The Student becomes the teacher

Confused? You won't be.

It's so nice to be here again as caregiver.I have treasured my time with Carol as much as I did all those years ago when we lived so close and spent so much of our time together.

But to explain my first comment. Each time I've been here I have brought art and craft projects to get the creative juices flowing and lift Carol's spirits.

( Of course Carol's spirits haven't needed much lifting through most of this, she is the one that lifts all of our spirits)

That being said I'll tell you what happened this time. Carol taught me an incredible new way of beading, it's called "Peyote stiching" and it is so sweet and beautiful. Something I don't think I would have tried had she not started me. So as I said, the student has become the teacher.

This has been an incredible experience for me. One that has shown me the strength and generosity of the human spirit, in so many people, in so many places and in so many ways. I have done some healing of my own. I won't go into it, but thank you Bari and Sharen. If you read this blog, know that you have given me back my inner balance.

If all goes well , the next time I'll be with Carol it will be at home in Sarasota. And very soon too!

Girls Whirlwind Weekend...

Hello Everyone,
This Saturday, after Jaime and I went for our morning walk, he passed the helm to our wonderful friend and neighbor, Cathy. Since she is one of our experienced caregivers, no instruction was needed other than letting her know I was given permission to drive, so we dove right into lunch and non-stop catching up, then went right for the Upwords game. Two of them, actually. My new cells have proven to be much better, but still there's just no beating Cathy. And in her own words:

What a Difference a Month Makes
We had such a fun girls' weekend full of firsts...Carol drove for the first time since June...I had Bok Choy and Dragon Fruit for the first time (not together)...we both were enchanted for the first time by the exquisit Tampa Theater where we saw Mao's Last Dancer (thanks for the recommendation, Natalie!). I was so tickled to see Carol's much improved energy, appetite and hair! She is looking and feeling so well!
Cath

Back to me...Sunday morning after our power walk around the lake we went to the clinic for my blood work, (which I drove to!!!!) Then lunch and off to Tampa for the film, which we totally enjoyed as well as our self tour of the theater. Then we took a drive in and around downtown Tampa, Bayshore Drive, Tampa University and even over to Ybor City to check out the main street. It was a beautiful afternoon and a great gift for both of us to be having more fun than having to give care!

Just a short update and much thanks to Cathy for driving up to Tampa to be my caregiver, yes those are still the rules 24/7!

Love to all,
Carol

Busy week!

Good Evening Family and Friends. This week has been full of surprises and adjustments, mostly good and wonderful, some adjustments nevertheless.
Monday morning my cousins Frankie and Sandy told us they had been taking care of their 7 year old granddaughter who was sick with a sore throat, cough and fever and had not recuperated yet. Together we decided it was not a good idea for them to be in contact with me and we sadly canceled our fun 4 days together. They won’t get gipped though, they’ll be visiting in Sarasota as soon as they can!
Daniel was with me and in the afternoon during our appointment with the P.A. I asked if I could go home for a few days due to the circumstance and was granted permission since all was going so well! I could have left Monday afternoon, but didn’t want to miss my very special 5:00PM yoga class or my Tuesday midday class. Jaime came up to take me back on Tuesday afternoon since Daniel had plans in Tampa, and home to Sarasota we went! Upon arrival my Dad and Joyce invited us out to one of our favorite restaurants, Veg, in Gulf Gate. All of our dinners were delicious and such a treat being out in good company.
Wednesday morning I took a wonderful walk with Daniel, the air and the breezes were wonderful, even through my mask, and as always Daniel’s long legs gave me a good workout. Upon arrival back home, my precious friend, Chris, pulled up laden with gluten free bread and scones so it was an automatic mid morning tea/coffee time with lots of good chat time and hugs.
Being at home, my own shower, having slept in our own bed and just enjoying being in our home was sweeter than I had imagined. Later that evening I made a big yummy soup and we got to share that with yet another precious friend, Jeri. Again, lots of long overdue hugs and good conversation.
Thursday morning was my first time on my bicycle since June and …you guessed it, just like getting back on your bike! I rode around the neighborhood a little and to my parent’s house, “picked up” my Dad and off we went for a beautiful walk! After my return and good shower…you guessed it…another precious friend, Mimi came for lunch and brought the most yummy zucchini muffins made with the most delicious and healthy ingredients…still being enjoyed! Conversation with Mimi is always good, fun and in Spanish since she is from Colombia and she doesn’t even realize what a treat that is for me!!
In the meantime, Daniel found out he is being promoted again, this time to manager and will be working at a Radio Shack out of the mall on the north side of Tamiami …for those of you who know Sarasota. Great job Daniel! We will have to make some caregiving adjustments as his days off will change and I will be missing one of my favorite caregivers and game players! Luckily, not for much longer.
Ok, one more evening plan, one more precious friend, Donna, and yes, more food since our “yoga on the beach” plan got washed away with the rain. Another cup of tea (my doctor is going to be so happy that I’m drinking and eating enough!) and given the time, Jaime, Donna and I went right into dinner with three way conversation in between bites and spoonfuls.
This morning, Friday, we packed up and were back in Tampa for our appointments at the clinic for blood work, dressing change and doctor’s visit. All went well and a few questions were answered. I am allowed to drive with someone in the car for now…what’s the point…and by myself once home and will not need a caregiver 27/7 anymore! I need to be very careful not to come into contact with people who have had the live flu vaccination and out in public where I won’t know who has had that one, continue wearing a mask and being super anal about washing hands and not touching things and then washing some more. I will be vaccinated before I’m discharged, which brings me to the next answer we got. Assuming my bone morrow biopsy results are as good as my last one, and everything else continues to go well, I will see my doctor on Monday October 11th and she will bid me adieu. My cousin Freddie will be my caregiver at the time and leaving on Tuesday Oct. 12th, so we will enjoy one more day together and when she packs, I will do the same. My suitcase will be bigger!
So will soon ends my long stay in Tampa and on Friday, my 100th day since my transplant, my sis, Susan will be my celebration as she comes for a whirlwind weekend. Catch us if you can!
Looking forward to seeing Cathy tomorrow driving from SRQ, and my sis-in-law, Sherry on Monday flying in from PHL to TPA!

