Post Script - Thursday

I had trouble with my computer last night so didn't post.  So I told you about yesterday this morning.  Just a short update about today.

Dani felt better today.  The nausea seemed to be under control and no cramping.  So, many walks today and even a couple of bites of melon and a few of sherbert.  It stayed down so perhaps progress is being made.  We apparently have mucositus (mucositis) to look forward to soon.  Apparently the chemo damages a layer of skin in your gastrointestional tract and about this time the first layer sluffs off and the damaged layer comes to the top with sores and mucus.  Sounds fun, doesn't it?  We also have been told that probably most of her hair will fall out.  If it does, we'll make sure and take new pictures!

The doctor told her this morning that he would not be surprised if she started showing some engraftment in the next few days.  That would be a little ahead of schedule and a good sign if it comes. Her blood count of stem cells is not down to zero yet, but apparently they expect it to get there or if we get engraftment, the new stem cells will fight the old ones and destroy them.  I don't know if that has any physical effects or not. They changed one medication that seemed to be irritating the liver so hopefully there is no damage.  If she doesn't get side effects and all her organs stay healthy, that would be the best scenario.  Here's hoping!

I can't think of much else to share, thanks for the cards and wishes.  We both enjoy them.    More tomorrow.

Bye for now

MOM

Wednesday - weakday walkday

Wednesday morning started pretty rough.Nausea and cramps were early risers and made Dani pretty miserable. But by mid-morning she was some better and we took four walks during the day. Her blood counts are going down and she was given a blood transfusion today. Things are going according to plan apparently. The doctors seem satisfied.


I am glad I have my car here, I have been able to get where I need to go and back again, without getting lost. The freeways really help. We have both enjoyed the weather here. It has been in the 70's most days and has only rained at night. I talk to people in Boise and it has been really HOT there. Upper 90's.


It is really lovely here, with all the waterways and everything being so green.I've enjoyed the scenery doing what driving I have done. We have great views from both our apartment windows and from Dani's hospital window.


I am going to attempt to add the photos I took on the night of transplant. Here goes:

The first picture is of the nurse showing Dani the stem cell bag, then Dani hooked to the cells, all the IV bags they are using to medicate and give her nutrition, and our night nurse the night Dani received her transplant. Dani's hair is already growing out some, we don't know if she will loose it more or not, there are mostly bald people on our floor. We will see. We will be sure to post photos if that happens!


I'm going for now. More later


Bye for now


MOM

I'm giving my momsy a break.... well deserved.

I'm doing this a little early in the day I know, but I am feeling pretty ok right at the moment so I thought I would take advantage of that. I had a very rough night last night. Major abdominal cramping that would come on full blown "on the scale of 1 - 10 10!" then get pushed down by some hefty drugs, then rear it's ugly head again. There was one point I was slightly concerned my appendix was freaking out. Can you imagine me having to have my appendix dealt with in the middle of all this. Luckily that is not the case :) So, after the last bout of agony, I was able to fall asleep and actually rest a little, Well, if you consider resting being bugged every 2-3 hours to be given pills or have vitals taken. But still, I DID  actually get some sleep. :)

So, upon waking this morning i felt like I have been beaten up a few times over, but all in all pretty good. I was surprised with an early visit from the PCP Dr. F, who ended staying and chatting about stuff for a good 45 minutes. He's nice. Always very upbeat about this process and encouraging. He was telling me all about the movie he went and saw last night , Sicko? one of those documentary type movies by Michael Moore I think? Dr. F. found it intriguing because where he is from, they have social medicine and watching that movie from that point of view was interesting. Anyhooo... so, we had a long chat about that movie. Random, but  hey, anything to take my mind off the real situation right. He did explain to me that even if things go really really well from here on out, I will most likely be in the hospital for another 2 weeks or a bit more. Ugh. I can't imagine... but ah well, as long as I am on the road to recovery, so be it.

Anyhooo, Since this is an early in the day blab, I don't have much to report, other than I have eaten a saltine cracker, taken a shower, and now typed... and I am WORN out. I need a nap. How sad is that? I wanted to thank you all again for your well wishes and kind words. I know that my mother and I both appreciate them. Isn't my mom doing fab on the blabs. She's the best. Wouldn't have had anyone else here with me to go through this. So, be good to you all and remember that I love you all and miss you all. Hopefully in a few weeks  I will be outpatient again and will be able to see some of you..... K, Buh Bye.

Honeymoon?

Dani says the doctors LIED!  This is certainly no "Honeymoon", or a "getaway", or a "vacation", or even a "pleasant interlude"! Today was rough.  Neausea, and now diahhrea and cramps.  Great!  And with bigger and better things to come, we can certainly plan on an exciting next few days. 

The doctors and nurses are all working really hard to keep Dani comfortable, but this process is a difficult one.  We were aware of that going in, and a few weeks of even abject misery will be well worth it in the long run. The medicines that have to be used do their job but have unpleasant side effects.  So be it.

Oh, I forgot to include the apartment number in the address yesterday, so I will try to do it right this time.
525 Minor Ave. N, Apt 601, Seattle, WA 98109.  Sorry about that.  We have been doing some puzzles.  Mostly laddergrams, we can do those together and we both enjoy them.  Wish there was a puzzle book with just that type of puzzle in it.  If anyone knows of that, or a website that is easy to use for that type of word puzzle, please let us know. 

Tomorrow most of the day Dani will be on her own with her nurses and doctors.  I have to attend classes at SCCA on Food Safety and Care at Home. I will go to the hospital later in the afternoon after I get all "educated".  Having little or no immune system makes for some interesting considerations when it comes to food preparation.  But I will go learn and make sure we can feed our girl when the time comes that she is ready to really eat again.  Right now that's not the case.  She has lost 12 pounds this past week.  She is okay with the liquid nutrition and the IV hydration, but food just won't stay down.  She says the first thing she wants when she has her appetitie back is .....Wait for it.....You guessed it..... A CUPCAKE!  A giant one!

I found my cord so I put the pictures I took the other day on the computer, and I will attempt to add a few when I learn how.  I will have to talk to Dani tomorrow and I'll add them then.

Bye for now

MOM

Sunny Sunday

Well, it was a truly lovely day here today.  Both Dani and I find it interesting how all the news and weather people here get so excited when there is going to be two days in a row of sunshine and temperatures in the 70's.  But, it is that rare here, I guess.  I went to church and the Elder's quorum president and his wife came and gave Dani the sacrament.  We both really appreciate that.  They assured us they would like to do anything they can to help.  He is a scientist and works at the hospital so is very close. 



