Cycle 3 Day 8

Cycle 3 Day 6

The Stem Cells

This is from the last of the stem cells - the last of the stem cells, the injection, the lemons - before, during and after.

The syringe is how the stem cells are reintroduced into Allen's body... it takes about 3 mins, and a lemon and a 1/2. Allen sucks on the lemons to diffuse the smell (in his case taste) of the preservative that is in the stem cells which I call tomato soup/paste.

A photo Intermission

Since we are having some trouble with uploading the videos, right now, here are a couple posts of stills:

The reality straight ahead was kind of a difficult picture to take. It was REAL and had a lot of meaning rather than the seemingly funny Quip here. (Allen started round 2 - 2 days after the show)

Now after round 2, we had visitors - my sister Becky at the top of the Empire State Building, the view and also Allen - who even walked the last 6 floors to the top. (He is still making cancer look easy!)

Cycle 3, Day 5

Day 4 was a day of rest - and Allen did - lots of sleep :)

Day 5 Allen got his stem cells - this is before the stem cells.

Cycle 3 Cycle 3 - the last of the chemo

The last of the chemo drips in... next up. RECOVERY!

Cycle 3 Day 2

(Russ was cut off, but you can sbee him directly through you ube (Link to same video above) - the camera cuts his face off - and since he is now sharing a room, there are lots of different sounde - sorry!)

A little fun hanging in the room... for the magnet boards on the walls, there are some pretty strong magnets that provide some entertainment.

Cycle 3 Day 1 - the final cycle

It was a very busy off-cycle. I had Drs Appts every day and several visitors. It kept me very busy and very active throughout the week out of the hospital. I ate at some very yummy places and Katie would say that I made up for not eating the previous 2 weeks. It was determined on Thursday that I WOULD be proceeding with the 3rd cycle because the CT scan showed the tumors shrinking even though the AFP levels didn't really indicate that. The theory is that the tumors are teratoma and may need to be removed surgically we will have to wait through the last cycle and probably a few additional weeks.

Cycle 2 Day 15 Update 2

Cycle 2 Day 15

Cycle 2 Day13

Cycle 2 Lost count on the days - nope - Day 12

Cycle 2 Day 11

Cycle 2 Day 10

Cycle 2 Day 9

Cycle 2 Day 7

Cycle 2 Day 6

Cycle 2 Day 5

Not long after the stem cells get put back into me, I still smell like tomato paste


*Katie explains the tomato paste comment - the preservative used for the freezing of the stem cells gives off a tomato paste/soup smell. Allen sucks on lemon while they are injecting the stem cells into him to distract from the smell. He can taste and smell it while they inject it. I can smell it for about 12 hours after.

the "day of rest"Cycle 2 ( Day 4 )

(Katie writing) I caught Allen in a relatively awake and lucid state when we took the video today. He is pretty miserable today and sleeping most of it away, which I guess means he is feeling less miserable while unconscious. The doctors call this day the day of rest... and he is doing just that.