Thank you for bearing with me during this long story and for all of your sweet calls, emails, cards and visits! I really love reading your comments on the blog too!!
Much love,
Carol

In my own words

Dear Family and Friends,
It’s been quite a while since I’ve actually blogged, but I want you all to know that I am so thankful to all of you who have commented on the blog, phone calls full of support, e-mailed, sent cards, visited me in the hospital and come to our apartment with much cheer and goodies to nourish, fatten me up and see how well I am actually doing, reassuring you all that I am on the mend and will be home in about 28 days if my doctor sticks to our original plan.
As many of you have probably read, and I don’t mean to be redundant, but I have been in awe of my caregivers. I’ve been so blessed to have such caring family and friends who have come and taken care of me, driven me to Moffitt and the many other outings needed, cooked for and with me, kept up with my walking, attended yoga with me, created art work with me, played all kinds of games when I could or needed to sit still, spoiled me, and all the special care that was needed especially in the beginning. Many of you came by plane. Some on long car rides some both. I just love and appreciate every one of you and every minute of your time and effort…even in your new role as enforcers of the doctor’s orders. You are the ones who know how intricate this healing time has been since not every detail is posted.
Before I continue, it doesn’t go without saying that my main caregiver, Jaime, has been here for me through very thick and very thin times and I don’t know how I would have fared if it hadn’t been for his support, direction, understanding, dedication, tenderness, protection, tolerance, and love …to name a few. My second main caregiver, Daniel, who has come here every single week on his only two days off of work to do all the same as above and not only without complaint, but reminding me that it was his pleasure, has been priceless.
I am so grateful to Alexia, who left my wonderful son-in-law Trevor and most precious granddaughter (thank you Trevor and Bella for giving Alexia the freedom to be my caregiver). Especially the time I had been released from Moffitt 3 weeks after my transplant, so looking forward to our time in the apartment, only to be dragged back to the hospital to endure 4 days of fever. She reassured me it didn’t matter and that it would be fine as we would still be spending time together, and thank goodness for that because she helped keep me out of a funk while feeling so crappy those days, not to mention, it came upon her to move me out of the hospital when I was finally released and settle me back into the apartment.
Thank you, my dear sister, for making your monthly trips of fun and cheer sharing every activity we could fit into your extended weekends, stolen time from your hubby and work.
One of the major activities keeping my sanity has been my yoga classes which is a pretty amazingly wonderful program here at Moffitt, free to patients and their caregivers. My two teachers/gurus have been most personally nurturing tender people who will be very difficult for me to leave. I know I will find classes in Sarasota, but to be cared for by people who know what I’ve been through and attend to me and the other patients with such loving kindness has penetrated my heart and soul. There have been classes as small as private, to no bigger than 6 or 7 people. I can tell you, they have been as important as the healthy food I eat, the meds I have to take and the masked air I have to breathe.
So my new cells have been with me for 72 days and they have so far been pretty friendly, not too much trouble while taking over my old ones. I won’t be able to thank my donor for a year, but how incredible that a 24 year old female from somewhere in Europe has been so giving and literally saved my life, a stranger to her.
I expect the next 4 weeks to fly since I will have the extreme pleasure of the company of Daniel, cousins Frankie and Sandy for 4 fun days, friend and neighbor, Cathy, next weekend, Jaime then Daniel again, my sis-in-law, Sherry for 4 artistic days, my cousin Freddie from Cape Cod for 6 whole days of adventure (she’s a rower as well and it will be all we can do to stay away from the water!) and as we wind down the last week, my sis, Susan, will be back for a short but sweet weekend perhaps in Sarasota…or she may be helping with the move, we shall see!

