We’re not done by any stretch. Today’s discharge from the VA
Hospital marked the formal end of what is simply round 1 – Induction. I had a
short appointment at the dental clinic this afternoon to ensure there were no
dental issues that needed to be resolved. It was the first time I went to the
dentist with a bona fide excuse for not flossing: the doctors wouldn’t let me
do it. Along with other restrictions
induced by chemotherapy, flossing always causes bleeding and since I had no
white blood cells to fight bacteria in my mouth (and we all know what a
bacterial playground our mouths are), that part of my daily grooming regimen
was put on hold along with the others. With that appointment today, my bone
marrow transplant application can be forwarded to the VA in Washington, DC and
I can officially be put on the marrow transplant list and the donor match
process can officially begin.
While that is all happening, I’m at home for a few days and
then back on Monday for another round of intrathecal chemotherapy. It sounds
awful, but it really didn’t hurt thanks to the happy juice and because fluid
was added back to the spinal column as well as being drawn out, I didn’t get
the nasty headache I got from my spinal tap. Somewhere during this process, I’ll
need to go back in as an inpatient for a few days for another round of
maintenance or consolidation
chemotherapy to keep the leukemia in check before going to Seattle for the
transplant. It shouldn’t be as severe as the first week of chemo I had and
apparently, I’ve really rebounded well, due, in no small part, to the good
physical condition I was in prior to this whole thing.
So, how am I today?
Well, to be frank, I’m really tired. It takes very little to make me feel like
taking a nap. My sleep schedule is pretty much off and I am just sleeping as I
feel the need. I’ve had two naps today and I suspect that I’ll go to bed at my
normal 11:00 and be awake in the middle of the night. I’ll be needing to keep
on top of my temperature and watching very carefully signals from my body that
would signal a need for a hasty return to the VA, which is about 10 minutes
away. Fevers can’t simply be a matter of popping a Tylenol and calling it good.
For me, it’s a flashing red light that requires a ride to the ER.
The food in the hospital was really pretty good, especially
when you consider the institutional requirements and us picky eaters. By the
time I left they figured out that a packet of ketchup wouldn’t kill me and that
I just needed small portions, so I was getting little baggies of snacks like
applesauce or yogurt mid-morning, mid-afternoon, and about 7:30 pm, so I could
have a reasonable amount of the main meal without needing to have a huge amount
of food and then I could get these little pick-me-ups in between, basically the
way I normally eat. And my weight was starting to return. So, I only ended up
losing a total of 5 pounds. Tonight
though, it was so nice to order out from my very most favorite Thai place and
have a nice meal with my daughter. The down side was the DVD I had been waiting
to share with her had a big crack in it. Ah well, I am home.
So, all is well and there were a lot of smiles from doctors
this morning as they commented on how well my body has been responding and I’m
smiling as I’m leaving the hospital a good week earlier than scheduled. Round 1
is done. I know the road ahead of me isn’t an easy one and that in some
respects, the Induction round was but a warm-up. There are some dark nights of
the soul ahead, but on the other side of this, is a cure and the return to life
as I knew it before February 21. Anyone who has been through a life challenge
of this magnitude knows as well that these things change you into a better
person if you step outside of yourself and open yourself up to life’s lessons
and being a bit introspective. Not fun while walking through it all, but on the
other side…you have the potential to be a completely different person.
Tonight, my attitude is still one of gratitude for making it
through and for the many, many, many people who have upheld me through their
visits, prayers, well wishes, gifties, videos, cards, and so much more. I could
spend a long time just listing them out. Tomorrow, I want to highlight just how
amazing the power of social media and friendship is. It still has me scratching
my head (lightly, though, because everything is causing my remaining hair to
fall out. It’s starting to look like I’m
a cancer patient!)
Be well, stay strong, and much love to you all.
No comments:
Post a Comment