07:00: Up and shower.

08:10: Out the room.

08:15: Checked out of the hotel.

08:20: I check in at the diagnostic center on the second floor of the main building.

08:30: I am called to the back. Stacie has fun searching for an access point especially after all my blue stick points from yesterday’s if sticks. She finally feels for it around and IV attempt spot from yesterday and feels something. She then takes some time moving the needle around to stick the vein. She takes the 4 tubes of blood and sends me on my way, of course not before talking about interest in New Orleans and food and questions about Bourbon Street.

08:45: All done giving blood. On my way to get my port accessed on the eighth floor.

08:48: I check in at the clinic to get my port accessed.

08:51: I get called to the back.

09:00: All accessed.

09:15: Heading downstairs to the sixth floor to the lymphoma clinic.

09:20: Checked in on the iPad.

09:26: I get a text to go to the front desk to get my new armband.

09:27: I get a text saying go to the lavender hallway to get my vitals taken. The wall is not painted lavender, just a small lavender sign. So a lavender flower, not color. All hallways are named after flowers. Who came up with that idea, it should be colors painted around a door or something that can be distinguished from a distance, small pictures of flowers by doors. Confused me. The lettered hallways were better than flower hallways, at least you could see the letter from across the room, rather than trying to make out a flower, at first I thought it was a color. Bad idea. Who came up with that idea? I hope not some high paid consultant. Rant over.

09:35: Done with vitals.

09:50: I am called to the back. Room 31. Michael goes over the normal intake questions.

10:00: A PA comes in and checks on me. She goes over everything, all labs are good and a clean pet scan. She finishes up and Emily comes in who is extremely happy with the results of the scan. Then Dr. Rodriguez comes in and sees me and she is happy with all the results as well. She is not as concerned with my cough as Emily was because I was sick 2 weeks and that is clearing up and also some allergies with me coughing. So no need for a pulmonary function test.  So far so good.  I am on treatment 19, which is 7 of 24 after complete remission.  So still moving forward with that.  Dr. Rodriguez is all done seeing me, I get a copy of my PET scan and is sent on my way to get my infusion.

10:50: I on my way to the second floor to check in at the CRTC center.

10:55:  I check in at the CTRC for my drug infusion.

11:17:  I am called to the back and my vitals are taken.  I am assigned room 8.

11:25: I am in my room.  I turn on the movie The Intern and check a few things while sitting here.

12:10: My drug is just being mixed.

13:38:  They hang my medicine.

14:38: All done my medicine. Flushing begins.

14:45: All done being flushed.

14:48: Deaccessed.

14:54: Out the room, bathroom break.

14:57: All done, hitting the skyway to walk back to the light rail.

15:06: At the Duncan building elevators.

15:10: At the corner and a train is there, but can’t get on because we need to wait for the cross walk signal to cross.

15:15: On the next light rail heading north to downtown.

15:42: Off the light rail.

15:45: Standing at the bus stop. The text alert says it will be here at 15:53. They are running every 15 minutes.

15:55: On the 102 express bus heading to the airport via the I-45 HOV lane.

16:52: At the airport.

16:55: In the TSA Security line.

17:05: Through security.

17:10: On the skyway.

17:14: Off the skyway.

17:17: At the gate. They are loading Zone 1.

17:20: On the jetway.

17:23: In the plane.

17:24: In our seats.

17:45: Door closed.

17:49: Pushing back. See you in New Orleans.

18:18: Take Off.

19:00: Touchdown, back in New Orleans.

07:45:  Up and shower.

08:35:  Uncle Victor picks us up and brings us to the airport.  My mom and dad and I.  My wife is staying home because she has classes.  So she will hold down the fort.

08:50: At the airport.

08:52: Past the checkpoint.

09:10: Through security.

09:11: At the gate.

09:15: Boarding starts.

09:20: We board.

09:25: Sitting in the plane.

09:38: Door closed. About to push back. See you in Houston.

09:40: Push back.

09:51: On the runway.

09:53: Takeoff.

10:45: Touchdown.

10:51: At the gate.

10:54: Off the plane. Walking to the skyway.

11:00: On the skyway.

11:04: Off the skyway.

11:11: On the bus.

12:03: Off the bus.

12:11: On the light rail.

12:33: Off the light rail at the TMC Transit Center.

12:37 In the Duncan Building.

12:45: I check in at PET.

14:00: I am called to the back. They sit me in room 7. The new system has them ask me a number of questions rather than filling out a paper questioner. They put my answers directly into the system. It takes them three tries to get the iv started and when they finally do it is in a sensitive area in my lower arm. It took two nurses to start the IV as well. They also give me a contrast to drink. The nurse returns with my radioactive glucose to inject into me and injects it. The IV is really sensitive. They leave me to drink my drink and rest while the glucose does it’s job which is about an hour.

They come and get me and bring me to the restroom and then bring me to the back.

I get scanned, CT scan first with the iodine injection which then turns into the PET scan.

16:20: All done with the scan.

16:40: We head back down Elevator T in the Mays Clinic, heading back to the Rotary House.

16:45: We hit the skyway.

16:50: Off the skyway in the Pickens Tower.

17:00:  In the Hotel Lobby.  No cancellations yet.

17:30:  We check with the receptionist again and there is a cancellation.  We take the room, checkin, and head upstairs.

17:40:  In the room. I cancel my other Hotel Reservation on my phone app at the Crowne Plaza which has a no penalty cancellation time of 6:00 PM.

18:00: We head down to get something to eat.  I like the dinner buffet, but tradition has it that I get a steak after every PET scan.  My parents take the dinner buffet as usual and I go upstairs to the Lounge where I can get my steak.

18:15:  I order my steak to go.

18:30: I get my steak and bring it downstairs to eat with my parents.

19:30: All done with dinner.

19:45: I use the business center and print up the plane tickets for tomorrow’s flight home.

20:15: Back in the hotel room.  I take a nap.

22:00:  I wake up.  Time to go get my usual small Pizza from The Park which is about a half a mile walk through the maze of hospital hallways.

23:30:  Back in the hotel room.  I take my pills, and catchup the blog.

23:59: Done catching up the blog… Goodnight…

Need I Say More?

My Dad is doing the Crescent City Classic again this year.

I just had a treatment yesterday and will not have the energy to do the full race at a full pace in 2 days, there is always next year…

https://twitter.com/bcbsla

03:30: Up.

03:50: Out the house.  My dad driving my wife and I.

04:07: At the airport, my wife and i jump out.

04:11:  In the TSA line.

04:34: Through security.

04:40: Boarding begins.

04:46: Seated on the plane.

05:12: Pushing back. See you in Houston.

05:20: Taxing to the north end of the North/South runway.

05:22: Takeoff.

06:14: Touchdown. Taxing to gate C40.

06:28: Off the plane.

06:32: At the first floor bathroom. I put on my numbing cream.

06:38: All done, heading out to the bus stop.

06:50: The bus pulls up. Not a city bus but their nicer charter type busses. We jump on, scan our day passes for the metro.

08:02: Off the bus. Plenty of traffic on the way in, the hov lane was even slow.

08:07: At the light rail station, scan our metro day passes and wait for the light rail.

08:09: The light rail arrives and we jump on.

08:31: Off the light rail.

08:37: In the Duncan building.

08:39: I fill out my sign in sheet for bloodwork.

08:43: Sitting down waiting.

08:55: I am called to the back. The new system is not scanning my armband, and takes about 10 extra minutes than usual just to print the test labels for the tubes.

09:10: All done with bloodwork.

09:15: Walking across the skyway from the may’s clinic to the main building.

09:22: In the main building, second floor, heading up to the eighth floor to get my port accessed.

09:24: Check in to get my port accessed.

09:40: I am called to the back.

09:57: All done. Chatted with the nurse about traveling and prices.

09:59: On the elevator to the 6th floor to the Lymphoma/Myeloma Cancer Center for my appointment with Dr. Rodriguez.

10:01: I check in on the iPad.

10:07: I get a text to go to the frontdesk for them to go over my arm band and anything else.

10:12: I am called to the back for vitals and then put in room 15 for fast track.

10:15: The PA goes over my labs with me. My liver enzymes are getting better results. Just coughing and blowing my nose still.

10:23: All done with the PA.

10:24: Emily arrives. I give her the paperwork which we quickly review. I go over the Cipro I am taking for the cough.

10:30: All done with Emily.

10:32: I am heading down to the second floor to the clinical translational research center.

10:40: I check in at the front desk.

11:20: I am called to the back. Vitals taken. I am assigned room 9.

11:35: Ken is taking care of me. Just waiting for my medicine to arrive.

11:40: I turn on mission impossible.

12:30: My drug arrives.

12:40: Ken hangs my drug.

13:40: Drug is done. Flushing.

13:45: Flushing done.

13:50: Deaccessed and done with Ken for today.

14:09: All packed up.

14:15: Going to grab some yogurt/ice cream.

14:48: All done with my pound of yogurt.

14:51: Through pickens tower to the sky bridge to the may’s clinic and Duncan building.

15:04: Done skyway, down to first floor and now walking to the light rail station.

15:07: At the light rail station.

15:12: We jump on the light rail heading north to downtown.

15:37: Off the light rail a stop too soon.

