When my sister was diagnosed with AML in June 2017 my entire family was in shock. We didn't know what to expect from day to day and what my sister was going to have toendure. When the doctors began talking about a Stem Cell Transplant, our shock turned into fright. My brother and I were then given DNA test to find out who was going to be the donor. I am petrified of needles and hospitals so much that I will make myself sick to the point I cannot see or hear. I love my sister and would do anything for her but was hoping and praying that my brother would be the match and I would be a backup. Well, I was chosen as the donor and it was time to begin the pre-testing.
I went in for my physical exam and blood work to begin the procedure. During the physical exam, I was told about the procedure and how the needles would be placed. I began to become anxious and tear up. The doctors were then concerned that my veins were not large enough to handle the transfusion. I was now in full-blown panic mode and I began to shut down. I could not move, answer questions or think about what was going to happen next. I was taken from the doctor's office to the administration office where I met the Administrative Manager. She began to explain the procedure to me in terms that were not so scary. She then recommended that I speak with Neil Palmquist who would be doing the actual transplant procedure and he could answer any of my questions.
Upon arrival to the T-8 floor, I was still upset, crying and just wanted to go home and call my brother, he can be the stem cell donor. When Neil came over to me, he had a very calming tone to his voice and demeanor. He looked at my veins and explained how they were small. He was afraid that my veins would collapse during the transplant and they would have to come up with another option to collect the cells, the other option would be a chest line. He explained the pros and cons of needles in my arm vs my chest and once he was done talking, I was no longer crying and upset. I was ready to sign up for a chest line. I went home feeling better about being the donor and felt extremely comfortable with the procedure as long as it was going to be done by Neil.
When it was time to begin my Neupogen injections, I was, of course, scared to death. I remembered something Neil told me. He said to take Claritin before the shots began and continue taking it every day until the process was over. Boy, was I glad I remembered that! The injections hurt each day, and gradually got worse as the week went on. I would make myself so sick from fear of the shots each day that I was not sure if the pain was from my anxiety or the shots themselves. I could not wait until the week was over.
Well, it is now Transplant Day. I am so scared that I am beginning to shut down. Neil comes into my room and immediately puts me at ease. He begins discussing the timeline of the day and checks my health stats, my last Neupogen shot, and then wants to order something to calm me down before my chest line. He gave me my last shot and it was not so bad, he talked to me about things other than the shot and the procedure. I felt like I was talking to a friend whom I had known for years. Once the shot was done he left and came back with an Ativan pill to help me relax before the line was put in. During this time, he stayed with me and my family talking about everything and anything that did not pertain to the next procedure. I learned that I had so much adrenaline in my system that I overrode the Ativan. When it was time, Neil began to talk to me in an extremely calm voice about the steps to putting a chest line in my neck. He said it would be cold when they sterilize the area, the numbing injection would burn a lot but to count to ten and then it would be over and finally the pressure. He said the shot is the worst, so count! He then left to check on other patients and I thought I would see him when I got back to my room, I was wrong. Right before I was wheeled to Radiology, he came running down the hall to tell me it was going to be over quick, it was going to be alright and he would be here when I got back. The entire time, he had his hand on my shoulder, I actually felt like a person he cared about not just another patient.
The chest line procedure was awful and when I got back to my room, Neil was not far behind. He asked how it went and told me that the rest of the day would be painless and boring. I was really looking forward to the boring part, it was too much to handle so far. Once I was connected to the machines, I was offered anything I wanted to eat or drink. I had no appetite and just wanted to go home at this point. Neil told me that in an hour he would check my numbers to see how long I have to be on the machine and it could be anywhere from 5-6 hours. Well, after an hour passed, I was supposed to pull 60 White Blood Cells, I pulled 254. Everyone was in shock. Neil told me my time would be cut in half and I was relieved. When the process was done, I was disconnected from the machine and was told that I could go visit my sister. I was so happy.
It was now time to take out the chest line and my fear took over again. I began to cry and the nurses could not figure out why this was scaring me so much, it was the easy part. Well when Neil came in, he told me that the worst part of the taking the line out was the tape. I didn't care, I could not handle anything else. He again comforted me and talked about the tape and how impressed he was with my numbers. I was able to pull 10.92 million stem cells. He kept telling me how proud he was and how everyone is going to be amazed. That made me feel so good and I began to realize just what I had done for my sister. When he took the line out, I felt like a Capri Sun drink and while he held pressure on the incision, he just talked. I can't remember what exactly he said but it was enough to make me feel relaxed and that a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.
When he came in to give me my discharge papers with directions to follow for the next 24 hours, I was so tired. On my way out the door, I could not help but hug him and thank him for getting me through this procedure. When I first came into the hospital for pre-testing, I wanted to run and scream, now that it is over, I don't think I could have gone through all of this without Neil. I cannot stress enough how important Neil is to the hospital and that department. My family wants him cloned so other people can experience his calmness, expertise and nurturing attitude, especially those who are terrified of a hospital.
Everyone needs a person like Neil Palmquist in their lives.
Thank you for allowing me to share my story about Neil and hope that Neil understands how he affects so many people.
Note: This is Neil's 2nd DAISY Award!