I asked Jacey if I could repost this update from his Facebook page and he said that it would be fine. This is from this morning
Today is the 14th day in my journey against Leukemia at Duke Hospital in Durham, N.C.
On tap is my second bone marrow biopsy, which maybe I get the results by Friday night or Saturday, if past history is any indication. (Update: Day 21 will be bone marrow biopsy now).
The first week there were some emotional tears, not so much in a “Why me?” sense. Just was a lot to process at once. I understand the rest of my life will be forever altered in several ways.
My approach has been good. I often say I hope for “repeatable days.” If I have already faced it, I can handle it. A lot of my adversity came before my diagnosis April 27-28, and I handled that as best I could.
Tuesday was the first time I got thrown a curveball where I was having a good day until 4:30 p.m., and then I wasn’t. Felt sleepy the rest of the day and night. Maybe it was my punishment for thinking of watching two Bulls games from this past season was a good idea (I am half kidding).
The nurses have all been good and I have tried to walk a combined 1.5 miles a day. The food is bland but slowly you figure out what you like — chocolate or vanilla pudding! The ice cream, sherbert and apple crisp round out the current “yummies.”
The first seven days was all about a 24-hour chemo drip bag and I would use the restroom once an hour overnight. Weird, weird dreams too. Now I am in the midst of a 14-day span where I take four big pills a day — two in morning and two in evening. I have figured out best way ... sip of water, insert pill and then gulp of water. Water, three flavors of Gatorade that end up all tasting the same, apple juice, orange juice and occasional sweet tea are some of my drinking options.
If anyone has tried mailing something, not sure if they’ve receieved it or can. If it has been returned to sender, I can send a home address. So many text messages, phone calls, DM’s, instant messenger chats and a few who came to just drop something off even though they could meet the nurse and not me (due to covid). So thankful and that has kept me busy in a good way. The Go Fund Me was amazing.
Still looks like late May is when I go home but will still have the Hickman catheter in me. That will take some adjusting, but I do have a 5-day chemo trip in June where I am back here at the hospital.
Coaches like to say one game at a time and I just go one day at a time. My decisions are minor, watch something in the chair or in the bed? Walk twice or maybe three times in a day? Be silly enough to watch Law & Order: SVU season 21 in three days? Yes. In a way with everything canceled and social distancing, I haven’t really missed much. I do miss work at times and help in my own way, but not a lot going on there either.
Overall, it seems to be going well. Thank you to everyone and looking forward to whatever my new normal ends up being.
Today is the 14th day in my journey against Leukemia at Duke Hospital in Durham, N.C.
On tap is my second bone marrow biopsy, which maybe I get the results by Friday night or Saturday, if past history is any indication. (Update: Day 21 will be bone marrow biopsy now).
The first week there were some emotional tears, not so much in a “Why me?” sense. Just was a lot to process at once. I understand the rest of my life will be forever altered in several ways.
My approach has been good. I often say I hope for “repeatable days.” If I have already faced it, I can handle it. A lot of my adversity came before my diagnosis April 27-28, and I handled that as best I could.
Tuesday was the first time I got thrown a curveball where I was having a good day until 4:30 p.m., and then I wasn’t. Felt sleepy the rest of the day and night. Maybe it was my punishment for thinking of watching two Bulls games from this past season was a good idea (I am half kidding).
The nurses have all been good and I have tried to walk a combined 1.5 miles a day. The food is bland but slowly you figure out what you like — chocolate or vanilla pudding! The ice cream, sherbert and apple crisp round out the current “yummies.”
The first seven days was all about a 24-hour chemo drip bag and I would use the restroom once an hour overnight. Weird, weird dreams too. Now I am in the midst of a 14-day span where I take four big pills a day — two in morning and two in evening. I have figured out best way ... sip of water, insert pill and then gulp of water. Water, three flavors of Gatorade that end up all tasting the same, apple juice, orange juice and occasional sweet tea are some of my drinking options.
If anyone has tried mailing something, not sure if they’ve receieved it or can. If it has been returned to sender, I can send a home address. So many text messages, phone calls, DM’s, instant messenger chats and a few who came to just drop something off even though they could meet the nurse and not me (due to covid). So thankful and that has kept me busy in a good way. The Go Fund Me was amazing.
Still looks like late May is when I go home but will still have the Hickman catheter in me. That will take some adjusting, but I do have a 5-day chemo trip in June where I am back here at the hospital.
Coaches like to say one game at a time and I just go one day at a time. My decisions are minor, watch something in the chair or in the bed? Walk twice or maybe three times in a day? Be silly enough to watch Law & Order: SVU season 21 in three days? Yes. In a way with everything canceled and social distancing, I haven’t really missed much. I do miss work at times and help in my own way, but not a lot going on there either.
Overall, it seems to be going well. Thank you to everyone and looking forward to whatever my new normal ends up being.
