Day -3

Day - 3  

Only one more day of chemo . . .

Dan is toting the pole with all his morning
premeds before the chemo begins.

     As I arrived this morning at the hospital, I had to snap a picture of my flashy husband in his "Lake of the Torches Casino" pjs.  He's become a novelty on the floor for the several pair of silky jammies that he wears.  But before you take a leap and think he's completely crazy, the pajamas have a very functional use.  During his worst days, when Dan had the least mobility, he realized that the silkiness made it easier for him to move.  Rolling over in bed was even a challenge, but wearing these made a difference.

     My routine has been taking the shuttle from the Residence Inn around 8:30 or 9:00 each morning and getting to the hospital in time to see the doctors when they make their daily stop.  They have to check Dan's EKG, review his blood panel results, and sign off on the day's chemo routine.  Once approved, the premeds are given followed by two hours of chemo, and then a slow drip of rATG over the next 10 hours.  So far Dan has toughed out the last several days experiencing increasing fatigue and loss of appetite, both the norm for his regimen.    
  
     On the positive side, Dan has noticed a slight improvement in his hands and face.  The numbness on the left side of his face is reduced and even though his hands are still numb, he feels more flexibility than he's felt in a while.   The docs say some patients notice slight changes early due to the chemo.    

     Once he gets through the day, there will only one more day of chemo and two days of rATG.  Then we will be at Day 0.  The transplant should occur at about 10:00 AM.  Megan and Matt will both be here for what we hope to be the event that changes the course of this disease.  Amen to that!

Here it comes, with a smile from Emily.

Cheri spent hours coming up with this
novel gift.  Can you guess what it represents?