10 October (day +11)
GRATITUDES:1. My nurses2. A good wi-fi connection3. Watching the dawn from my hospital window Bluuuurgh… I’m getting very, VERY tired of the hospital grind: the constant nightly wake-ups, the less than great food, the bone-dry filtered air in my room, logging in every milliliter of water, either consumed or excreted, the crushing boredom… This has…
7 October (day +8)
GRATITUDES:1. Being alive2. An end to my fevers3. My medical team at the hospital It’s been a week since I last posted, a week filled with challenges. My transplant day was relatively uneventful, but beginning last Saturday, I began to feel horrible. My energy level was completely sapped, I had nasty and constant lower abdominal…
28 September (day -1)
GRATITUDES:1. A good, quick TBI2. Really nice nurses, techs and EMTs3. No nausea (yet) So, yep, the TBI happened this morning. While sitting in the apparatus that held me steady for the irradiation, I sort of felt like I was staring down the barrel of a monstrous photon cannon. The procedure was quick, though, thankfully.…
27 September (day -2)
GRATITUDES:1. Caring nursing staff and doctors2. No more nausea!3. My body’s ability to cope with all this abuse4. Rory I’m currently receiving the last of my high dosage chemo and I’ve been chewing on ice, ice cream and popsicles since around 10am. This new drug, Clofarabine, can cause horrific mouth and esophagus ulcers, and since…
25 September (day -4)
Good grief, I feel like crap. I once again had a very upset stomach early this morning (5:00-5:15 seems to be my witching hour) but thankfully I didn’t throw up. It was close though. I’m getting about 50mg of this new drug suspended in a saline solution and my nurse slowed down the drip time…
24 September (day -5)
GRATITUDES:1. The realization that I won’t die from throwing up2. New products that may help me get through this3. Rory Wow. The new chemo drug hit me like a speeding bus. The infusion didn’t get started until nearly midnight and lasted just under two hours, during which I felt sort of feverish and restless, but…
23 September – back in the saddle
GRATITUDES:1. Rory – my rock, my anchor2. A great hospital room3. A happy, beaming Dr. Bachier4. A big bag of Fritos 😄 After a hectic week of nail biting and worry, I’ve finally settled into what will be my home for the next month. There were some road bumps along the way – namely, my…
16 September (T-minus 7 days)
GRATITUDES:1. No traffic on the road in to San Antonio this morning2. My neighbors3. My resumed morning walkies4. NO MORE BACK PAIN!!! Thought I’d drag my iPad along to my appointment this morning to pass the time while waiting for Dr. Santiago. There have been some recent issues with our health insurance carrier that I…
9 September (T minus 14 days)
GRATITUDES:1. My kids are safe2. The other kids at the high school are also safe3. Compassionate teachers Those gratitudes need some explanation. There was a lockdown at the high school yesterday afternoon. I had gone up to our local HEB on the hill before picking up the critters and as I drove by the high…
7 September (T minus 16 days)
GRATITUDES:1. Hope for the future2. My donor❤️3. Late afternoon sunlight in September4. NO MORE PICC LINE!!! Sooo… the almost-but-not-quite-final schedule has me going back to the hospital on the 23rd. I’ve begun the countdown, which may change somewhat, but from what I learned today, this is nearly set in stone. I signed consent paperwork today…