Day +45 - A bit of an update & thank you's

Good morning!

We woke up to temperatures of -15 degrees and a bunch of snow today.  Based on the forecast, it'll be a good weekend to stay in and maybe watch a couple of movies that Lynn would like to see (trying to catch up on some of the flicks before the Oscars).
It's been a busy couple of weeks around our household.  Kim was with us until last Sunday and had an adventure in trying to get back home.  They cancelled the only flight to Kitchener and she ended up having to wait for a while before flying in to Toronto.  Thanks again to both Pat and Kim for all of the help, cooking and support while they were here.
This week saw a variety of Lynn-sitters.  Reina on Monday, Gail on Tuesday and Thursday and Barb on Friday.  Lynn was in good hands, and so was I as there was always something on the go for supper when I got home each day.  Thank you ladies!
As for Lynnie, she's had a tough few days here.  Some tummy troubles, headaches and just not feeling well.  This has meant lots of sleep and just doing what she can for fluids and some food in her belly.  The good news was on Wednesday she managed to secure a family doctor - a nice lady who works in a clinic close to our house.  The transplant team said it was important for her to do that, and like in many parts of the country, it's not easy to find a good doctor, or one at all.  Her sister-in-law Nancy took her to that appointment - thank you.
As Lynn said in her last post, she'll get another update out after we see the doctor on Monday. 
Have a great weekend everybody!
Love,
Irena

Day +41

Another good report from the doctor yesterday. My blood counts are good. The rash is under control with the cortisone cream the doctor prescribed. I was able to reduce the amount of magnesium I take as my counts are near normal, which means fewer pills to take which is always a good thing. My appetite is a little better so hopefully it continues to improve so I can gain some more weight. The weather is beautiful, +9C today. Unfortunately it's icy on the sidewalks so too treacherous for much walking around the neighbourhood. But I'll take the warm weather and ice over freezing cold any day. Hope you easterners aren't still freezing. The rest of the week should be quiet as not too much planned. Next doctor's appt is next Monday so I'll update after that. Have a great week!

Day +35

Long day at the hospital yesterday. mostly sitting around waiting. But good report from the doctor as all my levels are doing well, still just a little low in the Magnesium. I've developed a rash on my back which is good as it signals a little bit of Graft vs Host disease. That is good as it indicates the new stem cells are taking and fighting whatever old white blood cells or even cancer cells were left. So my progress seems to be following along with what is to be expected at this stage of recovery.
And the weather is warming up. Expecting +2 to 4C the rest of this week. So no excuses for not venturing out for a walk, according to my doctor.
Eating is still a chore as most healthy foods don't taste great and I have no appetite. But it's lunch time so I'd better go find something to eat.

Day +32 - Shift change

The weather continues to be cold here in Calgary so Lynn is doing her best to stay warm and cozy.  Lots of rest today as we had some friends over for dinner last night - lots of endorphins flowing from all of the laughter (after all, it is the best medicine). 
Pat flew home today after spending the week with us.  A big thank you to her for 'Lynn-sitting' and getting her around to her appointments, etc. this week.  Kim arrived on Friday and has been acclimatizing to the Alberta weather.  Looking forward to her company this week. 
Otherwise, Lynn is doing well and we'll get another update on Tuesday from the doctor.
Have a good night!
Irena

Day +30

A good day to stay inside by the fireplace. It's snowing and about -30C with the windchill. Had a top up of fluids yesterday at the clinic so not feeling too bad today. Some of the meds make food and drink all taste really salty so it's difficult to eat and drink as much as I should. However the cranberry custard danish I had yesterday tasted pretty good. Maybe sweet food is the key, to offset the salty taste. The trip to Cdn Tire was fun and people hardly stared at me with my mask on. And with the cold weather my toque covers my bald head. Nothing too exciting planned for the weekend. My next doctor's appt is Tues. so I'll report further after that.

Day +28

Nothing new to report; no news is good news. Must venture out to Cdn Tire today to get a battery for my thermometer. Shouldn't be too many people there on a Wed a.m., so few germs with which to contend. And the store is close to home so not far for a trial run with Pat driving the car. Pat very graciously volunteered to spend a week as my 'lynn-sitter'. Better go bundle up as it's -17C plus the wind chill!

Day +26

Met with the transplant doc in the Clinic today. All my counts are good and everything is progressing well. I was a little low on fluids so I had a litre intravenously but other than that they are pleased with my progress. Hopefully my appetite will continue to improve so I can put on weight and get stronger, and have some more natural insulation to combat the freezing cold out here! Luckily I have some great long underwear! Don't see the doc again 'til Tues. Jan. 18 which is good although I'll have to brave the weather this Thursday to attend the clinic for more IV fluids. I can't seem to drink enough. Maybe if I could drink wine it would be easier!

