T+5 (Quick Update)

One of the most vivid (not in a good way) memories from my first stem cell transplant was the pain caused by mucositis. A common side effect of chemotherapy, mucositis is the inflammation of the mucosa, the mucous membranes that line the entire gastrointestinal tract including the throat and the mouth.

The mucositis was so bad during the last stem cell transplant process that I ended up on a liquid diet for about a week. It was simply too painful to swallow anything remotely solid. Not surprisingly, I have been dreading another bout of mucositis.

Shortly after lunch yesterday my throat started ache. By dinner time the ache had escalated to an uncomfortable level of pain. Shortly after dinner, I buzzed the nurse and asked for assistance managing the pain.

Pain is managed using a combination of medications. One of these medications is a special mouthwash developed by the TCT pharmacists … they refer to it as “Magic Mouthwash”. What is so magical about it? One of the key ingredients is Lidocaine, a local anesthetic. “Magic Mouthwash” provides instantaneous relief.

In addition to Magic Mouthwash, I also take more conventional pain medications as needed. The usual go-to is hydromorphone (known by many people by its brand name – Dilaudid®). I didn’t care how hydromorphone made me feel during the last transplant process and ended up on Fentanyl patches. I have started discussions with the medical team about doing the same this time around.

Time for a nap 🙂

Thanks for listening,

Mike