Things are moving along up here. I am incredibly sleepy and find it hard to do anything but shut my eyes. As tempting as it would be to sleep this one off, the doctors have said that staying in bed will just slow things down.
The lining issues are worsening as expected. My morphine was upped to keep a constant amount in my system and that has helped. I pretty much don't eat anymore - a little applesauce or pudding and sips of Gatorade. Again, this is very typical for transplant patients.
Yesterday I spiked my first fever so I was sent for chest xray (I got to leave my room!!!) and they drew blood for cultures. It seemed to break during the night. I had blood and platelet transfusions yesterday, but only platelets today.
Mom and Brant will be switching places a week from Tuesday. Hopefully I will be a different person by then and starting to make my own blood cells. It will be nice to hang out with him for a week. Mom went to the local Baptist church for services today and has been keeping busy with reading and writing. I feel badly that this is so hard on her, too, but I know she'd rather be here than in Virginia.
This blog was started in Jan '07 as a way to update family and friends on my fight against relapsed Hodgkins Lymphoma. I underwent chemo and a stem cell transplant at Sloan Kettering in 2007 and then spent six years in remission. The blog went dormant as life became less about cancer and more about living. Now I am facing Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) that has developed from previous chemo. So I have dusted off the old Blog (still very un-tech-savvy). Time to get up and fight again!
5 comments:
Rachel,
I know that it is tough on you. We constantly are praying for you. Just think back to all those hours when we were new mothers and would have given just about ANYTHING for a chance to lay around watching tv. You are just getting to do it six years later.
Grey's Anatomy is a great choice for passing the time. I would suggest getting the whole two seasons worth. It is the best show that I have seen in forever. Lots of shows can be watched in whole season increments on video. Just let me know if I can send you Netflix videos to the hospital. I will get it set up if you send me the address. Since you order them online, you can get what you want and replace them when needed.
Can you get care packages? There is so much all of us want to do to help. Can you please post what we can and can't do?
We love you and think of you constantly. Do the best you can, keep the pink elephants at bay, and continue being the amazingly strong person you are. Remember that being strong doesn't mean that you don't get to complain, be mad, be sad, be frustrated, or show signs of weakness. Allow yourself some tears and let it all out. Your wonderful Mother wouldn't be anywhere else right now and Brant will be there soon. Your support group is here in force if there is anything that we can do.
We love you!
The Cunninghams
Hi Rachel,
Okay, your mom sent me a lovely email yesterday and she said that she enjoyed my sense of humor, so now I feel tremendous pressure to be funny in this post. Thanks a lot, Lois! Anywho, I thought that I would write this post from the vantage point of the ridiculously optimistic (a skill that I am learning from Keith- Crown Prince of all ridiculously optimistic people)So, here goes: 1) Wow! Unable to eat much, huh? That's awesome! Sounds like somebody's going to be able to wear a teany/weany bikini to the beach this year. 2)I am thrilled that your taste is off, as this will come in very handy on vacation when it is my scheduled night to cook. 3)It's great that you're getting all this rest now, because when you get home we're going to go to dinner and a movie and stay out 'til 2am again. You know, that babysitter still will not return my calls...So, the way I see this thing is that you are going to be an even more gorgeous, skinny, well-rested mamma who may be easily fooled into thinking I can cook. Hooray!!
Can't wait til you come home. We'll go out and paint the town chili pepper red or burnt sienna or any Ralph Lauren color (they're all lovely). Sorry, it's the pseudo-decorator coming out in me.
Feel better, dear friend. Talk to you soon. Theresa
Just thinking about you and praying for you, Rachael. What a way to miss watching the NFL draft! Let us know what we can send your way (or what we can do to help out the home troops.) - Heather and the rest of the Daniels clan.
Rachel:
We continue to wait, watch and pray for you. Your spirit sounds good. I hear the pain in your words but the way you frame up hope is admirable. Keep it up. You know more than most how to stay centered in your own faith.
Jim Oliver
You both should very proud of yourseleves! You've come so very far and with such courage. I am proud of you and love you both.
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