The minute I walked into Jerome's room I could see he was terrified. He had already lost his hair, just over a month ago but it was the sickness that he hated. When he got sick quite often he ended up crying on my lap, he hated being sick so much, but it was the only way he could get better.
As soon as Jerome noticed me he lifted his arms up for me to hug him, and I happily curled up on the bed beside him. Preston and Rob resumed their normal seats beside the bed and we listened to the heart monitor, which was constantly on to let the nurses know he was okay.
I could feel Jerome shaking beside me. The first day was always okay, it was the smallest dose of drugs and the dose would slowly be increased over the next day until the strongest dose on the third day, then lesser doses and then the transplant would take place.
The doctor came in again, this time carrying the bag of drugs that terrified Jerome so much.
"Hey guys, we're just going to start the treatment now. It shouldn't be too bad today because this is the smallest dose, so you shouldn't feel much." Jerome nodded but let the doctor attach the bag to the pole and then into the needle on his hand.
"You're staying overnight yeah Mitch?" I smiled and pulled Jerome closer to me, pulling out my phone and opening YouTube so we had something to do.
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Jerome coped well that day, he had felt a bit nauseous but that was it and had slept quite easily after Preston and Rob had gone home. I had asked them to upload my pre-recorded video for me, although the fans knew why it was only one a day and probably none at all that week.
The next day, however, was a different story. The dose was over doubled and mixed with another drug and Jerome really struggled. The drugs bought on a fever, which the doctors said was almost 100% likely to happen, which it did.
His temperature reached well over 100 degrees, 107 degrees actually and he had fever dreams for most of the day and well into the night. The only good thing about the fever was it stopped him from being sick and because he was already in hospital I didn't have to worry about him getting too sick.
The day after the fever went down he got very sick, but the fever wasn't going to come back because he was off the drugs that caused it. He was on completely new ones, and much stronger ones. He was sick at least once every hour and I was very thankful for the nurses and Preston and Rob, who had come back everyday to be with us.
During the night was probably was worst part, Jerome couldn't sleep and was crying throughout the night from abdominal pain. The nurses said that it was normal, it was the chemo doing its work.
The week following that was tough, but Jerome pulled through. The third day was the worst, with the strongest dose but he started to feel better and even managed to get some sleep in the following nights. I was almost to nervous to sleep, but I did it, long after Jerome was asleep.
I stroked Jerome's now bald head carefully, holding him close to me as he slept. Tomorrow was going to be a big day, he would have the transplant and then be in isolation for at least a few weeks and then maybe, just maybe, he would be out of the woods.
Part 2
Mitch's P.O.V.
Today was the day. The transplant would take all day, but opposed to most people's knowledge, the transplant wasn't actually surgery. They took the donated bone marrow and pumped it into his body using pipes and a needle, the same way the chemo was administered.
It was early, before visiting hours so it was just Jerome and I, Jerome with his head on my lap and almost asleep. He was still feeling very poorly and had a higher than normal temperature from the chemo drugs.
The doctors had told us last night that the transplant would take almost 10 hours, and they would try and start as early as possible, hopefully before nine o'clock which was in just under half an hour.
In the half an hour of waiting Jerome slowly started to become more active, and I managed to get him standing up for the first time in a few weeks. He was struggling, he refused to let go of my arms and could only take a few steps before he looked like he was going to faint.
The bag of the donors marrow was similar to the bags of chemo drugs, but this time instead of bright colours, the liquid in the bag was blood red. Jerome eyed it wearily, but allowed them to hook it up.
The red marrow making its way down the tube was something potentially life saving for Jerome, and although he hated everything about being in hospital he knew it was necessary for him to stay alive.
Rob and Preston arrived about an hour into the transplant and we sat, talking to each and hoping to get Jerome involved but he was silent.
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After the bone marrow transplant had finished, Jerome was taken immediately into isolation. Because the chemotherapy had destroyed his immune system he was very vulnerable to infections and could get very sick, very easily and possibly die.
Only family and staff were allowed in the room, but because Jerome's family weren't around Rob, Preston and I were there to replace them, being allowed in to keep him company.
It would take at least two weeks before we knew if the transplant worked, when and if his blood count went up, which meant the donors cells had been accepted.
The first few days in isolation weren't much different from the days when he was having chemo, only this time we didn't see as many people. Along with myself, Preston and Rob, there were only 3 other people allowed in the room to give everyone some food and give Jerome a check up.
There wasn't much to do, but the hospital had given us a massive pile of books and we had begun to read them, one by one, out loud, to give us something to do.
The food was bland but I didn't mind it, it was nicer than some of the stuff we normally had at home because we didn't have any time. At home it was take-out or ramen, but there it was a new meal everyday. Veges, meat, chips or potatoes and so on.
10 days after he was first placed in isolation the doctors had some news. We had been waiting for a long time, and that news meant the transplant had worked.
"His blood count had started to up, and so has the cells in his bone marrow which means the transplanted cells have found their way into his bones and he now has some protection."
With that news it meant Jerome could come out of his room for the first time in a week and half and another week before we knew if he could come home.
During the time in isolation Jerome had slowly been growing stronger, with no chemo to drag him back under again. We had managed to get Jerome walking around the room a few times, although not on his own but he was walking and it was a good sign.
He was given a walker, and trailed by one of the nurses he managed to walk down the hallway to the main ward and then back to his room without collapsing. Jerome looked very happy with himself, but he had a good reason to be after a month and a half of chemo, a transplant, a week and a half in isolation and now he was back to walking.
We were told that after he was released in a week or so, if his blood count remained stable, he would have to go back to the hospital ever two weeks for blood tests and then it would be another year before he could be given the all clear.
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A week later Jerome was up and walking again and we had been given the news we had been hoping for. Jerome was well enough to go home.
His red and white cell blood count had been increasing steadily and it was near normal, something it hadn't been for over a year even though it hadn't been diagnosed before that.
The day had come fast, and before we knew it the nurses were helping Jerome get dressed and we were leaving the dreadful room for the last time. We knew Jerome would have to come back every few weeks for blood tests but as far as we knew the ordeal was over.
The chemo was finally over.
Merome- Chemo Parts 1 & 2
Start from the beginning
