for authentication. This means the password was refused and we had no Internet access until late this afternoon, when the IT guy gave me the proper settings. This evening's access was intermittent...probably due to the storm dumping freezing rain on everything down here tonight. Yuck.

Such a day...

My busy day included a bone marrow biopsy, bone mineral density test, blood tests (can they really take that much blood?), and a pulmonary function study (again...). My innoculations were scheduled to begin on this visit -- kind of like graduation day in my eyes -- but they have been postponed because of my lousy sinus infection and low-grade fevers.

My rash continues to make me look worse. It now surrounds my eyes (eye lids and all), covers parts of my mouth (and lips), has reached inside my ears, and is crawling across my scalp. When I woke this morning, my eyelids were cemented shut and had to be gently freed with a damp tissue -- oh, joy.

I've been wondering if some snake DNA was mixed into the stem cells from my brother, and if I am now shedding my skin for the first time. Remember Pigpen from the Peanuts comic strip? Everytime he moved a cloud of dust would rise about him -- imagine that was skin flakes and you get the picture -- gross...

We have a meeting with a transplant coordinator tomorrow and my doctor on Thursday. I guess it takes time for some of these test results to come back and be analyzed. If all goes well, we should head for home on Friday.

Well, my fingers are starting to crack again from being used and I need to get my beauty sleep, so I will call it a night.

Your prayers give us hope. Your good thoughts give us a great sense of support. Thank you, so much!

God bless and good night,

Mick

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