15:42: Walking up Travis I see the 102 stopped at a red light. I point to the driver and he opens the door saying I made it just in time. We jump on.

16:37: At the airport.

16:54: Through security.

16:57: On the skyway.

17:02: At concourse A.

17:08: At gate A17

17:13: Preboarding begins.

17:17: Zone 3 boarding.

17:22: Sitting in my seat on the plane.

17:48: Boarding complete.

17:52: Pushing back. See you in New Orleans.

18:51: Touchdown.

03:30:  Up.

04:00:  Out the house.

04:10:  My wife and mom drop off my dad and I at the airport.

04:20:  Through airport security.

04:30:  Sitting at the gate.

04:52: Boarding begins.

04:57: On the plane.

05:12: Airplane door closed, airplane mode, see you in Houston.

05:15: Pushback.

05:25: Turning onto runway.

05:26: Takeoff.

06:20: Touchdown.

06:25: Off the plane. Terminal C.

06:30: into the restroom.

06:36: Bathroom break done, numbing cream on.

06:39: Waiting for the express 102 bus to downtown.

06:57: On the express 102 to downtown.

07:48: Off the bus. Walking to the light rail.

07:55: At the light rail station. Card tapped and waiting for the light rail.

07:57: Light rail arrives, we get on board and on our way.

08:20: Off the light rail.

08:21: Metro Police check our fare card with their scanner to make sure we scanned our card before we boarded the rail.

08:25: In the Duncan building.

08:29: Filling out the bookstore paper to check in.

08:31: Sitting in the waiting to be called back.

08:50: I am called to the back. The nurse sticks me twice and can’t get anything, so she has another nurse stick me who gets it on the first stick.

09:00: Heading over to the main building via the skyway to get my port accessed.

09:10: On the eighth floor. I check in at the infusion therapy clinic and sit and wait.

09:25: I am called to the back.

09:40: All done and accessed. Heading to the sixth floor to the lymphoma clinic.

09:41: I check in on the iPad…

09:43: I go called to the frontdesk. They tell me I have a copay of $50. I ask them if I am being seen as in network now because MD Anderson has been messing me up on the billing. She says she will check and then she says she cannot confirm if it is in network or out of network. I tell her I will not pay the copay then. I have billing issues with MD Anderson and I am not paying anything until everything is cleared up as far as billing and being in network or out of network because since I have started here in July, I have been treated both ways as in network and out of network and billed both ways and have paid out of network fees and then found out it was in network and had to request a refund for what I had paid. I have only paid once and was refunded. Since then I have not paid anything because of MD Anderson blaming Blue Cross and Blue Cross blaming MD Anderson and some out of network charges being reversed to in network after initial complaints, and then watching various charges for both in and out of network at random for services. We shall see what happens there. I told the nurse just bill me. I have to work out what is going on with MD Anderson financially.

09:47: I am called into the back for vitals.

09:52: The nurse leads us through the waiting room to my patient room. I pick up my bag and my dad follows us to the patient room.

09:55: Sitting in the patient room waiting.

10:05: Emily and Abby pop their head in and quickly check up on me. I give Emily my two week paperwork and my post every 4 treatment overview and she gives me my paperwork for two more weeks. Abby listens to my breathing and feels me for lumps. They are done and both leave and tell me Dr. Rodriguez will be in shortly.

10:15: Dr. Rodriguez comes in and sees me. The liver is still the same. Everything else is pretty good. She says that my orders have been put into the system and Emily helped her put them in. I am all done with here and we start heading out. Michael grabs me and we go back into the room. He needs to make sure that I am right in the new system and goes over his part of entering in my data of if any pain, medication changes, etc.

10:30: I am done at the lymphoma clinic. We head down the elevator to the second floor and check in at the clinical and traditional research center. I am given my pager and sit in the waiting room till it goes off.

10:40: The nurse calls my name, and we head to the back. I get my vitals taken and then to the back to bed 17.

10:55: Just waiting for my drug.

12:25: My drug arrives. I am hooked up and pumping begins.

13:45: Infusion complete. Deaccessed.

13:55: Bathroom break.

14:05: Walking the skywalk to the Duncan building.

14:15: Out of the Duncan building.

14:18: At the light rail station, day pass cards scanned.

14:22: The northbound light rail arrives. We jump on.

14:23: Heading downtown to our Central Station Main stop.

14:48: Off the light rail at the Preston station because the doors didn’t open up at central station main. We walk two blocks back and over a block, just one block more than needed, no big deal.

14:53: Sitting at the bus station waiting.

15:18: The bus pulls up and on I jump. Pay my fare by tapping the back of my backpack to the card reader and move on back. The bus is packed so my Dad and I are across the isle from one another. Just a city bus, not a travel bus this time.

16:00: At the airport.

16:05: At security.

16:33: Through security.

16:37: At the skyway.

16:38: On skyway heading to A.

16:42: At A, walking to the gate.

16:50: At the terminal, sitting around waiting.

17:27: Boarding begins.

17:40: Sitting in my seat on the plane.

17:50: Pushing back from the gate. See you in New Orleans. We stop pushing back, bad lightning probably the reason why. Crew and lightning don’t mix.

18:14: We start rolling out to the runaway.

19:34: Touchdown. We had to detour due to bad weather and flew way kit of our way to fly around the weather.

19:44: Off the plane.

07:00: I am up.  I go downstairs and eat the complimentary breakfast.  Some grilled potatoes and cereal and apple juice.

07:45: Back in my room.  On the computer, following up with some work.

08:15: Shower time.

08:35: Out the shower. Answer some emails.

09:20: Out of the room I go and check out. Waiting for my taxi.

09:43: In my taxi.

09:54: At the airport.

10:00: In the security line.

10:10: Through security I am. Making my way to terminal E.

10:25: At my gate. Gate E16.

11:00: I grab a Stromboli.

12:00: I remote into a server from my phone and do a quick reboot for a client.

12:30: Sitting at my gate watching crews load and unload luggage and planes land and take off.

15:15: Boarding behind. Full flight.

15:30: in my seat on the plane.

15:45: Door closed. See you in New Orleans.

16:05: Take off

16:52: Touchdown

03:30: I wake up.  I get dressed and all the other wonderful lovely stuff in the morning.

03:45:  My wife and my dad bring me to the airport.

04:00:  At the airport at concourse D waiting to go through security.

04:15:  I get to the front of security.

04:20:  I am through security.

04:23:  I am sitting in the boarding area at gate D11.

04:42:  Boarding begins.

04:49: On the plane and in my seat.

05:01: Pilot says to go into airplane mode. Going to be a bumpy ride even though we will be flying low at 22,000 feet. See you in Houston. We will arrive at C35.

05:03: We begin pushing back.

05:10: Waiting to get on the runway.

05:14: On the runway taking off to the west.

05:15: Take off.

05:49: We begin our decent.

06:23: Touch down.

06:28: At the gate.

06:35: The pilot announces the jetway roll up is stuck and someone on the way to fix it.

06:36: Door fixed, passengers begin unloading.

06:40: To the bathroom.

06:45: Numbing cream on.

06:49: Waiting outside for the bus.

06:51: The bus pulls up.

06:52: On the exprees bus on the way to the city.

07:56: Off the bus. Walk 2 blocks.

08:00: At the light rail. I tap my metro card and wait for the rail.

08:02: The light rail arrives and I am on my way.

08:25: Off the light rail and walking to the may’s clinic.

08:32: I check in at the May’s Clinic for my bloodwork.

08:55: Called to the back for my bloodwork.

09:04: All done my bloodwork.

09:07: Walking the skyway to the main building.

09:15: I check in at the infusion therapy clinic to get my port accessed.

09:30: I am called to the back.

09:36: All done being accessed. I head down to the sixth floor for my doctor appointment.

09:39: I check in on the iPad.

09:41: I am texted to do to the front desk to get my paperwork to fill out.

09:45: I get texted to go to door D but then called to door C for vitals.

09:50: Vitals all done. Back to the waiting area.

09:54: I get texted to go to door E. Michael meets me and takes me back. We go over all info.

09:58: Waiting on the doctor.

10:10: Dr. Rodriguez shows up. My numbers are much better this week. She is happy with the progress so far and no side effects I have.

10:23: Dr. Rodriguez is done with her examination. Just waiting on Emily.

10:30: Emily takes my last report and gives me my new report to fill out for the next two weeks.

10:33: All done with Emily. Quickly update the blog.

10:38: On the elevator heeding to the second floor.

10:40: I check into the Clinical and Transnational Research Center. They give me my pager.

11:10: I am called to the back.

11:20: I am in my room, Room 9.

11:35: The nurse comes and tells me hello. He tells me my drug is being prepared.

12:10: He comes back and hangs my drug.

12:30: Food Service. I border my usual a turkey sandwich and a bowl of soup along with some baked chips and 2 cookies a tea and diet Dr Pepper.

13:15: All done with my drug. Deaccessed. I didn’t get to eat my sandwich because I got busy working on things for clients. So I take it with me. I head to the third floor area near the gazebo and eat my meal, get on the computer, purchase my dads united ticket for the flight here in 2 weeks. Help out a client remotely and do a few more things.

15:00: I pack up, catch up my blog, and now going towards the light rail towhead back to the airport.

15:05: On my way to the skyway.