Medically, in the next 4 weeks, I will continue to have my blood drawn twice a week and see my doctor once a week. The two biggest medical events will be my bone marrow biopsy on my 90th day and a few days before I go home, I will finally have my central line port removed! I will finally be able to take a shower without covering it and worrying if my shower shield will leak and get it wet. I won’t have to flush it 5 days a week and it won’t be sticking out from my clothes giving me one more thing to be self conscious about beyond the mask and my lack of hair (which is making a steady come back!)
I look forward to seeing everyone soon in SRQ!
Carol

Steady pace!

Hi everyone. Sorry for not blogging as often as we would like to, but not much has changed since the last blog.
Carol continues her progress at a steady pace and she looks forward to going home in 4 to 5 weeks. This by no means is final, but it’s what the original plan called for. Carol had her bone marrow transplant on July 7th.
The required 100 days to stay at the apartment nearby the hospital is about 4 to 5 weeks away to be completed, so the finish line for this stage is getting closer.
One of the physicians assistants tells us that if everything continues going smoothly, about 10 days before going home Carol will have another bone marrow biopsy to check the percentages of the new cells taking over hers, and she will also have the central line in her chest, used for transplant and all of the transfusions and blood work, removed (hurray!)
Once at home her follow ups will continue at her local oncologist with continued visits to Moffitt either once or twice per month, depending on her progress.

This past Wednesday, Carol managed to prepare a great Rosh Hashanah dinner. Aside from the 3 of us, Carol invited Bari, one of her favorite Yoga teachers. So we had a Delicious dinner and a good time overall.
Yesterday, Carol’s good friend Mimi came for a nice visit and brought with her some goodies and Miso soup she made for lunch. I did the smartest thing and left for a few hours, leaving the 2 of them to some girl's talk. After Mimi left, Carol and I took a ride to the very nearby Lettuce Park (recommended by Bari) for a stroll at the beautiful boardwalk through a good portion of the park. (nice picture)

Carol is looking forward to her parents Joe and Joyce visit today around lunch time. They either bring some goodies along or lately since Carol is allowed to go out, they take us for a bite to somewhere nearby.
There is more to look forward in the next few weeks because some family members will be visiting and taking the care giving responsibilities.
Frankie and Sandy, Sherry, Freddie, and then Susan. Of course Daniel will be our steady once a week wonderful relief and savior. I am sure Carol is going to take all of them for a walk in the new park we just found, but maybe by the time the next of them arrives, we will find other interesting places nearby from Bari's "must see" list to stretch our legs.
And to top it all, the most uplifting visit down the line will be Alexia and Isabella in November for Thanksgiving, and again at the end of December with Trevor as well.