Today was pretty good on the whole.  Breakfast stayed down all day, and the staff are doing whatever they can to help with the nausea.  One of the doctors told Dani today that right now she is in her "honeymoon" days, that she is feeling good compared to what will come in the next few days.  It's great to have something to look forward to, huh?



Dani is already getting tired of being in the hospital.  It will be a week tomorrow, with at least two more to come, but we are doing lots of word puzzles and reading in between walks and naps.  Very entertaining!  She would certainly enjoy hearing from any of you, but I think the preference would be "snail mail" at this point in time.  Texts and phone calls are a challenge when she is so tired.  I will include our mailing address again - 525 Minor Ave N, Seattle, WA, 98109.



I am finding my way around to do what I need to, don't get too lost and always find my way back to where I need to be, but it is a good thing I left early for church today,  I couldn't turn the direction I needed to go on the street I needed and had to find my way down and around and back.  Seattle is an interesting town to navigate, but the freeways really help.  Good thing I cut my driving teeth on the freeway system in Fort Worth/Dallas, Texas.



I still have not found my camera cord, so no pictures yet, but I'll replace it soon if it doesn't turn up.
We are holding up,looking forward each day to moving past this challenge.  Thanks to you all for your prayers and support.



Bye for now



Mom

I'm back..... for today.....

Wow. Let's just start this thing out with giving some props to my mother. Hasn't she the bestest blogs while I have been  unable. Thanks for doin that and thank you to all the readers for cheering her on.
So, It's back to being my turn, well, for a minute. I am incredibly exhausted. I am insanely nauseas all all all all all all the time. Which makes it difficult to nourish myself, so they have me on a big ol' bag of nourishment that runs right into my veins. It's nothing like pizza and chocolate, but I guess I will take it in order to survive. :) This morning I was able to eat three strawberries, 2 grapes, and a few spoonfulls of cream of wheat, and that was a huge accomplisment. Anyway, I think the news you all actually want to hear is this:
My cells were hooked up to me around 11:30 last night and we were done around 3:30 this morning. I was in and out of sleep for most of it, but every 45minutes every hour of the night they had to take my vitals. such as oxygen level, blood pressure level and temperature. There were a couple times they asked if I was in any pain, but I wasn't so they moved on. All in all it wsa most exciting when people kept wishuing me a happy birthday. that was nice. Ok, so, now, we just get to see and wait and make sure by body accepts these lovelyu cells... But, I have to go lye back down. I'm not enough gonna spell speck. Thank you all again for your support and love. hopefully this will all be over soon.
....


So......that's as far as she got.  She was not feeling well and the apple juice from a couple of hours ago just came up.  But, the stem cells are in, and we are on the positive side of things now.  Even if the next two weeks are really bad, it will be well worth it to have life back. She's already talking about auditions.  Well, we will see what comes.

The nurses and doctors know what is going on in her body, even if her  body doesn't and they are here to help her weather the worst.  She set herself a goal to be out of the hospital in two weeks.  We'll work toward that.  We took pictures last night and plan to put some here, but I can't find the cord for my camera to download the pix, so we will put them up as soon as we can.  I must admit I'm looking forward to my hide-a-bed tonight compared to my hospital cot of last evening.  So, I'll bid you all adieu, and update you more later.

Bye for now

MOM

Day of Rest (really this time!)

Well today was a lot more restful than yesterday.  Nausea is still on the forefront, but maybe a little less.  They have begun around the clock anti-nausea medicine, so that helps some.  When the nurses come and take her vitals (blood pressure, temperature, etc.) they say her numbers are great, so she is doing well, just very tired.  We took two walks (around the hallway) today, and after I left this afternoon, she took one on her own.  I know she missed me though.  But, now, I am back at the hospital.  I left this afternoon and took the shuttle back to the apartment, had dinner, then brought my car back for our "sleep over"  It is now 7:50 and I'm afraid Dani is already into "sleep" mode.  Oh, well, so much for popcorn and late movies.

When the transplant starts, it will simply be done by IV, so Dani may sleep through the whole thing, but a nurse will be here to monitor all the time.  So, I may sleep some too, I just really want to be here, this is a BIG thing.  One of my shuttle-riding friends told me that when her daughter had her transplant last Saturday, the nurses all made a card to wish her a NEW happy birthday.  I don't know if I mentioned it here before, but we have found out that Dani's blood type will change to O Positive when she grafts and begins making her own blood again.  She has been B Negative until now,so maybe her outlook will change! (Ha, Ha!)

These days are not too full of news, things on the homefront are good, my husband is healing well.  He shaved for the first time yesterday.  The doctor told him on Monday that his skin was healed enough to do that, but he said he just hadn't had the nerve.  But he took it slow and it was all fine.  I am grateful for all the help he has had over the last few days.  When I talked to him today, he sounded really chipper.  I don't think he misses me at all.  But then, why would he miss my nagging and endless honey-do lists.

My plan is to attend church this Sunday, but we'll wait and see how our patient feels.  I may stay here instead.  Family first, always.  Hope all is well with all of you followers, thanks for your support.

Bye for now,

MOM

Rest? Day

Today was supposed to be Dani's "rest day".  Well, if being nauseous and unable to sleep is  restful, then it was.  She didn't have any further chemo or great amount of medication, except for beginning the immunosuppressants, which, guess what?, make her NAUSEOUS.  


The doctors came again and Dani and the russian doctor exchanged a few sentences.  It will be great for her to practice.  She is looking forward to that.  One of the doctors came in a gave us details about what to expect the next few days.  Frankly, it sounds pretty grim.  The transplant itself will take place late tomorrow night.  The stem cells are to arrive at Sea-Tac at 8 pm. then come to the hospital and be checked at the lab and Dani should start receiving them around midnight.  I am planning a "sleep over" tomorrow night, maybe I'll bring popcorn and we'll watch late movies.

I have met quite a few people going back and forth on the shuttle buses.  It's weird to be in a community where everyone is dealing with some form of cancer.  They come from all over the states, but are happy to be here in Seattle because of the excellent care offered here.  We are grateful as well.  I do expect the next two weeks to be rough and long, but we will get through with flying colors. With fuzzy slippers and swedish fish we can accomplish anything!  I hope I'm not too serious today, but we are getting pretty serious here.
Hey! Serious in Seattle!  Think it would make a good title?  More later, bye for now,

MOM

Oops!

