Update: Day 4 of Chemo!

Today is day 4 of Jared’s conditioning chemotherapy. He has successfully completed the first of his three-drug chemo plan. At 2 am this morning Jared took his last does of his at-home Busulfan, He was able to handle this drug very well. The worst symptom that Jared has experienced this far is fatigue and nausea but he never threw up!!!! As the days go on every day Jared gets more and more tired as the drugs just keep adding on top of each other. 

                                                               Jared getting his blood draw today. 
As I type Jared and I are at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance on the infusion floor. Jared has successfully gotten his first does of Melphalan, it only took about an hour for the actual chemo, but then he has four hours of hydration. This regiment of chemo that Jared is receiving is known for making people get something called mucositis, these are very bad soars that develop in your mouth, throat, and digestive tract from the chemo drugs and are very painful and make it difficult to swallow. Jared does not yet have this, but it is very likely that he will develop it in the next several days. A study that the hospital has conducted has shown that while a patient has is being infused with Melphalan, if they chew on ice cubes it can help reduce the blood flow to the mouth and slow and even stop the development of mucositis in the mouth or at least improve it the otherwise untreated condition. Jared has eaten so far 3 cups of ice, he is not very happy about it but it has got to be way better then soars all over your mouth :( 

                                                                        Jared and his ice.....

Jared is doing very well so far, resting lots!! Tomorrow we do the same exact thing, he will have melphalan and hydration and eat ice chips like there is no tomorrow!! Saturday he starts the last chemo drug and then Tuesday is Transplant day!! I can tell that Jared is getting a little more nervous as we start each step, because we never know how he will react to the next drug and how he will feel. He has a very positive outlook still and is just excited for it all to be over! I asked Jared what I should say you all could pray for specifically and he respond....

"Pray that I can have more rest and that I can sleep well at night and that throughout the rest of this process I don’t get sick and for Stephanie because I imagine it would be quite the challenge to be my caregiver " 

 Jared is still so sweet even though he feels icky! Thank you for your prayers! We are doing good and ready to tackle everything!! 














Jared and I ready for his Melphalan to start!