Time Travel
It has been a year today, November 19, since John called from the doctor that Friday afternoon, so shocked and confused that he had the doctor explain that he had leukemia. Debbie was closer and got there first. The three of us heard the diagnosis of AML.
There was the month in the hospital that followed. We moved John in with us. The infection came in January and there were weeks more in the hospital. He didn't come back from chemo as he should, so we skipped further consolidation treatments and planned for a bone marrow transplant.
In April, we moved to Seattle. On May 26, John had a second birthday, of sorts. We returned then to a hurricane On September 1. Our small house seems like a hurricane at times, with two hairy, barking dogs (one blind no less) two working old people, painters and all, the noise of the city and with John, his girlfriend and others passing through at odd hours.
To celebrate 180 days post transplant, John had a bone marrow biopsy yesterday. The results will take a week, but other signs remain good. His GVHD has been limited to chronic stomach upsets that are being treated with low doses of Prednisone. His blood counts are reasonably good, but he hasn't needed any additional blood at all, which is excellent.
John's energy level is low. I think part of that is simply who he is, a 20ish guy without a lot of direction in life. Some relates to the fact that he has to think twice about things we ignore, like going outdoors in the daylight and going into a public place where he might be exposed to something.
I am tired inside and working to make my life smaller, though without much success so far.
Life is different now, but it is life, and, with all that comes with it, life is good. We are glad for it to go on, and we hope, on and on. That is my hope for you.
There was the month in the hospital that followed. We moved John in with us. The infection came in January and there were weeks more in the hospital. He didn't come back from chemo as he should, so we skipped further consolidation treatments and planned for a bone marrow transplant.
In April, we moved to Seattle. On May 26, John had a second birthday, of sorts. We returned then to a hurricane On September 1. Our small house seems like a hurricane at times, with two hairy, barking dogs (one blind no less) two working old people, painters and all, the noise of the city and with John, his girlfriend and others passing through at odd hours.
To celebrate 180 days post transplant, John had a bone marrow biopsy yesterday. The results will take a week, but other signs remain good. His GVHD has been limited to chronic stomach upsets that are being treated with low doses of Prednisone. His blood counts are reasonably good, but he hasn't needed any additional blood at all, which is excellent.
John's energy level is low. I think part of that is simply who he is, a 20ish guy without a lot of direction in life. Some relates to the fact that he has to think twice about things we ignore, like going outdoors in the daylight and going into a public place where he might be exposed to something.
I am tired inside and working to make my life smaller, though without much success so far.
Life is different now, but it is life, and, with all that comes with it, life is good. We are glad for it to go on, and we hope, on and on. That is my hope for you.