So sorry!  We blew it yesterday.  No post.  Well, here goes.  So we reported as summoned at the nurses station on 8E at the University of Washington Medical Center.  We were escorted to room 8218 and met Dani's nurses. They are great.  After getting Dani settled, they decided to hydrate her some more, so she got attached to an IV and settled in.  She feels much better after that.  I got the tour of the linen room (so I can go get warm blankies and such) and the nourishment room, (extra goodies for our girl after meal times), and the family room for use by caregivers etc.  It is nice, TV, refrigerater, washer and dryer and even a shower room. 

The view from her room is incredible!  It is so green here this time of year, (well, every time of year) and there is a small park directly below our building with a walking and bike path, a cute gazebo and beyond that a lovely neighborhood.  Best of all, you can see Mount Rainer.  Yesterday was the first clear sunny day in a while and it was completely visible!  That's apparently unusual. Anyway, very good view.

About 1 pm they started the final stages of chemotherapy with an IV fluid call Cytoxin.  It runs for about an hour and then another one today.  Lots of anti-nausea meds before.  The reactions were interesting (Dani might use a different word).  First, burning in the nasal passages, moving on to the sinuses, developing into a massive headache and later a burning in the mouth tissues.  Apparently, the hospital personnel refer to it as "jalapeno mouth"  Dani says that is very accurate, like you ate something very hot, but it doesn't go away.  It was pretty bad.  They gave her pain meds and some "magic mouthwash" that apparently really numbs the mouth tissues.  It finally got better and then she went to sleep very early.

Today, mostly a repeat, but with a few exciting moments.  A whole team of doctors came and lined up at the foot of the bed and after introducing themselves, said they were there to answer any questions she might have.  So she asked where they were from.  Our young doctor that we met yesterday is from Costa Rica and lo and behold, one of the doctors is from near where she lived for a few months in Russia.  He promised to visit so they could speak Russian.  Fun! The chemo went some better today, the pharmacist suggested Sudofed before the treatment and it seemed to help quite a bit, not so much pain.

Tomorrow she gets a day off from lots of medicines apparently to rest before her transplant on Friday. We are both being treated wonderfully by all the people we have met here.  I am using the shuttle from here to SCCA and then on to the hospital.  It's great to sit back and let somebody else navigate Seattle traffic.

We are doing well, and even though the days are tough, our girl is holding up, thanks largely to her faith and all the support she has from friends and family.  Thanks to you all, more later.

Bye for now,

MOM

Into the the Woods to Slay the Giant!

 Or rather, into the HOSPITAL to slay giant. Although quoting Sondheim is so much better. :} Now, I'm gonna make this a very short entry due to the fact that I am REALLY tired and I REALLY don't feel well. Today was a pretty low key day other than low and behold, my doc told me I was much too dehydrated, so they hooked me up to a Saline drip for three hours. After that I did feel MUCH better than expected and we shuffled on home to do nothing. That lasted a couple hours. Then I was a little dizzy and nauseated again. I'm beginning to see a pattern here, one that is spinning and spinning.......
But, to the important news. Hospital tomorrow. We have to be there at 8 sharp. Then my sweet mother will be free of me!!!!! She has been eyeing the bedroom in our one room apartment.... jk. So, hospital will be an all new experience that will enjoy together. But as for now, I need to sleep. Night.

Another day -another 344 millgrams of Busulfan - and about 40 or 50 other pills

Actually, today was a carbon copy of yesterday, with a few interesting incidents.  After the first two blood draws of the morning, Dani and I went upstairs to check in with the doctor and have her vital signs  taken.  After a check of temperature and blood pressure, and a chat to discuss any questions we might have, we headed down to the lab for the next...blood draw.  Today they were two hours apart, some better than the last two days.  Dani is becoming very fond of her Hickman line.  No pokes for blood tests anymore.  Well that trip ended up being the excitement of the day.  We got about 50 feet from the door of the exam room and Dani says "Oh, I'm going to be sick", and then she WAS!  They say there's a first time for everything and I guess this was the first time for her to throw up in a garbage can and on the carpet in the hallway.  Her doctor Stephanie (I don't know if that is spelled correctly, she is German) had just arrived and still had her jacket on and her handbag on her arm, and there she is holding out a trashcan to catch what she could and help Dani.  The nurses were great!  They simply put a towel over the spot on the carpet, took Dani into a room, helped her wash up and rest, and off we went to the next blood draw.  She didn't loose any of the chemo drug but we had to have her retake some of her regular morning meds.  Oh, well, at this point, what's a few more pills and capsules.

The dizzies seemed some better today, but now we have Drowsy Dani.  She is getting very tired and lethargic and has a hard time keeping those baby greens open.  (Sounds different if you don't have blue eyes doesn't it?)  She is still in good spirits and trying to be a good sport, but she is one tired puppy.
We came home from the clinic and she has been sleeping all afternoon.  We did have a nice visit from a young couple that belong to the Ward that we live in.  They came and brought us the sacrament, and told us some things that happened at Church meetings today since we couldn't attend.  It was a very special few moments on our Sabbath day.  We appreciate their effort.

We talked with Vic (Dad and husband) and wished him a Happy Father's Day.  Hope all of you fathers out there had a wonderful day and felt loved and appreciated.  Vic sounds like he is recuperating from his adventure of last week.  We are grateful to many for taking care of him and of Pinetop.  For some of you who don't know, Vic and I are the caretakers of the camp in Idaho City that is owned by the Church.  It is a very busy time, and our friends and neighbors just stepped in and took care of everything.  Such are the blessings of having such good family and friends.

We have one more day of these fun and games.  We have only one blood draw tomorrow and one visit with the doctor and we get to come back to the apartment and nap; and nap; and nap.  At least,I'm pretty sure that's what Dani has in mind.  We will keep pouring the liquids down her and punctuate that with pills and more pills, and then......bright and early on Tuesday we will travel to University of Washington hospital and begin the next chapter in this adventure.  So, I'll say bye for now, and love to all.

MOM

Second day of Chemo - Onward and Around and Around...

'Today, it's my turn.  So, I'm Dani's Mom and shes a little tired (not OF, just FROM) so I get a turn to write.  Nausea has not been a problem and we are grateful for that but, there has been one little interesting side effect of one the meds Dani is taking.  On Thursday night, she has to "load" Dilanton.  That means she had to take 400 milligrams at 5 pm, 400 milligrams at  pm and 400 milligrams at 11 pm.  This medication is to prevent seizures.  It seems to be working on that front, but they forget to inform us that it also can cause dizziness.  Big time.  So now we have "Dizzy Dani".  Thank goodness for walls in hallways.  Walking today was an adventure.  She has come up with a couple of useful hints when experiencing this phenomenon - 'Don't duck when you are walking downhill when you are dizzy'; and  'Down elevators and dizzy don't mix.'
Today's schedule was similar to yesterday's with only 4 blood tests in 4 hours.  They did check the Dilanton levels and suggested she skip the dose tonight and see if that helps with the dizzies.  So we are hopeful for a less dizzy Dani tomorrow.
One thing that Dani is enjoying the last couple of days is getting out of bed and just going to the clinic in her pajamas.  What fun!  So we go to the lab and corner the best two recliner chairs and park ourselves there for the duration.

