It was a great day!
Our friends arrived fairly early this morning from New York having arisen at 4:15 this morning. As I write this, they have gone to bed as they are, not surprisingly, tired from their early start.
It was great to touch base with people that I have not seen in over a year. Lot's to catch up on, lot's of conversation, TV movies, and card playing. Since I really can't go anywhere, it is going to be a relaxing time for all before they go home sometime on Monday. They were pleasantly surprised to see that I looked so well. Music to my ears!
These are the things that make life meaningful. Good friends don't just happen to people and my wife and I are so fortunate that we can count a number of people as being close friends - another blessing that we have been given.
I thank God for this day...
Bob
August 15, 2009 12:30 AM
Sorry for the late post!
We had company over to play cards and then we got involved with the Red Sox game which became a thrilling win for them. Of course, when you don't see people for a long time, we tend to talk a lot as well which consumes quite a bit of time.
I got a newsletter today from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society which seems to keep tabs on your recovery timetable with the appropriately dated publication. All it dealt with was being overly fatigued, easing into driving, overcoming depression, etc. Something is wrong here! As my wife and I read through it, it didn't apply to my condition at all! I've never been fatigued, I've been driving for months sometimes for trips as long as three hours, I certainly don't have depression, and I am not suffering from any of the side effects of graft versus host disease. It's hard for me to relate to any of the literature that I get because none of it seems to apply. I really have no clue how people are supposed to be reacting during this process and I am amazed to see how debilitating a bone marrow transplant can be. People continue to question whether or not I was actually ill! Regardless, I did have the transplant - that I know. And it usually knocks you for a loop - that I don't know!
How blessed I am...
Bob
We had company over to play cards and then we got involved with the Red Sox game which became a thrilling win for them. Of course, when you don't see people for a long time, we tend to talk a lot as well which consumes quite a bit of time.
I got a newsletter today from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society which seems to keep tabs on your recovery timetable with the appropriately dated publication. All it dealt with was being overly fatigued, easing into driving, overcoming depression, etc. Something is wrong here! As my wife and I read through it, it didn't apply to my condition at all! I've never been fatigued, I've been driving for months sometimes for trips as long as three hours, I certainly don't have depression, and I am not suffering from any of the side effects of graft versus host disease. It's hard for me to relate to any of the literature that I get because none of it seems to apply. I really have no clue how people are supposed to be reacting during this process and I am amazed to see how debilitating a bone marrow transplant can be. People continue to question whether or not I was actually ill! Regardless, I did have the transplant - that I know. And it usually knocks you for a loop - that I don't know!
How blessed I am...
Bob
August 13, 2009 10:35 PM
Somewhat of a repeat of the past few days!
The bulk of the day was dedicated to continuing my bedroom paint project. It is a much needed project as we had never painted the room in the 2 and a half years that we have been here. In the process of puttint the room back together, I looked at my picture on the front page of a local newspaper from last December and I can see that I had that "cancer look". In spite of the fact that I have done so well from the beginning, certain aspects of the disease and treatment just cannot be avoided and that was one of them. Thankfully, that's all gone now!
But, really, the big event for me and my wife is that friends from New York will be visiting this weekend. Needless to say we haven't been able to connect in person for quite a while - only via phone calls and e-mails. So it'll be great to catch up on everything and take another step toward full recovery. I used to take our visits down there and their visits here somewhat for granted - but I really can't do that anymore. We never know what curveballs life is going to throw at us - as "they" say, tomorrow is promised to no one.
But I do expect to be here tomorrow night.
And I expect all of you to be here as well...
Bob
The bulk of the day was dedicated to continuing my bedroom paint project. It is a much needed project as we had never painted the room in the 2 and a half years that we have been here. In the process of puttint the room back together, I looked at my picture on the front page of a local newspaper from last December and I can see that I had that "cancer look". In spite of the fact that I have done so well from the beginning, certain aspects of the disease and treatment just cannot be avoided and that was one of them. Thankfully, that's all gone now!
But, really, the big event for me and my wife is that friends from New York will be visiting this weekend. Needless to say we haven't been able to connect in person for quite a while - only via phone calls and e-mails. So it'll be great to catch up on everything and take another step toward full recovery. I used to take our visits down there and their visits here somewhat for granted - but I really can't do that anymore. We never know what curveballs life is going to throw at us - as "they" say, tomorrow is promised to no one.
But I do expect to be here tomorrow night.
And I expect all of you to be here as well...
Bob
August 12, 2009 11:15 PM
Another great day!
Did painting(as usual) this morning and then went to dinner at a friend's house later in the afternoon. It's so nice to be able to get out and socialize with people on their turf. Slowly, but surely, I have been advancing on this front. This is now the third house that I have eaten dinner at(boy, that seems like lousy language to me but you know what I mean)!
I also received some wonderful news from my daughter concerning the woman from Norway who was a bone marrow donor about the same time that I was receiving my transplant. She is planning to come to America. I would love to have the opportunity to see her but I have no idea what her itinerary is to be.
It also felt great that here was another Wednesday that I didn't have to go to Boston to see the doctor. I am really loving these non-doctor visit days. Of course, feeling as well as I do, I just think that any doctor visit is unnecessary. But we'll play by the rules as it seems that we are winning this game - the real Game of Life!!!
So much for today...
Bob
Did painting(as usual) this morning and then went to dinner at a friend's house later in the afternoon. It's so nice to be able to get out and socialize with people on their turf. Slowly, but surely, I have been advancing on this front. This is now the third house that I have eaten dinner at(boy, that seems like lousy language to me but you know what I mean)!
I also received some wonderful news from my daughter concerning the woman from Norway who was a bone marrow donor about the same time that I was receiving my transplant. She is planning to come to America. I would love to have the opportunity to see her but I have no idea what her itinerary is to be.
