I have to make this posting!
Thursday, the 17th, marks the second anniversary of my bone marrow transplant. It's hard to believe that it's been two years already. I can still vividly remember the entire day when I was in the hospital awaiting the arrival of that life extending fluid. Obviously, since then, I have achieved the ultimate goal of still being here to talk about it. I had meant to ask the doctor last Wednesday how many people my age get this far - but, senior moment, I forgot to. I'll try to remember when I next go in May.
How did I commemorate the event? I spent three hours helping a neighbor lady connect her Quicken program up to her bank and her credit card accounts and I went to choir this evening. I think that it was best to just let life take its course and not to stop to actively celebrate the occasion. As I said before, other than making trips to the doctor, it seems like nothing out of the ordinary has happened to me. I have put this whole experience on par with other events that just seem to be part of my life - going to college, moving from state to state, etc.
I have heard nothing back concerning my message to my donor so I am chalking that up to the fact that he does not wish to either respond or connect with me. I can live with that!
Change of subject. The warm weather we experienced yesterday and will again tomorrow give me cause to relish the fact that winter is coming to an end. It's hard to imagine how we think of 55 degrees as being warm when in the fall it starts to mark the decline of the weather and we comment how chily it's getting.
Another spring is coming, live begins anew once again.
I get to see it...
Bob
February 15, 2011 8:45 PM
I'm getting kind of biblical!
Every other day it seems that I have to rise and walk! Yesterday I went for over half an hour. It seems that each time the speed and time increases so, obviously, I walk more and more. Today I took and break and went and replaced an undercabinet light fixture that did not work for a neighbor of mine.
Yesterday, I also sent a two year update message to my donor through Dana-Farber. We'll see if he chooses to respond. He has not done so in the past.
Last night was also the evening for our monthly blood cancer support group meeting. Lately, there always seems to be good food. Last night, however, there was a woman there for the first time who told the story of a friend of hers who had a bone marrow transplant a year and a half ago and suffered such horrible scleroderma that her skin began to peal off! In order to counteract the transplant, they gave her megadoses of prednisone which caused the poor woman to gain over a hundred pounds. I have been so lucky! Contending with my eye issues is child's play compared to what some people have had to go through.
And, today, I hear the story of a 78 year old woman who has been diagnosed with leukemia but is too old for a transplant. She has been given two years. During which time, she will be continually getting blood transfusions and chemo treatments. How enjoyable will that be?
Last night we lost our electricity in the high winds that rattled through our area. Fortunately, it was for only an hour and a half. But, you never know how long it's going to be out until it comes back on! What a brilliant statement that was!
Not much more to report other than that Thursday marks the second anniversary of my bone marrow transplant. Two years! It seems like yesterday, at times, and at other times, it seems so long ago as I have moved on with my life.
I'm so fortunate to have a life that I can move on to...
Bob
Every other day it seems that I have to rise and walk! Yesterday I went for over half an hour. It seems that each time the speed and time increases so, obviously, I walk more and more. Today I took and break and went and replaced an undercabinet light fixture that did not work for a neighbor of mine.
Yesterday, I also sent a two year update message to my donor through Dana-Farber. We'll see if he chooses to respond. He has not done so in the past.
Last night was also the evening for our monthly blood cancer support group meeting. Lately, there always seems to be good food. Last night, however, there was a woman there for the first time who told the story of a friend of hers who had a bone marrow transplant a year and a half ago and suffered such horrible scleroderma that her skin began to peal off! In order to counteract the transplant, they gave her megadoses of prednisone which caused the poor woman to gain over a hundred pounds. I have been so lucky! Contending with my eye issues is child's play compared to what some people have had to go through.
And, today, I hear the story of a 78 year old woman who has been diagnosed with leukemia but is too old for a transplant. She has been given two years. During which time, she will be continually getting blood transfusions and chemo treatments. How enjoyable will that be?
Last night we lost our electricity in the high winds that rattled through our area. Fortunately, it was for only an hour and a half. But, you never know how long it's going to be out until it comes back on! What a brilliant statement that was!
Not much more to report other than that Thursday marks the second anniversary of my bone marrow transplant. Two years! It seems like yesterday, at times, and at other times, it seems so long ago as I have moved on with my life.
I'm so fortunate to have a life that I can move on to...
Bob
February 13, 2011 8:30 PM
What a wonderful juxtaposition!
Believe it or not, today marked the Sunday closest to 40 days since the passing of my mother-in-law. It is a tradition in the Greek Orthodox Church to mark the occasion with a small ceremony - which was done. Also, at the close of the service, another tradition was honored with the blessing of a baby who was born 40 days ago and marking her first entrance into the church. So we got to both celebrate a life that was well ived and now ended and to celebrate a new life ito be lived with the arrival of the infant.
All in all, it was a wonderful service which we followed up by having brunch together.
Otherwise, life was quiet for the day as we await the coming of Spring. More importantly, I await the passing of Winter - I don't care what comes next as long as Winter quickly recedes in the rearview mirror.
But we did make plans to visit friends in New York at the end of March. It's been too long since we have seen them. As I said before, we sometimes let life get in the way of doing the things that we both want to do and need to do. We are eagerly looking forward to it.
It's always nice to have some desired occasion on the horizon to keep us going...
Bob
Believe it or not, today marked the Sunday closest to 40 days since the passing of my mother-in-law. It is a tradition in the Greek Orthodox Church to mark the occasion with a small ceremony - which was done. Also, at the close of the service, another tradition was honored with the blessing of a baby who was born 40 days ago and marking her first entrance into the church. So we got to both celebrate a life that was well ived and now ended and to celebrate a new life ito be lived with the arrival of the infant.
All in all, it was a wonderful service which we followed up by having brunch together.
Otherwise, life was quiet for the day as we await the coming of Spring. More importantly, I await the passing of Winter - I don't care what comes next as long as Winter quickly recedes in the rearview mirror.
But we did make plans to visit friends in New York at the end of March. It's been too long since we have seen them. As I said before, we sometimes let life get in the way of doing the things that we both want to do and need to do. We are eagerly looking forward to it.
It's always nice to have some desired occasion on the horizon to keep us going...
Bob
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