Day 80 is bringing out some spiritual and thought provoking memories today, so please forgive my at times rambling offshoots.
Captain X you always seem to have a motivational tool at the ready for me when things could be going better, and today my subscription to Livestrong is official. Hank, my remembrances of your spirit evoke so many good thoughts. Mary my dear Mary, how lucky can my brother be ending up with your true kindness and love (it still amazes me. The care package we received in the mail Saturday made our evening!) The little things are all adding up to me now as I am coming to an end of the "acute" phase of this stem cell transplant. Yvonne continues to motivate when I need it (all of the time lately) and push me forward in the most supportive and adult way. Dad, Alice, Cathy, Les, Alan- if I sound less than positive it's temporary. I have realized with focus, nutrition, physical fitness, and knowledge I have the best fighting chance to return to normal. I am at Day 80 today, Yvonne was there watching them relax me, and complete the last bone marrow aspiration taking a little fluid in the clinic today all without pain. She smiled when I needed it and looked forward to our return trip to home so she could eat the leftovers pizza she made for me last night. She drives me every day we need to go to town or other locations, even though I have the I am the guy I drive background.
My best man is coming up from Portland to rock and roll with us this coming weekend as Rush is coming to the White River Amphitheater. Tony, thanks for the news and positive messages you've sent my way, you are a good friend. I have some pulmonary testing, some oral hygiene stuff, and just a few more by rote testing to complete before I am released to my original oncology doctor. The best news of all is I am tapering off of Predisone which cause weakness, puffy face, and many other ugly side effects. I should be done with that by early September!! In the meantime I am finding focus where I can to keep busy, making a buck or two in the stock market, etc. My platelets are a cause of concern and seem to continue to go down over time, that's where nutrition hopefully will help. Update over, enjoy a nice little ditty on me. Live Happy!