That's it for now. Thank you again to everyone that calls, writes, texts and emails.
Jaime

Caring Cousins

Frank and I arrived on Tuesday, August 30 at 3 pm to be greeted by Daniel and Carol. Our instruction lesson took place shortly after our arrival; our instructor was quite good and well versed on the subject. His name is Daniel Gray, and he covered everything in short time. He hooked us up and we were ready to go. Then Daniel was off for a few days to do his own things.
Frank went to the grocery store to stock up on the things to make our party complete. After his return home we started preparing the evening meal. We had so much fun cooking and eating, laughing, chatting and just plain family time. Our time here with Carol has been great; to say she is an inspiration to us is putting it in the simplest of terms! Keeping up with Carol is no easy task! But she is keeping us on our toes. Carol is the fastest power walker of us all, and has run us ragged each evening. Spending time doing word games has been lots of fun, and believe it or not, watching TV is almost non-existent because there are so many other things to do. The puzzles are maddening, but we can’t resist trying to find those tiny stinking parts to fit into a 1000 piece puzzle where everything looks alike. I think it is Jaime who stirs it up then leaves the puzzles for us to complete. He starts them for others to suffer over. Thanks Jaime!!!!
Our time here is coming to an end and I’m saddened to say we will miss all of the fun we have been having. All of the simplest things that we all take for granted at times, are the things we have enjoyed the most while being here. The yoga classes, the trip to the hospital for the blood work report, the family meal time and preparations, games, the evening walks and most of all spending time with Carol have been great. By the way, Carol is doing extremely well, all of her numbers are up and getting to where they need to be!!
Thank you, Carol, for honoring us with the opportunity to share in your recovery. It means so much to Frank and I.

Warmly,
Sandy & Frank

Nice weekend with one minor hiccup

One minor hiccup this past Friday was learning that results from the tests from Monday (endoscopy) showing as suspected, that her cells are fighting the donor’s cells (GVHD). To help with the symptoms the doctor started her with a regimen of steroids. Beginning with a 50 mg daily dose and reducing 10 mg per month (5 months total).
Carol’s 100 days of treatment hit the middle mark this week. Another month and a half will be all the time she needs to stay in Tampa, continuing her treatment and taking her meds while being home in Sarasota.
Saturday was a fun day. Joe and Joyce visited us bringing along a bunch of delicious goodies to prepare lunch, so we spent a little time enjoying the visit and obviously the food.
Later on Saturday, our friends Joe and Donna Smith arrived with a great smile and tons of goodies and cooking tools which they used to prepare dinner at our apartment. Donna must have checked all kinds of known and unknown sources to bring only things Carol could eat, due to her stomach issues.
So the fun begins with Joe and Donna taking over our kitchen and preparing the most delicious dinner from scratch. They made delicious Tilapia, mashed potatoes, steamed carrots and string beans. They even brought some non alcoholic, all natura ginger beer (aside from wine) so Carol could have a drink too. We sat and ate dinner and talked about many subjects for hours. We enjoyed every single morsel of food and every second of their company. We look forward to our next encounter, but next time Carol and I will bring the goodies and do the prep.
Today Carol spent a little time skyping with Isabella. It’s her third birthday. “HAPPY BIRTHDAY BELLA”
She is 3 and already acting as if she were 10!
After he is done work today, Daniel will be coming to stay with Carol for a couple of days until Tuesday, when Cousins Frankie and Sandy take over for the next few days.
Michael (brother) & Sherry (sister-in-law and previous caregiver and in-house artist) will visit either Friday or Saturday when they are done their sailing trip!
We look forward to all our visitors and volunteer care-givers and continue being thankful to you all for communicating and helping keep Carol in good spirits!
Thank you.
Jaime

Cousins visit and more...

Carol continues at a steady pace with her recovery and doing all kinds of exercises to keep her body and mind strong. Exceptions to her rouitne workouts are only when the weather gets in her way. For the past few days the heavy rains have forced her to take her walks around the lake at various times of the day when the rain lowers the heat and humidity. Otherwise the cooler evenings are better. She also fits in workouts at the gym when it rains. There is still one activity she really craves (rowing anyone?)
On Monday's visit to Dr. Thomblyn (head of her medical team) Carol was told that her blood counts from last week were very good and that she was doing very well overall. Tomorrow we should have the results of the biopsy of tissue samples from her digestive track and see if any modification to her meds are warranted.

Now the fun part....
Tuesday started with a great visit from cousins Frankie and Sandy, who drove all the way (4 hours each way) from their new place in Boca Raton to spend a couple of days with Carol. They made the much anticipated move from New Jersey to Boca Raton, so we will get plenty of opportunities to see them more often.