All the staff at the clinic seem genuinely helpful and kind.  All the patients are struggling with some sort of cancer and yet they are all very friendly.  We met a couple from Alaska who have been here since January that are staying here at Pete Gross house where we are, and two gentlemen from Florida.  Both the men have the same type of cancer and agree they feel that being here is their best chance to overcome their illness.

 We are grateful that we have begun the process toward a cure for our Dani.  Since she has been here she has signed a great number of papers indicating permission for certain treatments.  The other day when she signed several, the doctor made some comments about "signing your life away" and Dani said that she feels that she is "signing her life back".  That's how we feel.  We are grateful for our faith and knowledge that she will again be the strong healthy young woman we know and love.

I'll say so long for now, it is late and we have a medicine "break" and 1 am and 2 am so I'd better put this somewhat older lady to bed.  Thanks to all of you for your love and support.  Bye for now,

MOM

Busulfan Beauty.......

So, two doses of my chemo down. In case you didn't guess, Busulfan, is the name of my current chemo drug. I am taking this one as an out-patient and the drug is administered in pill form. These pills are itty bitty pills so they take five and put them into a clear gel cap. That makes it much easier. We still have to count all the little pills and then all the gel caps every time I take it. It's quite the endeavor. These first two doses were based on my weight and what they wanted to drug to do. Then of course I spent the day getting my blood taken a trillion times. OK, it was only eight. But, eight blood draws in between the hours of 8:45 and 2:00 is a lot. Can we just say that I am grateful for the Hickman Line at this point. Yes.

So, once all my labs came in after the first dose, they adjusted the dosage based on what the drug was ACTUALLY doing compared to what they want it doing. Like, how I am metabolising the drug and if my body is responding. So, turns out, I wasn't responding enough because they upped my dosage by 12 mgs. That is actually quite a bit for this type of drug, so we'll see how the next four go.

Here's how the typical schedule goes. 7am - Anti-nausea drugs, 8am - Busulfan, 8:15 - more anti-nausea drugs (optional, but really, who's gonna pass on that?), Blood tests till 2. Rinse and repeat with Anti-nausea at 1pm, 2pm - Busulfan, more anti-nausea etc...... repeat again at 7pm/8pm then again at 1am/2am. Yes, you saw that right. We have to get up at 1AM in order to take pills. If there has ever been a more lame reason to get up in the middle of the night, this one wins. LAME. ah well.

I AM going to try my best for as long as I can to monitor my getting up and my taking of pills myself so my mother has a little break before she has to do EVERYTHING. I feel bad that I'm still well enough to do stuff and she also feels that since she's here she can do it as well. I dunno, but it will all work itself out. :)

So, if any of the above made sense I will be surprised. I am a little foggy right about now. Now I'm off to take another dose of chemo, some more anti-nausea then off to bed. So, fare thee well all my fair friends and we will chat again soon. 

The beginning of some major fun. No really.

So, tomorrow it begins. For real. Yes, I've been here for a couple weeks, but it all really starts tomorrow. No turning back. Dunh Dunh Dunh. Doesn't that sound fun? Yes. :) So, as said before and you may have guessed, my chemo starts tomorrow morning at 730. The next four days will be a continuous series of 1. anti-nausea drugs, 2. chemo, 3. blood test, 4. blood test, 5. blood test, 6. blood test, 7. blood test rinse and repeat from anti-nausea drug. I'm not kidding about the amount of blood tests. I take chemo and have a blood test every hour for half a day. At least now I have the Central Line and won't have to be poked every time. That is a nice thing. :) Tonight I started some lovely anti-seizure medication. We are heaping it on to start this thing out right. Three sets of four pills to get the medication nice and stacked in my system. 

Today was kind of a nice day. We just chilled until we went to out "Chemo Teach". At the chemo class we were given about 70 new pills that I get to start taking. A pill to prevent Pneumonia, one to prevent herpes (nice), one to prevent fungal infections, one for pain, a vitamin supplement (phew,, wouldn't want to be low on vitamins.. nope), one to prevent liver toxicity, one to control my menstrual cycle (I'm sure you all wanted to know that), a Vitamin D supplement (I blame that on Idaho), one to prevent tumor lysis syndrome (whatever that is, but hey, let's prevent it), of course the one that prevents seizures, one that prevents nausea/vomiting and of course the chemo. Then, just as a added bonus, I was given no less than THREE additional drugs that prevent or help with nausea. They REALLY don't want me to throw up. Which I totally understand. I'm sure my mom doesn't want that either. The deal is, if I decide to release my stomach of it's contents, my poor dear mother would have to stir around in the stuff to make sure I didn't throw up any whole pills. Now, I wouldn't wish that on anyone, so hey, any hint of nausea and in go the drugs. Yupper.

So, once we returned home our brains full of info and hands full of pill bottles, I immediately went to my pill box. Ya know, one of those containers that has Mon-Sun on it with morn, afternoon, eve and night on it to keep all the pill intake straight? Besides the fact that mine is the size of a small African Country, I love it. :) I love being all organized and putting all the pills into their respective slots. I mean, this is how I entertain myself. Don't you all want to grow up to be like me? 

On that note........ Now, I am gonna go to bed and get some rest because I have a feeling the next few days will be long and interesting. But never fear, either me or my mumsy will be happily typing to inform of all antics and happenings. Just one more thing before I run away. A quote, I LOVE quotes. "A beginning is only the start of a journey to another beginning". I'm excited to "begin" tomorrow on the path to another beginning. One that could potentially contain many exciting and new things. I mean who knows, maybe my aversion to eggs will no longer exist. Or not. But, in truth, tomorrow is the beginning of a new....... a new something for me. A new ANYTHING really. I will hopefully be cured and healthy. I know it will take time, but just the thought of no longer being in pain after 12 years or more is so flabbergasting to me I can hardly imagine it. I literally can't remember what it feels like to NOT hurt or feel blah. I have gotten SO used to feeling that way that it was normal. But hey, tomorrow starts that long but great path to my new normal. Sweet Hallelujah. :) I'm stoked. So, I hope all of you all are well and know how much I love and appreciate you and your support. I feel like the MOST loved person in the world with friends and family such as you all. Thank you. That's it, I've been mushy squishy for long enough. Go eat some oreos in my honor. Hearts.