15:15: Off the skyway. Bathroom break.

15:19: Outside walking to the light rail station.

15:22: I see the light rail coming so go across the crosswalk with the orange guy displayed and tap the back of my backpack to the card reader and jump on the rail as it pulls up.

15:46: Off the light rail. Walk the 2 blocks to the bus stop.

15:49: At the bus stop.

15:52: On the Express 102 Bus to the airport.

16:49: At the airport.

17:00: Through security.

17:03: On the skyway.

17:08: Off the skyway at terminal A. Walking to my gate.

17:15: At my gate however my flight is delayed by at least 3 hours now. Possibly find something to eat here.

17:40: I find out my flight is cancelled. Time to see how to get back home.

17:50: in line at Spirit ticket counter.

19:30:  Everything figured out.  I got a flight out tomorrow on United at 3:49.  I have a hotel voucher, two meal vouchers, and two taxi voucher’s one to the hotel and one back to the airport.

20:15:  I catch a taxi to the hotel.

20:45:  At the hotel.

21:30:  I grab some food and drink from their freezers/fridge using my food vouchers.

23:00: In bed.

23:30: ZzZzZzZzZ

02/10/2016:

00:00:  On the Megabus heading to Houston.

02:00: I start feeling those dozen castle burgers that I ate. Not a good feeling on a bus.

06:06: We arrive at the Megan’s stop. We walk to the light rail system and use our new Metro Day Pass cards with no major issues.

06:38: We are in the may’s clinic.

06:50: I check in at the diagnostic center for my blood work.

07:15: All done with bloowork.

07:30: I got my numbing cream on. Stomach still bothering me. I head across the sky bridge. I head up to the eighth floor to get my port accessed.

08:15: I check in. To get my port accessed.

08:35: I am called to the back and get my port accessed.

08:47: All done getting accessed. Down to the sixth floor I head to meet with Dr. Rodriguez.

08:57: I check in on the iPad and the Lymphoma and Melanoma Center and have a seat. Stomach still bothering me.

08:58: I am texted: “Please come to the front desk so we can check your armband and go over any paperwork.”  I go check in and get my paperwork and fill that out.

09:13: I am texted: “Please go to the door marked with a C. Your clinical team will meet you there to take you to the exam room.”  It is really for vitals.  I get my vitals taken and then back to the waiting area.

09:47: I am texted: “Please go to the door marked with an E. Your clinical team will meet you there to take you to the exam room.”  Michael greets me and we head to the back.

10:00: Dr. Rodriguez shows up.  She is not happy with my numbers.  My liver enzymes are up and my sugar is over 200.  I tell her that yesterday was Mardi Gras.  I knew my numbers were going to be the day after Mardi Gras.  She said she sees a slow upward trend.  I tell her I’ll watch what I eat, but I know Mardi Gras’s numbers were going to be a killer 2 months ago.

10:20: Emily shows up and reveals the same thing, however she did remember me saying that today’s numbers were going to be off the chart.  She said that I was not in the worst shape, some patients that she had come in today already were still hung over or drunk from the previous day, so considering all that, I am decent for today, lol.

10:30: All done at the doctors office, down to the 2nd floor for my treatment.

10:40: I check in at the research center, they give me my pager and I sit down.

11:00: My pager goes off.  I go to the back and get my vitals taken.  Then to room 10 I go.

11:30: My drugs are ready and I am hooked up.

12:30: My infusion is done.

12:45: Out of the research center.  My stomach is still bothering me, mainly gas.  Probably from those kastle burgers yesterday.  We head over to the Fro Yo because I have been telling my wife about it, but every trip that she has come on so far, we were running behind and she has not been able to get some, so this time she will get her yogurt.

13:10: She gets her Fro Yo.

13:30: We start our walk back to the light rail station.

13:40:  One last bathroom break in the mays clinic of MD Anderson before heading to the light rail to make our way back to the airport.

14:10: We are at the light rail station.  We use our Day Passes and jump on the light rail because it was just pulling up as we got to the station.

14:33: We are at Main Central Station where we get off the light rail and walk the two blocks to the bus stop.

14:36: At the bus stop, waiting for the 102 Express Bus to the Airport.

14:47: The bus picks us up a the stop.  On our way to the airport.

15:32: The bus arrives at Terminal C at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

15:33 We go through security.

15:38: All done with security, no lines are nice.

15:45: On the skyway.

15:50: At terminal A.  We walk from the skyway to the gate area.

15:56: At the gate area, just watching planes come and go while we wait for our flight.

17:40: Boarding begins.

17:55: Boarding done.

18:00 We push back.

18:05: Take Off

18:56: Touch Down.

19:10:  I purchase my tickets for my next return flight home in two weeks.

19:30: Uncle Vic picks us up at the airport.

19:50: Home we are.  I am feeling better and most of the gas is gone, no more stomach pains.  I have not eaten all day as a result though!

20:30:  We head out to Don’s Seafood.  I get a dozen of their char grilled oysters, a Seafood Salad along with a cup of gumbo.  Great supper.

10:10:  All done.  We head back home.

10:30: ZzZzZzZzZz, I am out, another long day.

02/09/16: Happy Mardi Gras 2016

06:20:  I am up.

07:30:  On the way out to the parade route.

07:50: Parked.

08:00: Walking to where Uncle Frank said they would be.  They said they wouldn’t be leaving their house until 8:30.  It’s my wife and my dad.  We setup a chair for my wife in the area we will be catching Rex and let my wife sit since she doesn’t want to walk to see Zulu and we walk the 3/4 miles down to Jackson Age from Toledando.

08:30:  We make it to Jackson.  The parade still isn’t here yet.

09:00:  The parade gets to Jackson and Baronne St.

09:35:  My dad sees a coworker in Zulu and gets a coconut from him.

11:00:  We abandon Zulu at Rex is making it to out spot 3/4 miles up the parade route, so we walk and make our way back, catching three floats before getting back to our spot where my wife is already in full action taking pictures of floats and catching beads with the rest of the family and friends.  We stay out on the route and catch Rex and the two truck parades.

16:11:  The parades are all finished where we are catching them.  Time to head home.

16:30:  We get home.  Unpack the car.  My dad takes a nap while my wife and I eat some castle burgers from Tastee Donuts that my mom picked up while we were out on the route.

17:15:  My wife and I head over to my office to scan my receipts from all of my past trips.  That way I have a copy of all my receipts after I give Emily my original receipts to get reimbursed by the study for all of my expenses of travelling and hotel stays and meals during the study.

19:45:  We are back home after scanning all the receipts.

20:00:  I go on the Metro website to load up our Metro Day Passes so that we pay no more than $3 a day for the bus and light rail in Houston.  Regular $1.25 per trip, the day pass is $1.25 for rides one and two for that day $0.50 for ride three and all rides after that are free, so that is the best route for traveling on the metro in Houston.

20:45:  I pack my laptop, tickets and everything else into my travel bag.

21:00:  I go lay down in my room and take a nap.

22:20:  My dad wakes me up as Uncle Victor is on the way over to pick us up since all of us are going this trip and drop us off at the airport.  He will take care of the dogs as they hold down the fort while we are gone.

22:50:  We leave the house.

23:05:  We arrive at the train/bus station.

23:25:  We begin boarding the bus.

23:40:  We are backing away from the bus station.

23:45:  We are on the interstate.

23:59:  Traveling…

01/27/2016:

03:00:  I am up.  Wanted to sleep to 3:30, but once your up your up.

03:30:  My wife and dad drive me to the airport and drop me off.  I am going to see how taking the first flight out of MSY (New Orleans) Airport works for my Houston schedule and MD Anderson.  I arrive at the airport at 03:45.  My flight is for 05:15.  I find out TSA doesn’t start processing passengers until 04:00, so I stand in line for 15 minutes.

04:07:  I check-in with my ID and phone boarding pass.

04:15:  I am through security.  My gate is all the way at the end of the concourse.  Concourse D is really nice with a horse shoe configuration with 9 gates at the end.  I take a seat at my gate and begin catching up on my blog. Since the server was down 2 weeks ago on my last visit I did email drafts to keep my blog up to date and just need to copy and paste to fill in which I will do on this trip.

04:35: Just sitting at the gate.  Fuel man just finished fueling the plane.

04:47: Call to start boarding plane and line up in lines.

04:55: On the plane in my seat.

05:10: We push back.

05:17: Take-off.

06:17: Touch-down.

06:20: Off the plane.

06:30: On the skyway.

06:33: Off the skyway.

06:35: Bathroom break.

06:40: Bathroom break done and numbing cream on. Waiting on the bus.

06:45: 102 Bus arrives.

06:50: 102 Bus departs for downtown.

07:45: Off the bus at milam and Texas at. Walking to light rail station.

07:49: At light rail station.

07:50: On light rail.

08:15: Off the light rail.

08:18: In the Duncan building.

08:20: I check in at the Diagnostic Center for blood work in the may’s clinic.

08:30: I am told that I need to go to floor 6 the lymphoma center to get my blood work because I am scheduled there. So I head over the skywalk to the main building floor 6.

08:45: I check in on the iPad for fast access for lab work. I have a seat.

08:47: I am called up for my wristband and normal follow up paperwork for me to fill out.