We had a lot of fun during their visit reminiscing about family and friends, which happens every time cousins in our family get together. All the while trying to make a dent to our half way done puzzle.
Aside from having a really good time with them, Frankie and Sandy came up with a very nice surprise...volunteering to come back next week, this time for the roll of caregivers. It will give all of us a nice break but most importantly, it gives Carol a shot in her arm (not literally) and I can get back home or make a short business trip.
Our son Daniel has been giving both of us great support. Taking over the care giving duties any days he gets off from work every week since Carol was admitted to Moffitt. He is always very gentle and careful and keeps pace with his mom while also having lots of fun walking, working out or playing games with her,taking her to the clinic, to the doctor appointments and her yoga classes 3 to 4 time a week.

Thanks to all of you that call, send cards and letters, text or email and keep up with Carol's progress.
Jaime

Chick Flick and Other Simple Pleasures

This was my first weekend as caregiver in the apartment, vs being a companion in the hospital, which carries a layer of added responsibility….particularly if the “patient” is in need of a lot of care. So far so, so GREAT. I arrived yesterday morning (Friday). Carol looks and feels very good, she has energy and counts are all in good shape. As long as she is on anti-rejection meds, she may continue to need to supplement magnesium, and potassium & sodium levels are still low, but those are of course very minor in the scheme of things. Bottom line is, we are able to go out together when needed or for walks when the sun goes down (she is sun-sensitive now and it tends to be oppressively hot this time of year anyway). Yesterday right after a quick lunch, we had a date to get to the movies – this was the first time in 6 months that Carol went to a movie theatre (yes we saw a chick flick, Eat, Pray, Love...totally predictable Hollywood writing & ending but fun nonetheless!) . There are certain times I wish I could capture Carol’s expression or her sense of excitement on film, and this was one of those times, but you’ll have to imagine what it must be like to finally have a little freedom to be in a public place (with a mask) when it’s not too crowded and feel normal, not be wearing that patient label…enjoy some popcorn (another first in many months), get lost in that movie. Later we made a terrific dinner together (so nice to cook together and enjoy it together) and went for a walk at sunset (it’s August in Florida…I wonder how even the Herons and Grebes can breathe??).
Today we went to the fitness center (walked around the lake until we lost our cloud cover) and again, so great to be in a public place doing what normal people do, and doing it together, was healthy for both of us of course! Dad & Joyce came for a visit at lunchtime, and we celebrated Dad’s birthday a little early – so nice to be together for that….they brought lunch, we had birthday desserts & I shared some travel photos…very sweet visit. We went out to run an errand or two, including picking up some ingredients to compliment our dinner, and ended the day with our favorite game of scrabble.
We’ll see what tomorrow will bring beyond the required visit to the clinic. I may not get to finish this weekend tale before I fly back to NJ, but I’m SO happy to see Carol doing so well, and taking small steps to regain some freedoms and enjoy some of life’s simple pleasures…I’m so proud of her ability to make the very most of being present in the moment, keep her mind sharp and have such inner strength and forward-focus. Of course the love & support & dedication of her men & daughter & parents & extended network of family & friends helps to keep powering that engine :-)
Susan (sister)

Going and going......

Just a brief update to let our friends and family know that Carol is consistently getting satisfactory blood test results. She continues her visits to the clinic which were already reduced to only twice a week (Thursdays and Sundays) with only a weekly consult with Dr. Tomblyn who reviews her progress and adjusts her medication accordingly.
Everything is on target and we hope she can complete her 100 days cycle on time.
The normal day to day events are a brisk walk around the lake after sundown, Yoga, four times a week, some beading, some reading, some cooking and a lot of waiting for these 100 days to be over so she can come home.

Here she is on one of our walks. If you can see her smiling is because she is getting ready for Susan’s arrival tomorrow morning and have sisters bliss for a whole weekend.
Short but sweet.

Thank you.

Jaime

Biopsy results and catching up...

Sorry we didn't get a chance to update the blog for quite a few days. Not that we didn't have some great news to share, to the contrary. Here is a little recap of what happened the last few days.
Since Daniel and I are writing portions and gluing them together, this blog could be a bit confusing. Sorry for that, but the most important news is that Carol continues her progress at a very steady pace, not just by her own doing, which is quite remarkable, but we must also give credit to her extraordinary donor.