Um.... why haven't I done this before????????

Seriously people, let's just start out with this....

BAM!!!! Awesome! Really, though. Apparently I have quite the cute head. No hairy moles, no large dents, so why haven't I shaved it before? It so easy and fun. I can feel the wind blowing against the skin and it's SO cooling. :) I am sure I will be happy enough to get hair again, but for now this is fantastic. :) My mother is hoping for red curly hair when all is said and done. We shall see. :) So, now for the days doings and how we got to the point of baldness.

We started out the day with my first blood draw from my Hickman Line. PS, here's a pic of that. Sort of. We've got some gauze and such, but you can get the gist of a tube coming out of my chest and so forth.

So, first blood draw from this line. Kinda nice not being poked. Yup. There was some weirdness, I could feel it being pulled from inside my chest, but I'm told that weirdness will be so natural later on I won't even notice it. Whew. So, blood done, in and out, wonderful. Then off to a meeting with my team nurse to learn how to take care of the line. Normally there is a covering on it that needs to be changed every 5-7 days, but lo and behold, I cannot be a normal person. I have apparently sensitive to the tape stuff so I have to just have simple gauze and some fabric tape that has to be changed every day. Every day. Sorry mom. It's ok though. Turns out that you have to clean the clear tips that I am holding up in the picture with an alcohol pad, then flush the tubing with saline and Heprin everyday. So we are just adding the changing of the gauze as well. The shuttle drive said that I should go to nursing school after this experience, that I would think it was a breeze.

Well, once we learned all there was to know about taking care of my line and dealing with my lame skin, we ran away back to the apartment and I decided to sleep the day away. Apparently I'm getting worn out already. I'm such a wimp. :/ After a long nap, we went shopping at Fred Meyer and then off to the shave shop we went. Now, this was a good time. One, the whole process of shaving, and mailing my donation to Locks for Love was el freeeeeo! Yup. Free 99. Can't beat that huh? Then, I got the coolest gal to shave it off. She was hilarious. I asked her to give me a Mohawk first, then shave the rest. It was awesome. We have it on video, but that will have to come out some other time. :) I looked like a little boy. Really. I decided I'm gonna have to wear my earrings for sure all the time so people can know my gender. I'm so boyish. Weird. But I tell ya. It's sweet. This is the do for sure when you don't want to deal with your hair. Now, I don't have to worry about it. Oh, and who wants to pay for shampoo and conditioner anyway. So, that's it about me and my day. On to other things.

My mother, as you know, came in just three days ago. Already adventure has begun at the homestead she left. Now, to clarify, my father stayed home of course to take care of the church camp of which my parents are caretakers. So, after he assured my mother that all would be well in her absence. He went and decide to burn his face and forehead off. No really. I can sort of chuckle now that I know he's fine, but seriously????? It happened yesterday and she had only been gone dos days. What the who. Silly papa. He was lighting the pool heater and it decided to cause a fireball to give him severe 2nd degree burns across his nose and left upper cheek, forehead (major), and his left hand. After a couple trips to the ER and some hefty drugs, he is hanging out at my sisters house to recover. Wow. I feel bad for my mom. I take her away from her lubby (love hubby) and he gets hurt and there ain't a thing she can do about it. But, she seems alright. My sister is doing a wonderful job caring for him. So, there's that.

Tomorrow we have a class on chemo and Friday starts the fun. Chemo. Tuesday I will be admitted to the hospital and next Friday I will get my new stem cells. Wow... I can't believe it will finally happen. AWESOME!! K, I have yammered enough. Thank you all for your support and kindness and I hope that all of you are doing well. :)

Let's just say.... ouch, a little

So, today has been a long day. All in all a good one, just long. The day started out nice and lazy, but with the lack of food. I am in strong dislike of starving and I wake up always SO hungry. Not fun, but hey.. I'm tough right? At 9:15ish we headed off to the clinic to get some tubing installed in my chest. No really.

So, we get there and we are taken into a ready room where I get to don a beautiful outfit of ill fitting hospital pantaloons, socks and gown. I looked fantastic. :) I should have taken pictures. Sorry. We then received more instruction on the Hickman Central Line that I was to receive. A quick guide on what is it, why I will need, where it is in my chest, etc. It's kinda an amazing thing. There is a long flexi tube that they insert into a vein right next to my neck that comes out right above my right breast with two tubes. There are tops on the tubes from which they can draw blood and/or administer drugs. :/ Good times. At least I will not have to be poked in the arm or wrist anymore.

So, after the instruction and some antibiotics, I was off to another prep room where the actual surgeon chatted with us. He explained the actual process of the surgery and took an ultrasound of my veins near my neck to decide if he wanted to put it in on the right or left side. As stated above, he chose the right.

Then off to the actually surgery. They booted, nicely, my mother to the waiting room with many assurances that they would take good care of me, which they totally did. Then they readied me for the adventure. This procedure is done with conscious sedation, which I was initially weirded out by. But let me just tell you, that's pretty cool stuff. They needed to use this type of sedation for a couple reasons. During the procedure there may come a time when they need me to take a deep breath to make my veins a bit larger, and right after the procedure, they need you awake and able to stand up for a chest x-ray. So, in go the sedation drugs.

As I'm sitting there tapping my toes to some fantastic Ella and Louie, I start drifting off. It was nice. I really needed a nap anyway. (Speaking of Ella and Louie, love the fact that whenever they are taking you in for a procedure they ask you what music you like and they throw on Pandora for you. Last time I picked Paramore during my Bone Marrow Biopsy. I think that is such a great idea.) So, as I'm falling in and out of "it" the surgeon is asking me questions and who knows what I said in response. Probably completely inane things that made all around chuckle. I'm sure I made myself look like a fool. I don't remember much of it, which I hear is a good thing, but I do remember distinctly asking the doctor if he was going to sew me up and hearing him chuckle and say that he was done. I'm sure he needed me to remind him to finish sewing me up. Yup.

