Yesterday, 4-4-14, was my one year transplant anniversary. I got a Mickey Mouse birthday card congratulating on being one year old. 🙂 Marcia made cookies for the unit staff, the schedulers, and my treatment team as thank you. One of the unit nurses gave testimony to how well her life has gone since praying with us a year ago. (That is entirely a God incident and reminder to all of us that our mission field is wherever we are at the time!)
Progress is slow but good. I got permission to use pools and hot tubs (not that we have either) and to do light yard work when strength allows. My blood tests are all good and improving, which means organs are doing well.
The ongoing fatigue seems to be related now more to the general immaturity of my immune system rather than the amount of blood cells. Another year plus will help. PT is helping reduce muscle soreness and increase flexibility and strength, ever so slowly. Good news is that lab tests and visits, which started daily, then went to weekly and then monthly are now every 6 weeks. That is a good sign and will also be a relief to the personal budget. Since I lost all my childhood vaccines, I need all these repeated, at least the non-live ones like Polio, DPT, Hepatitis B, and several others. Those were put off due to sinusitis and cough.
My “big needle” bone marrow aspiration went well today. We have been experimenting with the twilight and pain meds. I think the dose we landed on today did well, enough to make me forget the procedure and pain but not so much as to make waking up difficult. It is always humbling to find out what I say when under the influence of those meds. I had focused on memorized scripture and evidently was reciting those aloud, sometimes with modifications. Marcia said I added, “Blessed are those who are really good at giving shots….and wouldn’t a Dove chocolate bar taste good right now!” 🙂 I have said more embarrassing things in previous biopsy procedures!
So all is good just now. When I look back at all the really bad times (Failure to thrive, chemo burns, GI distress, etc) I am amazed at how God has acted, often through my team, to heal me of dozens of painful maladies! And also how His daily compassions and mercy have sustained me. One of the lessons Marcia and I are learning on this journey is to not dwell too much on the bad and instead look more on God’s goodness in the land of the living.
May you be so blessed also in enjoying what blessing each day has to offer!