It also felt great that here was another Wednesday that I didn't have to go to Boston to see the doctor. I am really loving these non-doctor visit days. Of course, feeling as well as I do, I just think that any doctor visit is unnecessary. But we'll play by the rules as it seems that we are winning this game - the real Game of Life!!!
So much for today...
Bob
August 11, 2009 10:55 PM
A repeat of sorts...
Just spent the day painting. Though we did have 2 of the grandchildren here for a while this afternoon - always a nice time.
Tomorrow will be more painting and then a visit to friends for dinner later on in the afternoon. As I was saying yesterday, there is not much of substance to dwell upon. Every month there is 1 meat day with all the rest being potato days - just the way that the doctor wants it.
I, of course, am still doing fine....
Bob
Just spent the day painting. Though we did have 2 of the grandchildren here for a while this afternoon - always a nice time.
Tomorrow will be more painting and then a visit to friends for dinner later on in the afternoon. As I was saying yesterday, there is not much of substance to dwell upon. Every month there is 1 meat day with all the rest being potato days - just the way that the doctor wants it.
I, of course, am still doing fine....
Bob
August 10, 2009 10:45 PM
Another great day!
Basically, I spent the better part of the day painting. But that's OK because the results are really worth it. The prior paint job was pretty poor! And anyway, it was really too hot outside to do much else.
Nothing of any substance happened. I am doing extremely well and have no complaints.
I do think that it's about time that I update my picture - so I'll get to that over the next few days. There really is not too much that they let you customize.
As my recovery period progresses, I expect that there will be less and less to report of any great substance(not that there is much now). And that's the wonderful part about this whole experience - nothing seems to divert me from the appointed course! I thank you so much for your prayerful support - it has worked wonders!
I think that that's about it for today...
Bob
Basically, I spent the better part of the day painting. But that's OK because the results are really worth it. The prior paint job was pretty poor! And anyway, it was really too hot outside to do much else.
Nothing of any substance happened. I am doing extremely well and have no complaints.
I do think that it's about time that I update my picture - so I'll get to that over the next few days. There really is not too much that they let you customize.
As my recovery period progresses, I expect that there will be less and less to report of any great substance(not that there is much now). And that's the wonderful part about this whole experience - nothing seems to divert me from the appointed course! I thank you so much for your prayerful support - it has worked wonders!
I think that that's about it for today...
Bob
August 9, 2009 9:30 PM
Everything's back!
It seems that I can get backinto this site in the conventional manner. I hope that each of you did not experience the problems that I had last night.
This post is a little earlier because I would like to catch a TV show at 10:00.
It was a good day - did some more painting and had some company for dinner. Once I get going on a project, I hate to stop - even for a day. So I did some painting this morning before company arrived in the afternoon.
It being Sunday, once again I think about church and how much I miss going. But, I have to rationalize it all, trading a long term gain for a short term loss. I did hear today about another leukemia patient who has a marrow donor all lined up but can't go forward because doctor's have assessed her as not yet being healthy enough to undergo the transplant. I was so fortunate - I was healthy and a donor was immediately available. For me, I realize that the whole process is serious business but not having suffered any repercussions I just kind of gloss over the severity of the situation.
Likewise, another person's health issues were brought up such that they are considering chemotherapy as a possible way to combat things. Of course, the doctors dwell on the many debilitating side effects and all the risks involved. But they never really commit to saying that there is a possibility that nothing will happen.
We are all told that there are risks, but we aren't ever told that there is a chance that you will come through it squeaky clean so to speak. I realize that that is not the most likely of situations but they should say that your response to the chemo can run the gamut from nothing to not making it. That's a wide spread to be sure - but I would have liked to have had the whole story up front. Instead you go in there fearing the worst because that's what you have been told. I know that they don't wish to elevate your expectations but I think that if you realize that you can pull through it unscathed that you'll fight all the harder. I was shocked to see that I had no problems because I thought that that was not a possible outcome.
I know that I have kind of rambled on. I went down a path that I never even considered when I started writing tonight's entry.
Talk about stream of consciousness...
Bob
It seems that I can get backinto this site in the conventional manner. I hope that each of you did not experience the problems that I had last night.
This post is a little earlier because I would like to catch a TV show at 10:00.
It was a good day - did some more painting and had some company for dinner. Once I get going on a project, I hate to stop - even for a day. So I did some painting this morning before company arrived in the afternoon.
It being Sunday, once again I think about church and how much I miss going. But, I have to rationalize it all, trading a long term gain for a short term loss. I did hear today about another leukemia patient who has a marrow donor all lined up but can't go forward because doctor's have assessed her as not yet being healthy enough to undergo the transplant. I was so fortunate - I was healthy and a donor was immediately available. For me, I realize that the whole process is serious business but not having suffered any repercussions I just kind of gloss over the severity of the situation.
Likewise, another person's health issues were brought up such that they are considering chemotherapy as a possible way to combat things. Of course, the doctors dwell on the many debilitating side effects and all the risks involved. But they never really commit to saying that there is a possibility that nothing will happen.
We are all told that there are risks, but we aren't ever told that there is a chance that you will come through it squeaky clean so to speak. I realize that that is not the most likely of situations but they should say that your response to the chemo can run the gamut from nothing to not making it. That's a wide spread to be sure - but I would have liked to have had the whole story up front. Instead you go in there fearing the worst because that's what you have been told. I know that they don't wish to elevate your expectations but I think that if you realize that you can pull through it unscathed that you'll fight all the harder. I was shocked to see that I had no problems because I thought that that was not a possible outcome.
I know that I have kind of rambled on. I went down a path that I never even considered when I started writing tonight's entry.
Talk about stream of consciousness...
Bob
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