This portion is written by Daniel.
Yesterday I went with my mom to her appointment with Dr. Thomblyn who did her weekly checkup and gave us some great results from the last bone marrow biopsy!
She told us that there is no evidence of disease in the bone marrow.
The number of blood-forming cells in the bone marrow is about 40% which is where it should be at this point.
Bone Marrow Post-Transplant Engraftment: Percent Donor: 98%
Blood stream cells (a.k.a. myeloid cells, neutrophil): Percent Donor: 100%
T-cells (lymphocytes): Percent Donor: 97%
Her blood type will not change over to the donor's blood type for 3 to 6 months because of the red blood cells life span being about 3 months

30 days after her bone morrow transplant Carol needed another bone morrow biopsy to see if any of the Leukemia blast cells were present on her morrow, and how the donor stem cells propagated (engrafted) onto their new (Carol’s) body.

Bottom line: NO LEUKEMIA BLAST CELLS
And 98% & 100% DONOR BLOOD SUCCESS.

So to recap, Monday the 9th. Cathy Lankenau took over the caregiver’s job and stayed with Carol until Thursday the 12th. This allowed me to take a short business trip and then some time taking care of things at home. Thanks to Cathy for being here and for such a nice break for all of us.
Daniel was able to take over for Cathy on Thursday and then again, it was my turn on Friday.
This week started also with Daniel being with Carol until my return tonight.
Confused? We all are, but it’s great to have some relief, not only for me, but also for Carol. We all appreciate having such a great group of friends and family that so willingly cooperate under these circumstances.

Again, Daniel’s notes here.
To catch up from last week:
Cathy and my mom began their girl time, got some tea going and before long, went for a yoga session. Afterwards they came back for a walk and dinner.
Tuesday morning they visited the fitness center for the first time since being given permission from Dr. Thomblyn. Wednesday was another fun day of yoga and delicious foods and walks.
I came Thursday to find the girls playing on a Wii that Cathy and Gary have lent for the duration of my mom's stay here. They hadn't played it much before due to lack of batteries for the Wiimotes. Cathy had to go and we've been hoping to find time to play some more between all the other things going on.
Friday I left early to get to work and my dad came here to stay until Sunday night when I came back to stay with my mom until Tuesday night. My dad is back now.

OK, now we have to think about what we forgot to tell you and prepare another blog soon.
Thank you all.
Jaime

Steady progress!!!!

For the past few weeks Carol’s blood work has been showing improvement at a steady pace. She continues eating well and exercising very actively. Walking, elliptical or yoga, and some days all of the above. The apartment complex has a very nice walkway surrounding a big lake. Carol is walking 4 times around at the end of the day when the temperatures are lower and the sun is not out. Sunsets are just fantastic.

She is smiling behind her mask

Yesterday Carol had her 30 days after the transplant bone morrow biopsy test. We will have preliminary results in a few days, with more detailed results 2 to 3 weeks later. Detailed results will show the percentages of stem cells that belong to Carol and the ones that came from the donor. They are all Carol’s now :-)
After the morning biopsy we had an appt. to see Dr. Tomblyn, her head transplant doctor, for her weekly review. Dr. Tomblyn was very satisfied with Carol progress over the past weeks and after a check up and medication review, Carol was told that visits to the clinic are now further reduced to twice a week (Yeah!!!) So for now Carol needs to be at the clinic only on Thursdays and Sundays.
Aside from that, other restrictions were also lifted.
She can now go to the apartment’s gym, to a restaurant (when it’s not full and sit away from the crowds), go to the movies (eat popcorn too). Of course continuing to be very careful, wearing a mask when going out, and making sure that gym equipment and other things she touches are cleanly wiped, and of course constantly washing hands.
Carol had a bunch of really great caregivers and visitors over the past weeks. We are all very grateful to all of them for giving us all a bit of a break. For Carol to have a refreshing change to her daily routine and for me to have a bit of a break to go home and do some work.
Sherry Kravitz took over the caregiver’s job for a few days last week. Tons of kraft projects and a great time overall.
Daniel also spent a couple of days in Tampa and had a chance to visit with his aunt Sherry.
Chris Gilligan visited on Sunday for a few hours. She brought some goodies to eat and play with.
Cathy Lankenau arrived yesterday and she will stay with Carol for a few days. Its girls time again!!!!
Thank you to all of you that continue calling, texting and visiting. It’s doing a great job lifting, even more, Carol’s already great spirits.
Will keep you posted.
Jaime

Goin easy :)

Hello there,

Daniel here.