Day +25 - Sleepy Day

Things are quiet on the home front today.  Lynn has been doing some reading and lots of napping.  She's quite tired today and just seems to need some rest.  Given the snowy, cold conditions continue today, there's not much else to do anyway.
Our friend Pat is flying in from Ontario tonight and will be helping us out all week.  Probably more news to come from Lynn after she sees the transplant doctor tomorrow.
Stay warm and safe out there.
Irena

Day +23

Doing well on my third day of freedom from hospital. Food still tastes funny but at least I can try more things than in hospital to try to find something that tastes palatable. Mucositis seems to almost be gone with just a couple of mouth sores still hanging around. Hopefully they're all gone soon with my white blood cells recovering. Snowy, blustery day here so a good day to stay inside in front of the fireplace. I'm still pretty weak so not much help to Irena in the snow shovelling; hopefully it all blows away! Have a great Saturday!
Lynn

Discharged! - Day +22

Yahoo!  It was a long day at the hospital but Lynn was officially discharged from inpatient care today.  She's very happy to say the least.  The blood tests showed that all of her levels are strong (some are even better than mine :) and because she's doing so well at drinking lots of fluids and eating, they won't need to see her as often.  Yeaaahhhh!!  This also means that she's on fewer medications which makes her even happier as she was having a tough time with all of the pills.  It's now more manageable and shouldn't cause her as much trouble. 
Next appointment to see her transplant doctor will be on Monday and depending how things go, should be a weekly appointment with maybe the odd blood test in between as long as she continues to feel well and respond so positively to the transplant.
Joanne O. was a great help in getting Lynn to the hospital in the morning and staying with her until I could get there from work.  We have reinforcements coming from Fergus, ON.  Pat is coming this Sunday for a week and Kim is coming next Friday for a full week to stay with Lynn and drive her to appointments as needed.  After that, we're hoping that Lynn will be strong enough to be on her own, at least for parts of the day.
Everyone can cheer in the progress that Lynn has made.  There have been so many people helping her out along the way and in so many different ways.  It's taking a village of family, friends and colleagues to get through this and it's working - so thank you!
Good night!
Irena

Day +21

Hi all. Enjoyed a whole day at home today. Yahoo! Thanks to my 'lynn-sitter', Joanne O., as I still can't stay home alone in case an infection bubbles up quickly. It was sooooooooooooooo nice to be in my own house rather than the hospital. Feeling pretty good although still very little appetite. I'm looking forward to when food will have a good taste again. Until then I try to eat little bits at a time to keep my weight up and make sure I keep getting stronger. My throat is still sore so still waiting for the morning when I can enjoy a piece of toast with pb & jam! Funny the things you crave.
Thanks again for all the good thoughts sent my way. They are obviously working. And thanks for the posts. Irena told them to me but I enjoyed reading them all again.
Almost time for the big hockey game. Go Canada Go!
Lynn

Day +20 - More progress

Lynn spent most of the day at the hospital today.  The daily round of blood tests, seeing the doctor and then today it was getting organized for an extended leave.  She's now on pass until Thursday at which time she's goes for more blood test (you wonder how she has any left some days) and then a meeting with one of the transplant doctors to see if they will actually discharge her from the hospital and transfer her care to the transplant clinic on an outpatient basis.
If that happens, then there'll be regular trips for blood tests and weekly meetings with the transplant doctor to see how things are progressing.  Lynn still can't be left alone right now so we're just working on getting things set up so she can be safely and comfortably at home and get rides to the hospital when she needs them. 
Otherwise, she's doing pretty good.  Just trying to get some normal sleeping patterns back in place and still working on getting all the pills down that she needs to take- some of them are kind of yucky so it takes some effort on her part.  She's quite happy though, to be home for a couple of days and hopefully longer.  You may even hear from her tomorrow on the blog.
Have a good evening!
Irena

Day +19 - Home at last

After yesterday's troubles, the nurses and doctor were able to get Lynn's tummy troubles settled down and she had a good night.  Since she's able to take her meds orally the doctor agreed to letting her go on an over night pass.  Lynn could hardly wait to get out of there.
We've been home most of the afternoon.  She's enjoying resting in the Lazy-Boy and has the fireplace on to keep her cozy and warm.  Gail, Pauline and Maureen came over for a visit.
Other than that, it's going to be a quiet evening at home - a welcome rest for both of us.
We'll keep you posted with tomorrow's progress.
Good night!
Irena

Day +18

It's been a quiet day around here as Lynn had a difficult night.  Little sleep and lots of tummy troubles.  This means back on contact isolation (nurses/doctors wear gowns and gloves).  They're not sure if it's some sort of intestinal infection or simply a reaction to the antibiotics.  It's crazy when the drugs that are meant to help you also make you sick.  We'll know more in the morning, but in the meantime they're helping Lynn to get it back under control.
Because of this, they're delaying going to oral meds until tomorrow.  Lynn managed to drink most of a smoothy for lunch, and we'll see how she does with supper.  Otherwise, she's just trying to rest.
I'll post again if anything new comes up.
Irena

Happy New Year!

I hope that everyone had a great New Year's Eve.  As with most days around here, it went by fairly quickly.  Lynn settled in for the night around 9:30 pm and I headed home and slept through midnight as well. 
Lynn is a bit tired today and has been napping this afternoon.  They've been able to take her off of the oxygen except for when she sleeps so that's a good sign.  They've also taken her off isolation (she wasn't allowed to linger in public areas and the nurses wore masks/gloves/gowns when they were in the room) so she should be able to do her own blog update soon. 
Blood counts continue to be strong and she's managing to eat more with each meal.
The morphine pump is gone now, and she'll use oral meds if she needs them.  The pass to go home is getting closer and closer - keep our fingers crossed for tomorrow as she's ready for a break from here.
Her niece Maddie and Nancy stopped by for a short visit as Maddie flies back to Vancouver tomorrow.  Other than that, it's going to be a quiet day for us.
Wishing everyone a happy new year and all the best in 2011!
Irena