08:54: I get a text to go to door D for my vitals. They are taken, and then back to the waiting area for blood work.

09:00: I am called into the back for blood work.

09:09: My phone is ringing and it is the MD Anderson number so I answer. It is Michael asking if I am in the lobby or where I am at. I tell him I am in the lab getting my blood work done. He tells me he will come meet me.

09:15: Michael goes over all of the preliminary questions on the follow up sheet I have while waiting for the blood work to be drawn.

09:20: Blood work is done. Michael and I walk over to the patient room.

09:25: They, the PA comes and sees me. He checks me out. Everything looks good and sounds good. I ask Abey if I should follow up with any more antibiotics. He says no. I tell him I am still coughing, but it is a dry cough. He said that could last a little bit up to possibly a month. He says he can order more cough syrup for me. I tell him I have some. He tells me to email him if I need a script and gives me his card with his email.

09:42: The research nurse covering for Emily comes and visits me. No problem with her drug or anything so it’s a quick visit and she gives me my paperwork to fill out for her symptoms from the drug for the next two weeks.

09:47: Dr. Rodriguez comes in. She ask me how I was doing and if any problems with the last treatment. I told her all went well. She asks me if I saw my Tulane doctor yet. I told her I have appointment next Thursday with her. We got into talking about the route to take to and from the airport as the metro is a lot cheaper than taxis and other methods of transportation. She said she would have to look that up more. She said that my orders were ready to sign. She just had to wait on my blood work before signing the orders. I told her that was fine. I was going to go get my port accessed and then go check in at the research center for my infusion.

10:05: I check in on the 8th floor at Wound Care etc to get my port accessed.

10:25: Just sitting in the waiting room catching up the blog for today.

10:33: I am called to the back and my port is accessed.

10:40: All accessed. Off to the transactional research center for my infusion.

10:45: I check in.

11:00: I am taken into the back.  Vitals, etc.  I get room 8.

11:40:  My nurse comes in and checks on me, see if I a accessed.  She is just waiting on the drug.

12:00:  My nurse returns with my drug, but the machine won’t work.  She tries changing out the side pump, and that doesn’t work, so she goes and grabs a new machine.   Meanwhile room service comes around and I order my lunch.  Soup, Turkey Sandwich, Baked Lays Chips, Cookies, a Diet Dr. Pepper, and an iced tea.

12:08: My medicine is pumping.  1 Hour of pumping to go.

13:10:  All done pumping.

13:15: All done flushing.

13:20:  I am deaccessed and ready to go.  Shutting down my laptop and packing up.

13:30: I take a detour by Rotary House and stop for a bathroom break.

13:45: I stop by the yogurt fusion and think about getting one, but opt out because I just ate lunch and not feeling it. I take a relaxed scrolling through the pickens building to the skywalk, then through the may’s clinic and Duncan building heading back to the light rail to get back to the airport at a relaxed pace this time.

14:01: Out of the Duncan building. Walking to the light rail.

14:06: I purchase my light rail ticket. The next rail arrives as I finish and I jump on.

14:32: Off the light rail.

14:36: At the bus stop.

14:48: On the 102 express bus to the airport.

14:51: On the I-45 HOV lane.

15:30: At the airport.

15:40: Through security.

15:45: On the skyway.

15:50: Off the skyway.

15:55: At the gate.

17:30: Sitting in my seat in the front row next to the window.

17:45: Closing the door and about to push back. See you in NOLA.

17:49: Pushing back from the gate.

17:55: In line to take off.

17:59: We are #4 for departure.

18:04: On the runway.

18:05: Take-off.

18:50: Touchdown.

18:55: Off the plane.

19:00: Waiting outside the airport for my ride.

01/13/2016:

06:30: I am up, shower, and get ready to head out for my day around MD Anderson.

07:30: My numbing cream is on, and we head out the hotel room.

07:45: I check in for my bloodwork in the main building at the Diagnostic Center.

08:25: I am called to the back.  I get my normal bloodwork done, then they also do a matching bloodwork for a donor search for the stem cell transplant.  The first donor match is done by the same nurse drawing my labs, then I am moved to a second nurse for a second stick for a “verification draw” for the bloodwork to search for a donor.

09:00: I get to the 8th floor check in on the 8th floor at Wound Care etc to get my port accessed.

09:25: I get called to the back, get accessed and ready to go.

09:40: I head downstairs to the 6th floor and check in on the iPad for Dr. Rodriguez’s appointment.

09:43: I get texted to go to the front desk to get my paperwork I need to fill out.

09:50: I get texted to go to door C for vitals.

09:55: As I am coming out of Vitals, Michael sees me and calls me to the back.

10:15:  I see Dr. Rodriguez.  She has good news, another clean scan.  My numbers were a little high, but I explained to her after not eating for over 24 hours I had to eat.  It was also my birthday the day before so I splurged on some extra sweets and such, so be it that my numbers were high today.  LOL She is pleased with the results though and ready to go forward with another treatment.

10:30: Emily walks in and gives me my research documents that I need to fill out over the next two weeks and collects the previous documents that I have filled out and my document that I fill out with every scan for a more general overview.

10:45: All done with the doctor side of things, time to head down to the 2nd floor to the research center to get my infusion.

11:00: I check in with front desk and they give me my pager.

11:20: My pager goes off and we go to the back.  I get my vitals taken.  I am assigned to room 11.

12:30: My drugs are ready, but I need to wait for research to draw my blood.

13:30: I am still waiting for my blood to be drawn because the nurse was on lunch or something.  I tell them that I need to get out of there for 3:00 to get back to the airport to catch my flight.  Does that help things, not really, they say I will make it.

14:15:  I get my bloodwork done.

14:20: Finally my infusion starts.

15:10: I tell my wife and my parents to start heading to the light rail station.  I will catch up.

15:23: I am finally done with my infusion.  I start the 10 minute walk to the light rail station.

15:33: At the light rail station.  My wife has already bought my ticket, and as soon as we get to the light rail the light rail pulls up and we jump on.

15:57: We are at our light rail stop.  We jump off and walk the two blocks to the bus stop.

16:08: The bus pulls up and away we are on our final leg to the airport.

17:00: The bus pulls up at the airport at Terminal C.  Up the escalators.

17:02: At security.

17:10: Through security.

17:12: On the skyway to Terminal A.

17:15: At terminal A.

17:20: At the gate.

17:40: Boarding begins.

17:45: We are on the plane.

17:57: We push back.

18:00: In line to take off.

18:15: Take Off

19:07: Touch down.

19:15: I purchase a ticket for my next return flight via Spirit from the airport $16.11.

19:30:  Uncle Victor picks us up.

19:50: We arrive home.

20:15: My wife and I head over to Buffalo Wild Wings for Supper.

21:30: Another quick meal, over to my office to check on a server issue.

22:35: All done at the office, server issue resolved.

22:42: Back at home.  To bed I go.

22:59: ZzZzZzZzZ.  Always so easy to fall asleep following a trip to MD Anderson.

1/12/2016:

7:00:  Up we are.

8:00:  Uncle Victor picks us up and we head to the airport.

8:30: At the airport.

8:45:  Through security.  Takes longer to go through security with king cakes and warmer clothes for colder weather.

8:50:  Sitting at gate C6.

9:25:  Boarding begins.

9:40:  Push back from the gate.

9:47:  We are taxing to the runway.

9:50:  Take Off

10:50: Landed

10:55: Off the plane.

10:58: On the skyway.

11:00: Off the skyway.

11:05: Jumping on the bus.  Express 102 to downtown.

12:10:  Off of the express 102 bus.  We walk the two blocks to main street and then over a block.  The light rail is there, but we have to buy our single ride tickets.  We buy them and wait for the next train.

12:15:  We are on the next train.

12:40:  We are off the light rail train and walking to MD Anderson.

12:43:  Inside the Duncan Building.

12:45:  Hitting fee sky bridge over to the Main building.

12:55:  Through for sky bridge.  To elevator B to the eighth floor.

13:00:  I check in at the Stem Cell Transplant Center.  However there is a hold on my account and I will need to go down to the 6th floor and talk to the lymphoma center who needed to call the business center so that someone from the business center could talk to me before I can head back to the Stem Cell Transplant Center.

13:05:  I check in at the Lymphoma Center and they call the business center and ask me to have a seat.

13:10:  I check a voicemail I missed and it the financial pending department telling me that I am not cleared for my PET Scan because they are still waiting for insurance to approve it and for Dr. Rodriguez to call them back.

13:11:  I make a call to Emily and leave a voicemail asking her to follow up on all this as I am just relaying the info in the voicemail to her.

13:15:  Emily calls me back and tells me everything is fine, that I am part of a research study, and the study will be paying for the PET scan.  To just let them know that if they ask that I am cleared financially to do the scan because the study is coveting the scan.

13:20:  I get a phone call from Dr. Briton’s office asking me if I am keeping my appointment because they were waiting on me.  I tell the nurse that I already checked in, but because of a hold on my account, the Stem Cell Transplant Center sent me down to the Lymphoma Center to clear up a hold on my account, and then I will be heading back.

13:28:  The receptionist at the Lymphoma Center comes and tells me that she is waiting on the Business Center to get back to her.  The original person that she contacted stepped out to lunch, so I am waiting for someone else to follow up on my request.