So, after the chest x-ray and them saying all looked fabtastic, off the to recovery room. I was promised gourmet cheese and crackers at the end of the procedure and was definitely NOT disappointed. String cheese and saltines. I mean, how more gourmet can you get. Oh yes, there was some short bread as well, but who wants THAT when you have saltines, really. As I was recovering and eating they asked if I wanted them to go get my madre, but I told them I didn't want to share so they could wait a bit. :s So, after I had my fill, my momsy was invited in to see me. By that time I was getting a little nauseated and dizzy so we just chilled there for another few minutes till they decided I was just a whiner and needed to be kicked out. Just kidding. I was geared up and ready to go back to my beddy. So, home we went and I spent the rest of the day floating between nauseated and ok, nauseated and ok, etc. you get the dizzying picture.. literally. My mom spent the day running around Seattle like a crazy person. Wandering all over the city. :) Go mom. :) She made me a delicious dinner that hasn't decided it needs to reappear, which is a good thing, so I'm off to bed before anything else can happen. :) Night

Tomorrow is the beginning. :) Woot.

Yup. Tomorrow starts a great adventure. We are off to the clinic first thing in the morning to have a Hickman Catheter "installed". Ha ha... Yup, installed. To be honest, this surgery tomorrow is the ONLY thing in this whole process that has me worried. I don't even know why, but there it is. I THINK it might be as simple as they actually have to cut me open. It could also be the "conscious sedation" situation. They say that I will not be able to remember much, at least that is how it normally goes, but just the fact that you are awakeish and can talk during the procedure. Then the doc cracks a joke about it being a truth serum as well and I will have no control over what I say. My mother thought that might be fun. Um, no.

 Speaking of my mother, she arrived today. Woooohooo. I feel bad that she just has to dive in right when things are gonna get crazy!! But I'm pretty sure that she can handle it. :)

Today was a pretty chill day. I had a blood draw then came back to greet my madre. Then we returned for a meeting with my docs to go over all the tests that I went through the last two weeks. Apparently I am an extremely healthy person. Minus the cancer of course. But I am in optimum condition to have a transplant. Things will go well. Since that meeting we have just been chillin' at the homestead and getting my mums settled. :) She brought me cupcakes. Wasn't that the best things ever? :)

Anyhoo... I need to go to bed to have heaps o' sleep before the slicing tomorrow. So, adios and I will fill you in on my fun filled weekend latas. :)

Yes yes, I skipped two days.

We are gonna blame it on the fact that my mom isn't here yet to write for me. :) Just kidding. Really, the truth is, Tuesday yes, I would have had her write cause I felt awful. I was put on new medications on Monday and they make me uber queasy. After my appointments, I couldn't focus on anything let alone type so I had to just go to be at like 3pm. No joke. It was actually kinda nice. Then yesterday I was just SO tired, I fell asleep and completely forgot. Sorry.

So, Tuesday. Like I said, pretty blah day. I only had two appointments thank goodness. One class on nutrition and food safety post transplant. Wow. Can I just say there are so many restrictions. Pretty much any deli is completely out of the question, so no Subway or Blimpie. Tears. Actually, for that matter, basically eating out is so difficult because of what you can and can't eat, ya might as well just stay home. That's ok though cause I'm uber broke so no going out anyway. :) After the food safety class there was another class about managing care at home. Mostly about the care giver's responsibility. My mother will be my caregiver as most of you know, but I told her last night on the phone that I officially feel bad that I'm putting her through this. There is SO much more to it than I think either of us thought. Then, as stated, I went home and slept. The End. :)

Yesterday was a different day altogether. Start out the morning with a bright and early blood draw. A fasting blood draw. Ugh. Those are the worst. I am always STARVING right when I wake up, so not eating was a rough one for me. But, thankfully they scheduled it bright and early in the morning so it wasn't TOO horrible. One thing that was both good and bad was the fact that they schedule my appointments a little spaced out. It was good so I could go home and eat meals between appointments, but bad because it just made the day that much longer. :/

So, after my blood draw and a trip home for breakfast I had to run back to the clinic for an Ultrasound. such good times. All my organs are still there. :) Whew. :) I do have to say though, I love the fact that they heat the jelly stuff that they put on your belly. So much better then COLD jelly on the belly. hee hee I totally didn't MEAN to make that rhyme, but that's fantastic. After the ultrasound, another excursion home for a couple hours to have lunch and chill a bit. Then back to the clinic. I finished my day out with three back to back appointments. One of those being a meeting with my Pharmacist. Ok, now, there are SO many kinda freaky drugs that I will be taking. It's so interesting to me that they give you a med, then they have to give you four more just to counteract the side effects of the first drug. Yah, whatever. :) Another appointments was just a consultation with the attending physician which was just a nice chat, but at the very end of it, I'm informed that they have to take some cultures. OK, stick a swab up my nose, maybe in my mouth.  Yes, well, I got the nose one right. But there were two. The other, and I'm being excruciatingly candid right now. The other, a renal swab. No, I'm not kidding. I think it was just a precursor to the last appointment I had. The last appointment was a gynecological exam. Really? All in one day? I felt uber invaded. It didn't help that they told me that there would be more of the like as this process went on. Right after transplant, throughout the months that I will be here and right before I am released to go back to Boise. Seriously??? I was feeling all confident and calm, not so much after that. :) just kidding, they are just trying to make sure that I'm healthy and come through this healthy. I get that, but yeesh. :/ Sorry guys if those last few lines made you uncomfortable, but hey, I'm all in on letting people know what's going on. :) So, after severe awkward, all meetings were over. Yay.

So, home I went and stayed. I don't have any more appointments until Monday when we have my results meeting. Oh, wait, I forgot. I did get my results back from my bone marrow biopsy I had last Friday. Yep, I still have cancer. Schucks. I asked the doctor that and she gave me a look like I was a crazy person then asked, "Did you think that it just disappeared on its own?" I answered that there was no harm in hoping and wishing for that right? She still just looked at me like I was crazy. Ah well. I guess they have figured me out. :)

Anyhooooo... so, today I think I will make some chocolate chip cookies. Yum. That's all for now.