The last couple days have continued to go well! No long infusions, just quick stops at the clinic for vitals and blood work and then off on our own. I arrived while my aunt Sherry was taking care of my mom so it was great to spend time with the two of them and see them having fun together.

They worked on several art projects together and made lots of delicious food. The morning before we took Sherry to the airport my mom's blood counts had all gone up again so everything is still going well with that. After we left the airport, we came back and ate, played games and then it was time for an hour long yoga session. After that we went for a 4 lap walk around the lake (longest yet!). We had plenty of food left from Sherry's cooking which we enjoyed again for dinner.

The next day we went for a short walk after breakfast. We also were visited by a woman from the apartment complex who cleaned the patio for us and replaced our pots and pans with some stainless steel ones and more stuff for the kitchen. My mom did an hour yoga session at noon and later on we made a trip to get some groceries that we needed and the final ingredients for some muffins to be made that night. We played part of a game of UpWords before my dad arrived and I had to head home.

We had a very good couple of days together!

Thanks again for taking the time to check this and for all the love you've all shown us.
I hope everyone is doing well!

-Daniel

Time for more fun

Sorry it's been so long since the last post. it's been an exciting few days.

I arrived on Sunday afternoon for a little more R and R with Carol. We went straight to the BMT clinic from the airport to find out that Carol 's lab reports were so good that they didn't need to give her anything.

Jaime took us to the apartment to show me around before he left to go home and get ready for his business trip to Miami. Carol and I both took a short nap, then off we went to the craft store for more fun supplies.

Monday morning we got to the clinic at 7:30 and they just took her vitals and she didn't need any blood work. At 8:00 we saw Dr.Thomblyn and she was very happy , she said that all Carol's lab work looked great and cancelled her chest x-ray. Dr. Thomblyn also said we didn't need to come back till Wed.


Yay! two days off!


Monday night Carol flushed her ports herself, the first time since the nurse came to the apartment to show her and Jaime how to do it. Then we did art projects and listened to 70's music till almost 10:00 Due to the secret nature of the projects, and to keep recipients from seeing the secret ahead of time pictures will not be posted.


Today we slept till 9:00, what a luxury. Then we had a nice relaxing brunch before going to yoga class. After the class, we went home for a little lunch. Since it was so hot out we decided to go the mall for our walk. So we got a little exercise and a couple of cute tee shirts too!

Then back to the apartment to meet Daniel. Once Daniel arrived I went to the market for stuff to make dinner, while Carol took a little nap.
Carol flushed her ports again, this time with more confidence and efficiency that last night.

The three of us just finished a big dinner of Scallops, Bok-choy, and rice with more veggies.
Time to enjoy a cup of tea, some ginger snaps, and each others company.



It's been fun and inspiring to be here with Carol once again. and so good to see her growing stronger by the day.

Thank you for reading this blog, and for all of the wonderful encouraging comments. Keep them coming, they mean so much.

Love, Sherry

Magnesium Sucks!!!

July 28, 2010

Last night we had a better sleep at the apartment. Mom has yet to sleep smoothly through the night due to some some uncomfortable side effects. This being said, we both feel it is better than hospital sleeping. We had an early wake up (6am) due to an early appointment at the clinic. We got a nice little room with a bed and comfy chair, as opposed to a small partition with one chair. Mom got her vitals and blood work taken first.
Soon after, the blood work came back and we were both very pleasantly surprised that her white blood cell and neutrophil count had nearly doubled! Yesterday white was 3.41 and today it was 5.01, which puts her in the normal range!!!! Her neutrophil count yesterday was 440 and today it was 1450!!! This meant that all of her IV antibiotics were stopped today. That was great news...her magnesium count, however, was down, so they made her have another IV of that. Unfortunately, that is the stuff that makes her feel "yucky", so towards the end, she was uncomfortable.
During most of the process, she was making plans for the rest of the day and we were playing games (me beating her of course..because no mercy... )during the last hour, she started losing some steam and began feeling tired...but not before enjoying a delicious salmon wrap... i made sure to keep her fed and hydrated...
Daniel came in from Sarasota to hang out with us. We caught up while the IV finished. Finally, around 2:30, it was done and rather than going through with all of our best laid plans, we went home to the apartment for an energy boosting nap. Mom woke up feel better, but tired. After nap, i did some some shopping and we cooked some dinner. Now, before bed, I am going to whip everybody's butt in whatever game we decide to play...
Gotta go...
Alexia