13:55:  I get called by a Business Center person.  The hold on the account is for the Insurance Company not approving the PET scan.  I told the lady that I talked to my research nurse and that the research was going to pay for it.  She asked me my research nurse’s name and said she would email her and that the Business Center person j was wasted for wouldn’t be getting off of lunch to 14:03.  She tells me to go back to Stem Cell Transplant and explain it to them and the hold should be off sooner or later.

14:00:  I check back in with the stem cell transplant center.  She says she still can’t check me in because there is a hold on my account.  I go through the whole thing again and she gives me the paperwork to fill out and gives me my armband but still can’t check me in.

14:03:  I start filling out my paperwork.

14:15:  I get my vitals taken.

14:20:  Sitting back in the lobby.

14:50: Called to the back.  We first meet with the nurse who goes over all the basics.  Then I meet with the PA who covers the whole process of transplant.  Any transplant at MD Anderson requires a 3 – 4 month relocation to Houston.  She gives us an overview then we wait for the doctor.  Dr. Neito has three options.  A autologus stem cell transplant, a haplo transplant using my sister, or a trial transplant that MD Anderson is developing that they have done 35 transplants with so far.  The last is very promising and the results are very well especially for patients like me who are in complete remission.  The last option just might be the best for me.  The doctor is very thorough in explaining everything.  Next we meet the quardinator.  She gives me a book for things to go over also a business card plastic sheet with inserts of everyone I will be dealing with throughout the process.  Insurance companies do not allow two transplant doctors/hospitals so I need to find out where Tulane left off and coordinate the two with whomever I choose go do the transplant and move forward accordingly. I am running behind schedule because of the hold on my account.  I tell the coordinator I will review everything, find out where I left off with Tulane and make a decision on what I will do next.  I need to get to my PET scan as it was scheduled for me to check in at 15:30 and it is now 16:45.  The coordinator is fine with me getting everything straight and finding out where I left off with Tulane, make my decision and if MD Anderson is my choice then get everything from Tulane with where I left off.

14:50:  We head out of the office and head over to the hotel to check in.

14:55:  Checked in, drop everything in the room and head to the skywalk back to the May’s Clinic to elevator T.  I head up to the 6th floor to the Nuclear Medicine.

17:05:  I check in.  They ask me if I am add on or what, as they don’t see me.  I explain to them that insurance wasn’t paying for it. I had a hold but the research was paying for the scan.  They found my paperwork and processed me that way.  They gave me the paperwork to fill out.

17:10:  I am taken to the back.  Blood sugar taken, 131 it is.Injected with the radioactive sugar and left for about an hour.  I take a nap.

18:05:  I am taken from the little waiting area, bathroom break and then put into the PET scan machine.  New machine, new room, this machine takes you in slowly the whole time, it doesn’t scan in sections like the other machine does which jerks the patient for every section of scanning as needed.  You lay on a moveable table that moves you though the machine and this one just moves you slowly non stopped all the way through compared to the other which stops and jerks you for each section of the scan.

18:45:  All done with the scan.  I meet my dad in the waiting area, then down Elevator T to the 2nd floor to the skywalk to the Rotary House.  My wife is wondering the the Hospital, so I set out to help her find her way back while my mom and dad head to the restaurant.  I wonder through locked doors that need key card access.  Someone helped her through to where I started, but I couldn’t get back the short way and had to make my way through that skywalk to the main building to the skywalk to the rotary house.  We then meet my parents, but with the new construction and temporary relocation of the restaurant, they are only doing a buffet where they are eating.  I want my steak that I get after each scan.  So we go upstairs to another makeshift lounge during the construction which is normally a conference room.

20:45: All done with supper, going to head over to get some yogurt from the Fro Yo yogurt stand that closes at 21:00.  However they closed it early tonight, so no Fro Yo.  We had back to the hotel room briefly and discuss our next set of plans for the evening.  Good time for a bathroom break as well.

22:30:  My wife and I head over to the park.  At night they have different items on the menu, such as personal pizza’s and other cooked dishes for the overnight workers lunches (midnight meal).  My wife and I share a pizza or two and some tasty deserts that they have.

23:45: We walk back through the maze of hallways and skyways to our hotel room and turn in for the night.

23:59: ZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZz

0:00: Just hitting the spillway on I-10.

0:10: Finally got my laptop situated and online with the slow Megabus Interent.  Remoting into my home computer to do some work for the night.  On our way to Baton Rouge, just getting off of the spillway.

0:59: Pulling off the Interstate in Baton Rouge.

1:05: At the Megabus Stop, AKA, the CATS Terminal in Baton Rouge.

1:20:  Pulling out of the Megabus Baton Rouge bus stop.

1:25: Back on the Interstate…

2:35: Off the Interstate in Egan, LA.

2:39: At the Petro Gas Station.

3:02  Pull out of the Gas Station.

3:05: Back on the Interstate, next stop, Houston.

3:43: We take the I-210 Bypass around Lake Charles  A first for me.  I-10 is closed at I-210 so we are pushed onto I-210.  Two barricades and two state troopers, probably construction.

4:19: Louisiana/Texas Border…  In Texas…

6:08: At the bus stop in Houston.

6:16: Unloading the bus begins.

6:21: Off the bus. Walking to the light rail station.

6:24: At the light rail station.

6:25: Purchase my ticket from the ticket machine.

6:27: The light rail arrives. I jump on.

6:45: At the TMC Transit Center Station. Walking to the Duncan building.

6:49: I enter the Duncan building. Up the elevator, across the sky bridge.

6:51: In the Mays Clinic building.

6:52: I sign into the Diagnostic Center in the Mays Clinic.

6:58: My name is called and I get my armband. I am taken the back and 3 tubes of blood are taken.

7:04: All done with blood, time to put on the numbing cream.

7:10: Numbing cream on.

7:14: Done at the Mays Clinic, time to head to the Main Building and the Park Cafe for my breakfast smoothie.

7:16: I hit the sky bridge to the main building.

7:22: Done walking the sky bridge. Down the escalator to the second floor and to the park.

7:24: At the park.

7:25: I place my order for 40oz Peanut Power Plus Strawberry Smoothie.

7:36: Smoothie in hand, I walk from the park to elevator C to the 8th floor to the Port Access/Care / Wound Care to get my port accessed.

7:40: Sitting in a chair waiting to 8 to sign in so my numbing cream has an hour to work.

8:00: I check in and request a new arm band since the armband was twisted when it was put on by the original nurse twisted.

8:10: I am called to the back.

8:16: All done, accessed. I catch elevator C down to the sixth floor, to the myeloma/lymphoma center.

8:18: I check in.

8:20: Checked in and sitting down.

8:21: I get a text to go to the frontdesk to check my armband and get my paperwork to fill out.

8:22: I fill out my paperwork.

8:26: I get a text to go to door E for vitals.

8:29: All done vitals. Sitting in the waiting area again.

8:50: I am called to the back. I give Michael his present if Pralines since I didn’t get to see him two weeks ago.

8:57: Michael is done with me. Now I am just waiting for my next visitor.

9:04: Dr. Rodriguez sees me. Everything is well. I am one of the healthiest patients with minimum side effects that she has she tells me. She is very pleased so far with my progress. She makes sure I see my consult with the doctors for a Stem Cell Transplant. I told her I did along with my PET/CT scan on the 12th of January.

9:12: Dr. Rodriguez is done with me. Everything looks good and my orders are in for my treatment. I am just waiting on Emily to see me and pick uo my symptoms paperwork and give me ny next two weeks paperwork for symptoms.

9:20: Emily comes in. I tell her the same thing I told Dr. Rodriguez about the less than mild memory changes from time to time such as forgetting keys, phones, and other minor things here and there. Not constantly but enough to notice it happening when it does happen, but with some week or more spacing in between.

9:26: Emily is done with me. I have my new paperwork. She sends me on my way to get my drug infusion.

9:27: Down elevator B to the second floor.

9:28: I check in at the research center, they scan my bracelet and scan a pager and give it to me and I take it to my seat.

9:30: I am sitting down, updating the blog and waiting to be called to the back.

9:40: I am called to the back, I get my vitals done.

9:45: I am put into Room 7. I am told to walk around and come back for a second pulseox reading as is protocol with the drug.

9:50: My nurse comes and introduces herself and says we are just waiting on the drug to get here to start.

10:10: The drug arrives, is hooked up, and ready to go.  1 hour.

11:10: The drug is all done 4 minutes of saline to flush the line and push the rest of the drug in the line into me.

11:15: All done with infusion.  The nurse deaccesses me and I am free to go.

11:20:  Just following up on some tracking packages, work, and client issues before getting out of the bed.

11:35: I am all packed up, and out of the bed.  Bathroom breaktime.

11:50: I find myself on the third floor by the Gazebo.  I plug in my laptop and get back to work, working on a few client issues.  I see an email that my flight is 2 hours delayed.  So I just keep working through.

14:30:  I need to stop and get to the airport, I can keep working at the airport.

14:37: Done catching up the blog.  I am off to take my walk across the skybridge to catch my way to the airport.  Back to updating by my cellphone.

14:42: I hit the skybridge.

14:52: Out the Duncan Building.

14:55: At the light rail station and purchase my ticket.

