Home at Last

It is excellent being back. I don't feel quite like myself anymore, but I'm trying to get there. The past few months have taken a lot of weight from me (over 20 lbs), and have pushed me a little beyond a reasonable breaking point. But, what's done is done, and now it's recovery time. Technically, day 100 - the date typically used to mark the end of the transplant process -  isn't until the 4th of Jun, but what's a couple of weeks in the grand scheme of things? Until then, I'm on all the medicine, with a lot of the restrictions I had before. These are increasingly difficult to follow now that I feel 'free'.

It's funny to say, but right now, I'm finding it hardest to be away from the medical system. That safety net is gone, and it's a little unnerving. There's a constant hum of work going on in the background and it can be comforting.  Not that I enjoyed it, but medical care was what I ordered my day around. I'm reordering my priorities.

Having the girls around has been enjoyable. They've been a real source of inspiration, especially on those days when I'm feeling down or a little under the weather.

On Monday, I start back up at work, working remotely. I am looking forward to getting back into the office though.  Can't wait to see you all.

One point of interest (or not) is that I've taken up eating meat.  I must put on some weight if I'm ever to get better, and at some point my personal health interest has to take precedence. I don't know how long I'll keep this up, but Jane is an excellent cook, and she's been able to make food I haven't tasted for 20 years delicious. I'm a lucky man.

Escape

Today, Jane and I met with doctor McCarty, my primary transplant oncologist in Richmond, to discuss the timeline for my release. We've been asking (on a nearly daily basis), to have my release papers approved so that I can come back to Charlottesville. As I've mentioned before, being away from my family has been the source of a great deal of stress for me.

Well, today I got my wish. At day 78-post transplant, I was released back to Charlottesville. I can't believe that's it's been 78 days. The doctor thinks that I'm more likely to improve at home than with more time in Richmond. At present, my weight and blood pressure are very low, but that these probably wouldn't see much improvement with more clinic visits to MCV.  The doc felt that the best course of action would be to have me focus on putting on weight at home and treating the blood pressure issues on an outpatient basis. I heartily agree.

Leaving the clinic and coming home today has been an emotional experience for me. It's so good to be home, with my family. I enjoyed Richmond, but home is where my family is, and just now I can't tell you how wonderful it is to be back with them.

Before I sign off,  I'd like to send a prayer to the doctors and nurses on the 7th and 10th floors. You are some very special people up there, and no amount of praise can adequately thank you for the job you do. I am truly grateful. 

A Bad Blot of Jello?

I've been conspicuously silent this past week. You may wonder why. Was it something in the  

Jello? A complication from the appendix removal? Leaving the hospital got me down? Nope, none of the above.  Truth is, I i just felt too sick to do anything.

As a precaution following the removal, the docs placed me on some high dose IV antibiotics 

(which I had to self-administer). "Antibiotics?', I thought, 'No problem'. Just take the 

course, maybe get an upset stomach, gut it out for a week, and bang I'm done. After all, what 

could a little old antibiotic do? Well I hadn't counted on the hospital's use of the 'crack' antibiotic for those particularly nasty bugs.

I was a little sanguine in my estimate of how easily i could handle this stuff. For the first day or two, I was a little nervous - which I chalked up to post-hospital jitters. I thought that maybe  I was overanxious about getting home, or maybe sorting out the apartment - which we've had to renew for another week, while we get the last of the paperwork sorted out. 

But on top of that, I couldn't sit still. All day, I'd stand, sit, lay in my bed, curl in a ball and rock, and try to keep my head about me. I couldn't read, watch tv, work on the computer, play Wii, eat, drink, or anything. In the course of about 6 days, I lost about 10 lbs. In short, I was a basket case and couldn't figure out why.

This must have been pretty obvious at my next visit to the clinic. They told me 'you look bad'. I told them my problem and they immediately went to work. They gave me something to quell the pain and the and anxiety. They checked and this is not an uncommon side effect of the IV antibiotic. We switched medicines to an oral antibiotic and the doctor gave me something to keep the creepy crawlies at bay, and I was on my way.

It's a few days later, and I feel like I'm getting back to normal. My appetite is returning, my energy level is improving, and I feel great. Dad and I took a walk today to Carytown. (Broken record alert) now I just want to see my family. They'll be here this week -  hopefully no later than Wednesday or Thursday. Almost there!