New details about "conditioning"

Jan & Heidi bookended by Scott and Great Scott

First of all, "conditioning" is a euphemism for poison.  It's a specific poison, or specifically, two poisons.  Treosulfan and Fludarabine to use specificity.  Oh, don't forget the Total Body Irradiation.  Heidi isn't.  They call that one TBI because they love the TLA (Three-Letter Acronyms) so much. 

All this fun for Heidi starts Saturday.  Tomorrow she gets her new Hickman port.  Dr. Petty, who is installing it, was personally trained by Dr. Hickman, of Hickman Port fame.  But we won't be calling it a Petty Port.  No, it will be forever known as the Port o' Petty.  I just made that up just now.  Heidi didn't even laugh, but I can hear you laughing.  If there was a TLA for the Port o' Petty it would be the PoP.  You're still laughing; don't deny it.

Apparently I don't get to video record the PoP installation, but I did get a video of a float plane landing.  I have a cousin from Wisconsin who many years ago was amazed to see these airplanes landing and taking off from water.  I was never sure if he was serious.  I told you I would be monitoring the seagulls and float planes—this video proves both.

Dinner at the apartment with Alex, Cody & Cale

I also don't get to video record the TBI.  But I did find out they use a linear accelerator to generate gamma rays.  The TBI is supposed to reduce the incidence of cancer recurrence.  They formerly used Cobalt 60, which has been used in food radiation.  The linear accelerator is much cooler, and easier to ship across state lines.  Heidi will be getting 200 cGy of radiation.  Back in my day when I worked around linear accelerators (well, not directly around them) we spoke of Rads.  The Gray supersedes the rad, according to the NIST (that's a four-letter acronym—look it up yourself).

Dr. Riddell had nothing but good news from all the tests.  He said the bone marrow cancer is in complete remission, the spinal tap was negative and Heidi passed all other tests.  And when I say "all other tests," I really mean all other tests.  They tested everything from bow to stern, if you know what I mean.  And I think you know what I mean.  Heidi's first question after these kinds of reports is, "does that mean we can go home now?"  Then they look with that blank they didn't teach me in medical school how to answer this one stare.  Regardless, we are all systems go to start "conditioning" Saturday.

We also found out the large volume pelvic bone donor who is kind enough to give up 900 cc of bone marrow is a 54-year old woman with O-negative blood.  Heidi is O-positive.  Blood type is very important for transfusions, but apparently completely unimportant for donating bone marrow.  Heidi will slowly transition to O-negative over the next several months.  Those of you schooled on the Rh factor will remember it was named for Rhesus monkeys, meaning Heidi will be transitioning from a positive monkey to a negative monkey.  For those of you who are taking this seriously, remember I am not a doctor, nor have I ever played one on TV.

Nobody on the medical team would confirm nor deny my assertion that the donor without access to an apharesis machine is a large-boned person from a developing country.  We might find out in a year, if she decides to divulge her identity. There is circumstantial evidence she is not from another country, in the form of no international shipping instructions.  Okay, that is kinda dispelling my third-world origin theory.  Some would go so far as to claim it is not circumstantial.

On the subject of not being a doctor, Christy, who is a floater nurse (she would neither confirm nor deny that all other nurses are sinkers) asked me after just a few minutes of conversation if I am an engineer.  Should I be insulted?  That's the second time lately that somebody just outta the blue asked me if I'm an engineer.  I should have replied that I am not a doctor but I have a Master's degree.  And I'm not a sinker engineer.

Oh, here's a video of Canada Geese and their poop.

And here's a video of running across the Fremont Bridge 

Here's one more from the South end of Lake Union.  It is sunny here sometimes.