14:57: I am on the lightrail.

15:16: Off the lightrail. Walking to the bus stop to catch the express bus to.the airport.

15:19: At the bus stop.

15:22: The bus pulls up and on my way to the airport I am.

16:00: At the airport. I jump off the bus and up the escalator to go through security. The first guy wants me to go to terminal a since I am a spirit flight. I tell him I have done this before and they just have to manually check it and he let’s me through. The lady security agent checks me in. Onto security.

16:10: Wallet, cell phone, laptop, chain, watch into one bin, crocks and sweatshirt into another, laptop into another and my bag by itself.

16:16: I jump on the skyeay from terminal c to terminal a.

16:23: At terminal A. Walking to my gate.

16:30: I take a quick bathroom break.  I have time to kill I am not going to be flying out to 7:50 instead of 5:50.  So to hour delay.

16:35: I grab a brisket sandwich at this BBQ place inside the airport, and some hushpuppies as a side with a sprite.  I finish that and grab me a lemon flavored tea to carry around.

17:30: All done, I am sitting in by a wall trying to take care of a client issue.  however now that issue has seemed to clear itself up.  I got one bounce back email and was troubleshooting and then the client said emails started going through so their ISP smarthost must have got off the blacklist.  They are all set.  So I pack up my laptop and move to a more comfortable seat rather than sitting on the floor.  I also move my phone to my real charger rather than getting a slower charge by hanging off of my usb port off of my computer.

18:45: We get an update.  Our crew won’t be arriving to 19:52, so now my flight is delayed to at least 20:30.  Enjoy sitting around doing nothing.

20:08: The crew boards the plane.

20:15: Plane boarding begins.

20:20: My ticket is scanned.

20:22: I am in my seat.

20:38: The door is closed.

20:40: Pushing back.

20:42: Taxing

20:48: Pilot says we are #2 for the runway.

20:50: On the runway.

20:51: Rolling.

20:52: Takeoff.

21:35: Landed

22:10: Showtime

22:30: Waiting to head out.

22:50: We head out.  My wife, dad and mom.

23:05: At the Union Passenger Terminal.  Waiting on my Megabus.

23:25: Boarding begins.

23:31: I am through the door heading to the bus.

23:35: I am in my seat on the bus.

23:41: We are backing up and pulling out.

23:59:  On I-10, just hitting Loyola.

0:00:  On the bus….

01:05: At the Baton Rouge Megabus stop.

01:15: Pull out of the stop.

01:20: Back on the interstate.

02:35: Rest break in Eagan, LA at Petro Truck Stop/Gas Station.

02:45: We are done our bathroom break. The other bus pulled up in front of our bus and we get on the wrong bus. Two people are in our seats and when I look out the window I see our bus parked on the other side of it saying to Houston. So we get off thr wrong bus and back onto the right bus.

02:58: Pulling out the rest stop.

03:00: Back on the interstate.

06:05: At the Megabus stop in Houston.

06:12: Off the bus. Drizzling. Walking to the lightrail stop.

06:15: At the rail station, purchase our tickets.

06:20: On the lightrail.

06:35: Off of the light rail. Walking to MD Anderson.

06:42: At the Mays clinic building.

06:44: Check in at the Diagnostic Center for bloodwork.

07:08: Off to the bathroom to put on my numbing cream.

07:10: Numbing cream on.

07:12: All done with the numbing cream, back in the waiting room waiting to be called for bloodwork.

07:45: They finally call me to the back.

07:52: Done with the bloodwork. I am not liking this new system, over an hour wait everytime just for blood.

07:53: Off to the Park in the main building a nice walk ahead of us.

07:55: Order our smoothies.

08:10: Got our smoothies, up to 8th floor for port aceess at wound clinic.

08:15: Sign in.

08:30: I am called to the back.

08:40: All done being accessed.

08:50: Head downstairs to the 6th floor to the Lymphoma/Myeloma Center.

08:55: I check in on the iPad.

08:56: As soon as I sit down I am called to the frontdesk to fill out the normal follow up paperwork.

09:11: I get a text to go to door E for vitals.

09:17: Vitals all done back in the waiting room.

09:43: I am tested to go to the back. A nurse meets us and brings us to our room. Goes over any symptoms which I have had none. Emily shows up and goes over my bloodwork. I am dehydrated and need to drink more. I need magnesium as I am sitting at1.6, not terribly low, but with the holidays coming up and Dr. Rodriguez wants to be safe and give me a booster IV supplement. Dr. Rodriguez walks in and goes over all the things Emily did. She then feels my body for changes and any possible lymphnode growth. She doesn’t feel anything. All is good. She has signed my orders for my nivolumab treatment.

10:05: We are heading out of the patient room and heading down to the second floor to the Clinical and Transnational Research Center.

10:10: I check in at the frontdesk and get my pager and sit down and update this while waiting to get called to the back.

10:30: The pager goes off, get up, give the pager to the frontdesk receptionist, and then off to get Vitals with the nurse.

10:40: In Room 10 for my infusion.

10:50: The nurse comes by and tells me that I am getting magnesium along with my nivolumab infusion.    The infusion will take 1 Hour, and the magnesium will take 2 additional hours.

11:15:  The nivolumab is started and will run to about 12:15, then the magnesium will be started and run to about 2:15.

12:20:  I am done all of my nivolumab and the flush.  They begin pushing my magnesium supplement into me.

14:30:  All done with my magneisum and flush and deaccessed.  Time to pack up and head to the airport.

14:46: Hitting the sky bridge.

14:56: Out the front doors of the Duncan building heading to the lightrail.

15:00: At the lightrail station.

15:02: Pay for our tickets at the station.

15:03: On the lightrail heading into the city.

15:27: Off of the lightrail heading to the express bustop to the airport.

15:30: At the busstop.

15:40: We hop on the 102 Airport Express Bus.

16:33: At the airport bus stop. Terminal C.

16:56: Through the security checkpoint. Heading to Terminal A.

17:00: Waiting for the skyway to take me to terminal A.

17:01: Train arrives.

17:02: .Train departs.

17:05: Train arrives at terminal A. Now need to walk to the gate.

17:10: At the gate. Quick bathroom break.

17:13: Sitting and waiting for boarding.

17:30: Boarding begins.

17:42: On our seats on the plane.

17:53: Pushing back from the gate. See you in New Orleans…

18:00: Takeoff.

18:50: Touchdown, landed.

22:20:  Shower.

22:40:  All dressed. Packed up, and ready to go.

23:00:  Heading to the convenience store.

23:10:  Out of the convenience store.

23:20: At the bus terminal with my wife who is tagging along on this wonderful trip.

23:30:  Loading the bus.

23:40:  Backing away from the station.

23:50:  On the road.  AC has a leak people reshuffling.

23:59: On the spillway on I-10…

12/2/2015:

0:00: On the road. I setup location shaing with my Dad so he can track me on my trip. Then I update my blog.

0:40:  Done updating my blog, conversing by text etc with the wifey.

02:37: Off of the interstate and into the gas station for our rest break.

02:40: Doors Open.

03:05: Doors Shut. Break Over.

03:09: Back on the interstate.

06:11: We pull into the Houston Megabus Stop.

06:18: Off the bus. Colder than NOLA. I put on my sweatshirt.

06:21: At the lightrail station.

06:24: I pay for my lightrail ticket.

06:29: I am on the light rail.

06:45: Off the lightrail walking to MD Anderson Mays Clinic building.

06:50: I duck into the Duncan Building and take the skybridge to the Mays Clinic.

06:53: I check on at the diagnostic center to get my bloodwork done.

07:12: I am called to the back.

07:19: Bloodwork done. Time to put on the numbing cream.

07:26: All done with the bathroom break and the numbing cream. Now walking over to the main building for my smoothie king breakfast from the park cafe.

07:38: I arrive at the Park Cafe and get in line and then order my Peanut Power Plus Strawberry 40oz smoothie. My ritual breakfast. Sure does beat any breakfast food they have around here.

07:46: I am out of there and headed up to 8th floor from 2nd floor in the main building to get my port accessed.

07:52: I arrive on 8. Sit down, update my blog, drink my smoothie and wait to 10 minutes before 8:25 to check in so the numbing cream has an hour to do its magic.

The bag I am sporting today. Great laptop bag and small and easy to travel with and fly with. My laptop bag with the flip too got aggrivating when trying to go through airport security and having to flip open the bag, unzip the compartment for the laptop, unvelcro the laptop and during all that make sure nothing else falls out during the process. So I got 5 of these with different faces for traveling back and forth to MD Anderson. Hopefully they will make other patients smile and laugh with the bag as I walk through the hospital.

08:05: Time for me to fill out my two weeks of paperwork for symptoms and other things over the last two weeks to turn in when I visit the doctor and Emily.

08:15: I sign in at the desk to get my port accessed.

08:40: They call me to the back. Eva access me but issues with the first stick. She didn’t get a proper stick and wasn’t in the port correctly. She pulls out the needle and reacceses me with a new needle. No problems with thus access.

08:55: All done being accessed. I walk down to the 6th floor.

09:02: I check in on the iPad.

09:05: I am texted to check in at the frontdesk.

09:07: They give me the paperwork to fill out.

09:09: All done filling out the normal review paperwork.

