Sorry for the Silence

I know it has been a month since I last posted anything. It's been a crazy, busy, eventful month. I was home for almost three weeks during which time my sister came from Las Vegas and I spent time with Dylan, Rayme, Jake and the grandkids. We had lots of impromptu dinners and even found time to celebrate all the August birthdays (mine, Rayme's, my youngest grandson's, Jake's and Steve's).

I worked some during that time, too. Not as much as I would have liked, but any time in the office has such a wonderful healing effect for me. I need the mental challenge of the work and to share laughter with all the fine people in the office.

On August 11th I drove Dylan back to DIA and sent him on his way back to school in Minneapolis. We both went through a rough period of withdrawal because we had spent so much wonderful time together during those first few days I was out of the hopsital. On Augsut 13th, I was back in the hospital for consolidation chemotherapy. This lasted a week and I did very well. In fact, here it is almost a week later and I have not returned to the hospital with an infection as my oncologist predicted. I am, however, on "house arrest." I can't go to the office or out in public --- except to the doctor's office --- until my white count comes back up. It was .8 yesterday.

My two brothers were recently tested to see if either of them was a match for a bone marrow transplant. I received the results a couple of days ago, and neither of them is a match. I guess we now go out to the national donor database to see if we can find a match. In the meantime, I will have to have chemo once a month until either they find a match or we complete three more courses of consolidation chemo.

The hardest part of all of this is to give in to the fact that I am not in control. Dr. Batezini had to remind me again the other day that I am not in control and she is not in control ---- my bone marrow is calling the shots. Well, it had better start listening to me because I just can't stand all this inactivity much longer so it needs to just straighten up and fly right! Anybody think my marrow reads this blog? Ha!

The next few days will be spent getting blood tests to determine if blood and/or platelet transfusions will be necessary. With luck, I will avoid that and be back to work on Monday, if only for partial days for a while. And with even more luck, I will convince Dr. B to wait on the next session of consolidation chemo until after WACO in September.

I want to say tahnk you for all the wonderful comments, emails, cards and encouraging thoughts. I t is extremely humbling to learn how many people are praying for my recovery.