Best Monday ever.. :)

It's true. This was a great Monday. Even though the morning started out feeling like any other Monday even with the lack of going to work, it turned out to be so fantastic. :) Of course we began the day with the visiting of the SCCA Clinic. I started my week out with a dental exam. Hence why it still felt like a Monday. :) But all in all it went well, the Dentist here said that I am cleared to have a transplant. Whew. There was one FANTASTIC part of the dental exam. When they lit up the x-ray that they had taken last Friday, I totally looked like a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle! I almost took a picture of the x-ray cause it was so cool, but I thought the Hygienist might think I'm a crazy person and we can't have them figure that one out yet. But, hey, I got to see what I would look like as DANItello the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. Fab. Then I picked up my new prescriptions. Woot, yay for new drugs???? whatev. I guess I had better get used to taking a brazillion pills a day. (And yes, I meant to type Brazillion). After that I had a very interesting appointment with my Social Worker. She was very impressed with my attitude. Yay me. :)

Following said triumph I had one small vial o' blood removed from me and even had the opportunity to share the whole water in a jug keeps cats away theory. How often does THAT subject come up. It was classic. :) Then I met with a nurse who explained all about my Hickman Central Line and gave me a thermometer so I can practice checking my temperature before it becomes uber important. I'm kinda excited. It's a new toy. Now, just watch, I will probably start checking my temp like every three minutes and telling everyone who I see. Like when a child gets their first watch. You NEVER have to wonder what time it is. :)

Then last but not least of the clinic was a quick survey about how I feel and what's going on with me. Easy Peasy Mac and Cheesy. :) Upon completion I promptly returned home and took a well deserved nap. Besides, I had evening plans and needed to stock up on energy.

Now, the evening was what made this day amazing! Yesterday I went to church right??? Well, come to find out, this ward that I am going to is a mixed ward that has both families and singles. Yay for fun! So, I quickly met a group of about 20 30-somethings. Fun stuff. All nice people. So, tonight, we all went down to the beach at the sound and had a bonfire will hotty dogs and s'mores. What fun! One, it was gorgeous. Two, so are some of the fellas! Ha ha.... no really. It is SUCH a fun group of people and all really nice and welcoming. I had a ball!!!! Now, besides the great people, the view!!!!!! My goodness!!! Here are two pics, but let's be honest, there's nothing like the real thing.

There were a million sailboats when we first got there and wow did I want to join in on THAT fun. Then as the evening went on, the sky got more gorgeous with the sun setting. Wow, I sat down on the sand and just stared at the water and the waves... It was breathtaking. So, ending this day with great new friends, a beautiful place and a wonderful sunset. Totally perfect day. :) So, come visit me sometime and we will go fly kites on the beach. That's sounds way fun. :)

Saturday and Sunday

Sorry that there was no post yesterday, I really did try. I was having some Internet connectivity issues. All is fixed though so here I am nice and early. :) Alrighty. Yesterday was a long, but fabulous day. :) I think I will start out with Friday night. After B&B took me to Pete Gross to drop off my "shtuff" then off to Chandler's Crabshack for dinner. Can I just say delicious?! Seriously. It was crazy good. But, unfortunately, due to my eventful day at SCCA I was so toast by the time we got home that I pretty much passed out. 

Then Saturday morning my bro and I went down to Tacoma to visit my sis and her fam. I heart that family heaps. So, B stayed for a while, but had a lunch appointment up North so off he went leaving me with M and the chillen'. It was really nice to just sit and chat with M and her kidsen. Then we hauled off to go hang in the neighbors poolish thing toy. It was one of those huge blow up things, but with water, a large water slide and a wading pool at the bottom. Actually really cool and the kids definitely enjoyed it. :) It was nice to sit in the shade and chat with M. Yesterday was actually way hot and sunny for this side of the country, but it was really nice to be outside a bit. :)
After the kids were thoroughly soaked and sun burnt, we went home and yes, M and I started a puzzle. :) I heart puzzles SO much. Especially hard ones. It's a good thing that my mom enjoys puzzles as well. We will be doing a few of' 'em. :)

Well, even though we did not complete the puzzle, we had to run off to the grocery. Moving into a brand new place it's quite the undertaking to get food. It's weird to buy EVERYTHING like flour, sugar, butter, spices, brown sugar, olive oil, etc. all at the same time. And to say the least expensive, but we don't want to think about that now do we. :) So, grocery store and then a long excursion back up to Seattle to put all my foodstuffs away. :) I'm so grateful to my bro and my sis this week for housing me and lending me their cars and taking me to dinner and to the grocery... I mean really, I know that they are family, but they have gone above and beyond to help me out and I'm really grateful. :)

So, last night after all the groceries were away and PART of my clothes were hung up, I crashed. Pure and simple. It was much later than I was used to and I was tuckered out. :) Oh, I forgot to mention that there is a WONDERFUL roof top garden on my building that is beautiful! My sis and her two daughters and I went up there last night and it is so nice! Very beautiful views, beautiful little gardens and some nice seating, including a swing. Love it! :) I think I may just spend as much time as I can up there. I will take a picture or two for ya'll.

Well, today, I'm off to church. I arranged for a ride, which will ease my brother's mind. He was a little freaked out when I shrugged and told him that I was just going to take the bus. So, I am off to church in a while and then I will finish unpacking after. Ugh. I was really hoping that little elves would show up last night a finish that for me :) Ah well. So, there's me yesterday and today.I don't think that I will be writing another entry today unless something crazy amazing happens sometime today. Like meeting my future husband, So possible. :/ just kidding. So, peace out girl and boy scouts and I will write more tomorrow. :)

Bone Marrow Biopsy Bliss

I have to say one thing to start. These lovely people up here in Seattle at the SCCA, certainly know what they are doing. :) Today's Bone Marrow Aspiration and Biopsy were so easy that I didn't believe the nurse when she said I could go. Seriously, I walked in and was out within about ten minutes. Crazy! Especially, due to my type of cancer, I have VERY hard bones.  She didn't even have to try very hard. I felt like I should have challenged her more. All in all though, I gave her a gigantic BRAVA at the close of our session. :) All others that I have met have also been VERY good, efficient and kind. I get more and more confident and comfortable every time I go to an appointment.

Today was a relatively easy day. Granted it started out at a stinkin' early time of leaving the house about 6:00 in order to make a 7:15 blood draw appointment. From the lab I went upstairs to the Bone Marrow Biopsy, next to a consultation with my dietitian then off to an x-ray of my mouth.

The chat with the dietitian was very informational and made me hungry. And the x-ray of my mouth made me feel like I was about to become part of a video game. There is this big machine that you step into and it spins around your head to take pictures. Kinda cool. :)

All in all a pleasant day at the SCCA. My hip is a bit sore and tender, but that will go away in a couple days. :)Only two or three more biopsies will be needed in this process hopefully. :) Oh, PS, totally forgot. I found out that my donor is actually 19! What a stellar young person. I'm not sure that I even knew what Bone Marrow was at 19, let alone what a transplant was.  19. This means that I will get younger right? That would be fabulous.