09:10: I get a text to go to hallway C for vitals.

09:15: Done with vitals. My weight jumped up at least 5lbs. That’s Thanksgiving for you. The vitals nurse and I talk about our thanksgiving meals.

09:25: I am texted to go to door E. MIchael the nurse meets me on and takes my paperwork and asks me all the info on the sheet that I just filled out.

09:33: The fellow comes in and reviews everything with me and happy with everything.

09:45: Dr. Rodriguez walks in. Tells me the protocol is now 1 more year of treatment. I ask her does that now mean that I am in remission. She says YES! She asks me about my transplant plans. If I am talking to my local doctor. I said I have been in touch here and there, but nothing formal. She said she can setup a consult with the transplant team here if I wanted. I told her YES. January 12 would be best as everyone will be here for that visit. Local transplant if a good match, but if not MD Anderson will take greater risks as they have more experience and will take the greater risks. So we will see how that goes and I will formally reach back out to my local doctor as well.

09:55: Dr. Rodriguez is done with me, now just waiting on Emily.

10:00: Emily comes in sees me gives me my new sheet and takes my old sheet of reporting.

10:05: I am done on the 6th floor, on ny way to the 2nd floor to check into the research infusion center.

10:12: I check in at the desk. They scan my armband and scan the pager and then I sit and wait.

10:35: My pager goes off.  I give it to the frontdesk and head to the back.

10:47:  I am setup in my room.  Laptop on the food table, TV.  Updating the blog, watching the move Tracers.

11:10: They hook me up to my drug, Nivolumab. 1 Hour of pumping to go.

12:10: All done.  I got my infusion.  I am deaccessed.

12:17:  My lunch arrives.

12:35: Done with lunch.  Time to pack up, and start making my way out.

13:00: Talk to Customer Service, billing, etc.

14:00: Heading to the rail station from the gazebo area main building. Walk the skywalk and then down and out the Duncan building down the street.

14:15: At the rail station. Purchase my ticket.

14:18: The lightrail is here, I jump on heading to Central Station Main.

14:42: Off the lightrail.

14:47: At the bus stop for the express bus.

14:48: On the 102 Express Bus.

15:07: We are off the HOV and they move us to another bus, a city bus. The other bus was getting warm inside, so maybe it had some issues.

15:09: Back on the way to the airport.

15:25:  We are at the airport, and get off the bus.

15:30: I am on the gate level.  I sit down to eat some chips I have left over from lunch.

15:35:  I proceed to attempt to check in at the security gates on gate C.  At first the security attendant is unsure if I can check in because my pass won’t scan, he calls his manager who tells him that my pass will not scan, and he will have to check it by hand, which he shows him how to do.  There is no line really, maybe 2 or 3 people.  I have waited up to 20 minutes at Gate A security before so Gate C is the quicker route when getting off the bus.

15:45: I am through security, through the body scanner, all my stuff unloaded and then reloaded out and into my bag, everything good to go.  I head to the skyway for a quick shoot over to Terminal A.

15:50: I am at the skyway.

15:53: On the skyway.

15:58: At Terminal A.

15:05: I am at the terminal

16:15: Just updating my blog.

16:47: Our plane has arrived.

17:40:  Bathroom break before boarding.

17:43: Boarding begins.

18:00: Door closed. I am in my front big seat.

18:05: We pull back from the gate.

18:13: We are on the runway.

18: 14: Liftoff.

18:57: On the ground.

19:00: At the gate.

12/1/2015:

03:00:  I leave a client’s office.

03:30: I get home and eat.

04:00: Laying in bed finishing up my client’s computers

08:00:  All done with the computers.

08:30:  I finally go to sleep.

11:45: I am up.

12:00: Dog out, shower, dress, head to office.

13:00:  Got my Wendy’s and at the office.  Work on things from last night.  Follow up with clients from yesterday.

15:00:  Start replacing a screen on a client’s laptop.

15:45: All done with the screen.

16:15:  The client comes and picks up the screen.

16:30: Back to working on vicarious things.

20:30:   I am heading home, forget my phone and go back for it.

21:00:  I am home.  Taco Bell for supper.

21:45: Getting my bags ready. Printing up my airplane boarding pass.

22:10: Shower.

22:30:  All ready, just resting.

22:50: We head out.  My wife, mom, and dad.

23:00:  Stop at the convenience store for drink for the road.

23:05:  Back on the road.

23:20: At the Train/Bus Station.

23:23:  Boarding begins.

23:35:  On the bus.  Someones bag is in my seat and he doesn’t want to move himself or his bag and says the bus driver will have to make him move.  I signal to the bus driver who comes into the bus and nothing further is said. He jumps up and moves into the.next row of seats.  Another gentleman sits next to me, we talk for a bit how he lived here in New Orleans East until Katrina his place was destroyed and he has been living right outside of Houston ever since.  Our convo is cut short as tr bus driver announces seat 2 is reserved and if anyone is sitting in that seat they will have to move and he does.

23:43: The bus is backing up.  Actually almost on time since our departure is supposed to be 23:40 and we usually always leave closer to midnight.

23:59: On the road..

11/18/2015:

06:30: I am up.  Time to shower.

07:15:  Everything done, dressed, numbing cream on, saran wrap on, everything good to go, time to pack up and check out.

07:45: I check out downstairs.

08:00: I check in at Infusion Therapy to get my port accessed.

08:15: All done being accessed.  I head downstairs to the 6th floor to the Lymphoma Clinic.

08:32:  I check in on an iPad at the Lymphoma Clinic.

08:33: I get a text to go to the frontdesk to get my paperwork to fill out.

08:40: I get a text to go door E.  They take my vitals then bring us to the room.

08:45: The nurse comes in and goes over all the normal questions, pain, no, medicines review, etc.

08:50: The doctor comes in.  Dr. Rodriguez is out, so I see Dr. Nastoupil.  She says the scan is great.  No signs of Lymphoma.  Just needs to watch my Liver levels.

09:00:  All done with the doctor.  Emily is out sick so I won’t see her today.

09:10: I check in at the Clinical and Translational Research Center.

09:30: I am called into the back.  Vitals taken again, and then I go to room 9.  Just waiting on my drug.

10:30: My medicine is ready to go.

10:33: I am hooked up and pumping.  1 Hour to pump.

11:30: Done pumping flushing now.

11:35: Done flushing.

11:40: Port Deaccesed. I research the public transit for which station to get off when riding the lightrail northbound. So we get on and go to Central St on main then walk 2 blocks to the bus stop at Travis and Texas St. then catch the 102 express bus to IAH airport all for 1.25 for a 25 mile trip.

12:00: Route planning done, walking now to the lightrail station.

12:20: At the lightrail station. Purchase lightrail tickets from the automated ticket kiosk.

12:28: Board the second train as the first train arrived when purchasing tickets.

12:50: Exit the lightrail. Heading to Texas and Travis.

12:54: At the bus stop at Terminal C.

13:14: The 102 bus to the airport reaches the stop. We board. On the way to the airport.

14:04: At the airport bus stop.

14:07: We get on the subway that runs underground between the Terminals.

14:15: We are at Terminal A. Up two escalators to security.

14:25: In line at security.

14:45: Done with security.

15:00: I ride the skyway to check it out. The skyway connects the different concourses.

15:30: I grab a bite to eat. BBQ brisket sandwich.

16:10: Sitting at the terminal waiting.

18:10: Plane boarding begins.

18:25: We are pushing back from the gate. See you in New Orleans.

18:35: Takeoff.

19:20: Touchdown.

19:27: Off the plane.

19:32: Outside

19:35: My wife picks up my dad, mom, and I.

19:50: Kathy Inn for Chinese food. I am exhausted.

21:20: We are home. Tied and delirious.

22:15: I had enough for today, ZzZZzZz. Goodnight.

08:10: Dropped off at the airport.  My wife takes the car home as she has classes today and can’t join us.

08:25: Through security.

08:30: Gate C6 waiting on the plane to arrive. Since it is storming in Houston I book a supershutle for a ride from the airport to the rotary house hotel, aka MD Anderson.

09:20: Boarding begins.

09:30: Seated in my seat.

09:48: Pushing back from the gate. Going into airplane mode, see you in Houston.

09:59: Take off. Pretty bumpy take off up to about 4000 feet. Very windy from the incoming front.

10:54: Very bumpy, shaky, wobbly landing. High wind speeds with a stormy cold front moving through Houston. Even the pilot came on the intercom saying Whoa Wowwy after we were on the ground and slowing down.

11:00: We pull up to a holding area while we wait for our gate to become open.

11:39: We pull up to our gate finally.

11:48: We check in at the SuperShuttle desk.

11:50: Our supershuttle driver comes inside and gets us from the supershuttle waiting area.

12:25: We are dropped off at the Rotary House. We go to the second floor and walk the sky bridges to the Mays Clinic building.

12:37: I check in at the diagnostic center for blood work.

13:50: Still waiting on a blood draw.

14:00: They call me to the back.

14:10: All done with the blood draw.

14:20: I check in at PET Imaging and Nuclear Medicine

14:30:  I am just finishing my paperwork when I am called to the back.

14:40: I am in Room 13 in the back.

14:50: They start an IV, check my blood sugar, it is 125, so no worries for the PET Scan.  They give me the radioactive glucose, and then leave me for an hour.  A nice hour of sleep.

