My Month in Russia

HOME!!! We are back!!! Wow! We arrived home around 10pm Tuesday evening to find kind gestures of balloons pictures plants and a big garage door banner saying "Welcome Back Cberts" I woke up early Tuesday. I showered and was able to get a new bandage on my neck from where the catheter was removed. The nurse gave me a couple shots. I then got dressed and organized all my belongings. Dr. Fedorenko stopped by for one last hug and to say goodbye. I love him! Anastasia the office manager was able to get me some oatmeal and I had a banana and some beef sticks for breakfast. Delicious! Lynnette, in the mean time, was coming over from the Vega hotel. Anastasia had to change up things at the last minute and arrange a taxi to pick up Lynnette and bring her over to the hospital. Apparently deodorant was not used by the driver! Fortunately Lynnette only had to endure 20 minutes of that. At 830am we got in an extremely comfortable minivan and drove out to DME airport for...

Taking Flight!!! Time to come home!!! Leaving at 830am for a noon departure. Wow! Today went great. I was up early and decided I would start organizing my things. Packed up everything I could. Ate breakfast and bathed. Tried to get rid of as much hair as I could. Still some left. I then started my final infusion. It is a medication that is used to mop up the leftovers of the chemo. It takes five hours. It was not bad though. I was able to walk around with it. Katja came down and we talked for a while and Lynnette was here most of the day and we played cards and hung out. Had an amazing exit interview with Dr. Fedorenko!! Literally 30 minutes of doctor and patient dialolgue! Presented me with incredibly simple detailed explanation of exactly every step of the process. What a breath of fresh air in the medical community!!! Truly one in a million. Dr. Fedorenko is a crown jewel to the world of MS!!! Got to say goodbyes to Katja and Pip and Johan. Dinner and...

Exited Isolation!!! I am dressed in my favorite clothes. A T-shirt and shorts! Makes me happy! After my morning yoga and breakfast routine I was just sitting in my chair wondering exactly how the day was going to play out. I like to get my bath and new clothes on sooner than later. My favorite nurse who speaks a lot of English was here. I asked her if she knew what was going to happen. She gave me a new Kung Fu suit and said I could change. Standing in my underwear getting ready to bath Anastasia the office manager knocked on the door and said I was officially released from isolation! I could take a real shower and put on normal clothes. Perfect timing! And that was it! Had a very pleasant shower and scrubbed off 9 days of isolation. Actually the vodka bath keeps you very clean. Never smelled. I was able to go out and visit with Katja for a little while. Then had lunch and Lynnette arrived in the early afternoon. Have been able to visit Johan and Pip again. Very nice ...

Nesting Like Me Quiet again today. Everything looks good and probably leaving isolation tomorrow which will be Sunday. Easter Sunday! Kind of funny... I don't think a basket will be in my room in the morning. Maybe they will give me a hard boiled egg for breakfast! Today's leukocytes are 1.0 compared to .118 yesterday. Platelets went from 58 to 81. Nice. Progress made. The female doctor Xenia was trying to get me to drink these fortified flavor drinks but the two flavors are cappuccino and tropical. Not going to happen. Katja got out of isolation today. Hopefully we will see each other. Almost there... Lynnette Went to A Museum Today...Picasso Renoir Van Gogh Monet An Easter Cross Somewhere Everyone Should Be Tomorrow Square Egg and Mush Again Dinner Breakfast Day Before Escape And finally...there are lots of little pieces of hair on my pillow. Let the molting begi...

SOMEWHERE HERE! Verrryy quiet day today! I am at a loss for content. Was able to sleep a little better last night for some reason. I don't know why. Numbers came back in a continued positive direction. Platelets continue to grow to 58 and my leukocytes are now .118 compared to .02 yesterday. There is another doctor here that helps Dr. Fedorenko. She came in today to go over the numbers. She loves to watch Game of Thrones. Causes me a little concern but she has not tried to kill me off yet! Dr. Fedorenko did come by later this afternoon. He said he will be going to St. Petersburg tomorrow for his father's 70 birthday celebration and be back Sunday. Both Dr. Fedorenko and Xenia seemed to allude that they expect me to be released from isolation on Sunday. I know Lynnette was hoping Saturday but it is all good. Over the weeks it has been fun to develop a bond with the nurses. Each one has their unique style. Incredibly disciplined and focused but each ha...

Lynnette's Buddy in The Russian Metro...Everyone Rubs His Snout For Luck Another day in my room! Things are well though. Very quiet day for me. I have really been focusing on eating a lot of food and drinking lots water. Looks like it has helped. Dr. Fedorenko came in this morning and gave me my numbers. Just as a reminder there are three components to the blood...hemoglobin leukocytes and platelets. They want your hemoglobin and platelets to stay as strong as possible. The main focus is to take down your leukocytes. Two days ago my leukocytes were .02 yesterday .019 and today .02. I am ecstatic with those numbers! I thought initially if I got below .05 I would be happy. That is pretty close to zero in my book. Remember...1 is close to zero. I was at .019! My platelets the last two days were 28 and 27. Today they jumped up to 43! Makes me happy! That avoids a platelet transfusion. So really a positive day as far as the numbers go. I really have tried to not over thin...

Somewhere in Gorky Park Like sands in the hour glass...it isn't that bad! A laptop iPad and phone can accomplish a lot things! I have really just focused on each day. Nothing more...nothing less. Things are well! Numbers are good still. Leukocytes are .019 today... .02 yesterday. Isolation started at 1.5 My main focus right now has been to keep my platelets up because if they get too low they will give me a platelet transfusion and I don't want that. So I have been loading up on food and water! Lynnette has been a lifesaver. They will allow extra items as long as they are approved. She even got me some nice lotion. I love the smell of it! My lower legs and feet are dry. Another thing is toenails and fingernails love this treatment! They are growing like crazy! I can't cut them though. Another comical thing to me is my hair. Both my mom and dad were pretty thin in that department. Luckily I have not had that. I have quite the hair and stubble going still. ...