Right after my appointments were done I went and signed all my papers to live in the Pete Gross House. I am officially moving in tonight. :) The fella that I have been working with to get my apartment there arranged, greeted me today with a wonderful phrase, "I got you the BEST apartment in the building." hee hee... No really he did. He said that I seemed really nice the first time I came in to take a tour a couple months ago, so he thought he would do me a favor. :) Well, a favor he did..... We are on the top floor, corner unit with beautiful views of both Lake Union and the Space Needle. There's a cute little balcony patio and only one floor down from the rooftop gardens. So wonderful. I promised to make him cookies as a thank you. :) Anyhooooo... my new address is thus: 525 Minor Avenue North, Apt. 601, Seattle, WA 98109. I love to hear from anyone who has the desire to regress to the early 1900s and write a real letter.:) I promise to write back.

Well, tomorrow I will be spending the day with my sister M in Tacoma and her fam. Yay for fun. Heart them. So, I will be off now and hope to have many more adventures come from my appointments next week. :) Thanks again to all of you for your kind words and support, this would be a completely different experience without you. :) Hearts.

Day dos. Not to be confused with Dosday.

Another full blown adventure was had today. I'm currently way past exhausted, so if I misspell or say goofy things, then well, all is normal. :/ Anyhooo. My day today started out with my brother insisting I eat an egg. Never a good way to start the day, but I appreciate his need to get some protein in me. It was rather a delicious breakfast with some yummy toast wrapped around some turkey bacon and that egg. yes, it was well appreciated. :) Thanks Bean. :)

But then it was off to the clinic. I had a full day on my schedule. :) To start it all off - a pulmonary function exam.  And no kidding, my nurse called herself Pulmonary Pat. Love it. Pulmonary Pat walked me through the clinic to a small room that held a chair, a computer, a fake fish tank and a small glass cage like thing. Of course, the first thing Pat does is put me in the glass cage. As I step into this phone-booth reminiscent box, I wonder aloud if the nurses and docs have ever tried to see how many people they could fit in it.

I'm still not 100% sure they haven't, but I received no direct answer, just a story about how PP (Pulmonary Pat) once saw 62 people exit a VW Bug...... What? Hmmmmm..... I'm not so sure about that, but it did the job of distracting me from getting an answer and on we went with the exam. This test was easy peasy mac and cheesy due to my years of singing lessons. Who knew they would prepare me for this, but hey, sweet! I breathed and turned red in the face etc. It was great. There was ONE silly number that was a little too low and so I had to take some meds through an inhaler and try again. Can I just say, I'm not a fan. These meds made me all shaky and dizzy. I asked if I would continue to have to take this inhaler and when PP said no, I didn't even have any air to sigh in relief. Rude. But then, thankfully, the Pulmonary Function was over. :)

On to the Chest X-ray. Only thing I can say about this is thus, and I'm blaming the inhaler meds. As the X-ray tech asked me to turn to my left side, I promptly turned to my right and stood there with a goofy grin on my face like all was right with the world. (Literally) He even had to use the phrase, "Your OTHER left." I thought I turned red in the face during the breathing tests, yah no, this one time won. :) Wow.

So, once that embarrassing moment was over, off to lunch and then an EKG exam. No real excitement there, just ten seconds of sticky circles all over. No biggie, passed with flying colors. :)

Then off to a financial chat. Oy Vey, and last but not least, a chat with another doctor. Fantastic. As he walked in he explained that it was his job today to tell me all the possible "bads" that could happen in and from a transplant. (Oh Goody). So, he proceeded to tell me things that took up a good hour. yup. Then I signed my life away (actually signed my blood and bone marrow away) by agreeing to a bunch of research projects. (Just call me lab rat.) Once my head was full and almost ready to explode, I left feeling dizzy, nauseous and mostly still curious about the phone booth.

But, I am home now, going to go to bed. I have to get up around 5 tomorrow. 715 blood draw followed by another bone marrow biopsy!!! Dunh Dunh DUnh. yes yes. Although this one should be a piece of cake., (Chocolate cake with Cherries) Last time I had a bone marrow biopsy, I went back to work and worked a full day followed directly with a performance of White Christmas. So, to say the least, this one will be easy easy!

So, fare ye all well, and I will chat with you tomorrow.

Oh, wait... just thought that I would share the view from the 6th floor waiting room. It sure is nice. :)

First day down, many to go.

Yup, that's right. The first day of poking and prodding is finito. Whew. :) To tell you the truth though, it wasn't so bad.  My first appointment was at 11:15 and I actually showed up a little early. I checked in and was sent off to get my blood drawn. To say the least, I don't think that I have any blood left. No really, they took something about 15 HUGE vials o' blood. Next to where I and the technician were sitting, there was this little blue button on the wall, all innocent looking. :) It had two simple little words.... Code Blue. Of course we all know what that means, yes? So, me being the innocent gal that I am, simply ask... "What would happen if I pushed that button?" After a very nervous look from the technician, he answered... "You would VERY quickly become the most important person in this room." After me explaining that I'm already the most important person in the room, I promised not to touch it as long as he promised not to take ALL my blood. A mutual agreement was made and the rest of the blood work experience was quite pleasant. :) 

Following blood work, due to my slightly earlier arrival, I had about an hour and a half before I needed to be on the 6th floor for a chat with the physician. So, off to the Bistro went I. Yummmmmmm. Once I was through enjoying my food, I went up to the 6th floor, with still about an hour to spare, checked in and sat down. Now, to explain what this 6th floor lobby is like.  One whole wall is made up of huge picture windows overlooking Lake Union. Um, can I just say.. Gorgeous. Really, I was so excited to sit there and just soak in the view and read. Yes, of course I was reading. Sense and Sensibility to be exact. Love it! Oh, and to top it all off, this is not some normal waiting room where the chairs are all same and boring... no no, these chairs, RECLINE,, yes, that just happened.

Well, once my viewing pleasure was interrupted by someone hollering my last name, I was led to a little exam room to meet my team nurse and physician. Both very nice ladies. I was informed that I am on team LIME and following my request for a team T-shirt, handed two binders FULL of information and forms that I have until tomorrow to read and sign. Can we say I wasn't expecting the homework? Yes. AND I was firmly denied my TEAM LIME t-shirt. Bummer. Maybe I will make my own. :)

Following the minimal poking, prodding we chatted and I learned two things that both quell thoughts and provoke more. One, my donor is an early twenties gal from the US. Awesome! No future beard for me. :) Two, due to my type of cancer and the state that my bone marrow is currently in, spongy, there is a big possibility that this will be a rougher transition for my new stem cells to adapt to my body. It will take longer and there is a higher possibility of rejection. Woot. :/ Ah well, at least they are aware of that and will do everything in their power to minimize problems. :)

Alright, I think that is enough for today. Yup. More tomorrow! :)