15:50: They come get me from the room and bring me to the back and lay me on the table and slide me into the scanner.

16:08:  All done with the scan.

16:13: Updating the blog, now going to go grab a bite to eat, as I haven’t eaten anything in about 20 hours.

16:30: I check in at the front desk first to get our room.  We go upstairs and wait for the roll in bed to arrive.

17:30:  We head to go eat.  My parents go eat, while I take a detour first and grab some cookies and cream yogurt with many many topping choices.

18:00: I join them after my 16.60 oz cup of yogurt and toppings.

18:15: After checking out the bar and everything else I go with my 12 Oz Sirlon with garlic mashed potatoes and onion strings.

19:30: All done eating, back in the hotel room watching NCS.

20:30: I take off to the Business Center in the Rotary House Hotel and print up our boarding passes for tomorrow’s return flight home.  I also check emails and a number of other things. while at the business center.

21:15: I return to the room.  I get on my laptop and check the news and watch TV.

22:45: Just catching up on the blog.  About to head to the Park Cafe to check out their Pizza, which they only serve in the evening/night time hours.  The Park Cafe is open 24/7.

23:00: I arrive at The park.  I get a slice of lasagna and a personal pepperoni pizza both for less than $8.50 including tax.

23:15: Back at the hotel room eating.

23:45:  All done.  Time to go to sleep.

23:59: Another day done…  ZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZz

00:00: On the road.  Seats 5 & 6.  My mom and I on are on the second row of seats on the driver side the bus.  Typing on the laptop is much easier than trying to update everything via the computer.  Next stop Baton Rouge.

00:45: Sending pics to Dee…  Spooky she says, so dark.

01:10: Off the interstate in Baton Rouge.

01:20: Leaving the Baton Rouge stop.

01:25: Back on the Interstate.

02:40: Off the interstate in Iota. Gas station for stretching, bathroom break, etc.

03:13: Pulling out…

03:16: Back on the interstate.

06:05: Pulling off Interstate.

06:13: At bus stop Houston.

06:20: Off bus.

06:27: On Light Metro Rail

06:47: Off the light rail. Walking to MD Anderson.

06:55: In Mays Clinic Building.

06:56: Fill in my check in slip.

06:57: Place my check-in slip in the bin on the reception desk for the lab clinic in the Mays Building.

07:05: I am called to the back.

07:10: All done giving blood. Time to go put on my numbing cream.

07:15: Cream on.

07:20: Heading over to the park cafe to get my breakfast smoothie.

07:30: Restroom break along the way.

07:40: I order my 40oz Peanut Butter Strawberry Smoothie.

07:50: Smoothies are made.

08:00: Checked in on 8th floor at infusion therapy.

08:15: Called to the back.

08:21: All accessed. Time to head to the lymphoma clinic.

08:29: I check in at the lymphoma center.

08:30: I am texted to go to the frontdesk. I get my Progress note page to fill out. I go back to my seat and fill it out.

08:32: I am texted to go get my vitals.

08:50: I am waiting for my text to go to the door for the nurse to get me to go see the doctor.

09:10: The nurse comes and gets me from the waiting room.

09:15: In the patient room. The nurse goes over everything with me, no negative changes in side effects since.last time.

09:25: The doctor comes and sees me and checks up on me does her examination. So far so good. I will get a scan next week to confirm the drug is still doing its job. We go over the options for what is to be done after this drug runs its course over the next year and then another stem cell transplant among other options.

09:45: All done with Dr. Rodriguez until two more weeks.

10:00: Emily visits me, takes my paperwork, and gives me my next paperwork for symptoms to fill out.

10:10: I am heading down to the infusion center.

10:20: I check in and given a buzzer.

10:40: The buzzer buzzes.

10:45: Vitals are taken including O2 at 99%.

10:50: I am assigned go room 13. Iam told to walk around and the check O2 again after exertion.

10:55: O2 again still 99%. I turn on mall cop2.

11:45. My meds are hooked up and pumping. 1 hour to go.

12:40: My food arrives. Corn howdee, ham sandwich, pineapples, grapes, lays chips, cookies, and a diet Dr pepper.

12:45: My drip is done.

13:15: I am done eating my lunch.

13:20: Potty break.

13:35: Heading to Rotary House.

14:00: My mom grabs something to eat.

14:15: I grab some ice cream.

14:45: Downstairs at the Rotary House waiting for the Shuttle to come pick us up.

14:45: On the Super Shuttle.

15:25: At the airport.

15:35: Through security.

15:45: Waiting at the gate.

17:35: Boarding.

17:50: Pushed back.

18:07: Takeoff

18:50: Landing.

19:05: My wife and my dad pick up my mom and I from the airport.

19:30: We go out to eat at Furys.

21:00: We head on home.

22:30: Laying in bed dozing off.

23:59: Another day and trip done.

11/3/2015: Prepping for another trip to Houston.

19:00: My Dad and I head over to Buffalo Wild Wings.  I get 5 Flamin, 5 Wild, 5 Hot, and 5 Hot BBQ order of wings with an order of potato wedges and a Sierra Mist.  We talk and watch the sad Pelican’s game on the TV and screens.

20:45: We are back home.

21:00: I am laying in my bed doing some programming.  Also checking over things from the day’s work.

22:00: I get my shower.

22:45: We leave the house and heading towards the bus station/train station downtown.

23:10: We are at the bus station.

23:30: They start boarding.

23:40: We are on the bus.

23:51: We are backing up.

23:59: Passing through Metairie.

00:00: On the road on the megabus seats 4&5 front balcony row tickets up top, great nighttime view. On the spillway heading for Baton Rouge.

01:08: Stopped at the Megabus stop in Baton Rouge.

01:17: Pulled out of Megabus bus stop in Baton Rouge.

02:38: Pull up to the Petro Gas Station for a break.

03:14: Pulling out of the gas station.

06:20: We arrive at the Megabus station at the corner of Pierce St & Travis St in Houston.

06:27: We unboard from the bus.

06:31: I purchase my Metro ticket for the light rail.

06:33: We board the light rail.

06:48: We are at the TMC transit stop, we get off and walk to the Mays Clinic Building.

06:58: We are at the Mays Clinic reception desk.

07:00: I check in at the Diagnostic Center in the Mays Clinic building this time instead of walking the extra 20 min round trip to the Diagnostic Center on the other end of the Main building.

07:15: I am called to the back.

07:20: All done, blood drawn.

07:25: Going to put on my numbing cream.

07:30: Numbing cream on. Potty break.

07:50: Heading to main building, second floor, to the Cafe in the park for Smoothies.

08:00: I order myStrawberry Extreme Smoothie King Smoothie… My breakfast.

08:20: I check in on the 8th floor at the infusion therapy clinic.

08:40: I am taken to the back. A fire drill happens, but easily ignored and my port accessed.

08:47: All accessed. We head down to the lymphoma center on the 6th floor.

08:55: I check in on the iPad.

09:00: I get a text message to go to the front desk. Get a paper to fill out recent info.

09:05: I get a text message to go to the hallway C for vitals and get my vitals taken.

09:10: I get a text message to go to Door E to be taken to the back. The nurse is there and takes me to the back and goes over all recent things, medicines, symptoms, etc.

09:20: Dr. Rodriguez comes in. Blood test were great. She listens to my heart and me breathing. My heart rate has been getting better. No wheezing when breathing. Just need to run a thyroid level again next visit. Everything is good to go and the orders have already been put in for me.

09:30: Emily’s substitute comes in, collects the paperwork, gives me new symptoms paperwork. Then sends us on out way for getting treatment.

09:45: I check in at the research clinic, they give me a restaurant style pager. I sit down and watch tv and update the blog.

10:15: My pager goes off.

10:20: Vitals done.

10:25: In my room for my infusion.

11:25: My blood us drawn for the study.

11:35: My infusion starts.

12:45: All done.

13:00: We grab a bite fo eat at the rotary house restaurant.

14:00: All done, just killing time till the Super Shuttle gets here. I check the Rotary House Hotel and they are completely booked for November 17. I add my name to the waiting list.

14:30: Check flight seats for booking flights at Houston for spirit airlines to get the prices even cheaper than online. Making sure the seats I looked at before are still available.

14:40: Sitting in the hotel lobby waiting for the Shuttle.

15:10: The Super Shuttle picks us up along with another person at our location.   We make 3 other stops and pick up other people on the way to the airport.

16:30: We are at Terminal A.  I purchase tickets at the Spirit Airlines counter for upcoming flights from Houston to New Orleans.  A single one way ticket from Houston to New Orleans is $16.11 including taxes for Spirit Airlines.  Just $16.11 for a plane ticket! Geesh!  I bring a small carry on bag with my laptop and a few other things, all fitting into a 16x14x12 bag.

17:30: Boarding begins.

17:40: We are sitting on our seats on the plane.  18A & 18B.

17:51: We take off.

18:55: We touch down a wobbly touch down, but winds with up to 20mph gusts out of the east.

19:05: My wife and mom pick up my Dad and I.

19:30: We go to New Orleans Hamburger and Seafood.

21:00: We arrive home.

21:30: I am in bed and fall asleep real quick.

23:59: ZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZz