Difficult week
Here are LRN4 and yours truly enjoying a nice Hawaiian party back in California. Great Art courtesy of somebody else’s camera and part of my famous Vacation series. Well, we weren’t really on vacation that day, but it kind of looks like it.
It’s been a very difficult week, as advertised above. We discovered a week ago today that LRN4 has acute myoblastic leukemia – blood cancer, and a pretty bad case of it. She was in horrible condition when we got to the hospital. We though she was recovering from a very bad case of strep throat, but when she got steadily worse even after taking three different antibiotics, we decided we needed to go to the emergency room. They were pretty casual about our visit until they got the results of her blood test, after which they got very serious. We’ve been here since then.
LRN4 was in very rocky shape on Wednesday and Thursday of last week, but they hooked her up to a machine that scoops white blood cells out of your blood and used it for the first three days. It lowered the number of cells sufficiently for them to start chemotherapy, which took place late Friday evening. Tonight will start day six of seven chemo days. We’ll be here in the hospital for 2-3 more weeks after chemo finishes, waiting for LRN4’s bad blood cells to finish dying and healthy cells to start growing afterwards. We’re told there’s a 70% chance of her going into remission after her first round of chemo. In any case we’re looking at a total of 3-4 rounds, possibly followed by a bone marrow transplant. We’re basically planning on spending the rest of the year on this.
That’s the bad news. The good news is that our oncologist continually tells us that leukemia is curable. We have great faith in that prognosis. She’ll be cured.
A couple of things have had to fall by the wayside, of course. The first is our planned March cruise to Hawaii with our friends Doug and Connie. That’s a shame, not a disaster. We can go to Hawaii again next year. It’s a pity, but not a disaster. We’re still scheduled to cruise to Europe in November and December for our 35th anniversary. If the transplant doesn’t happen, we’re optimistic we’ll be able to make that cruise. Otherwise, it’s anybody’s guess.
If canceled cruises are the only casualty of this challenge, we’re doing great! Cross your fingers for us on that one, Loyal Readers!
In the meantime, I’m spending my time her at the hospital with LRN4, except for a few hours a day that I spend unpacking boxes at the house, watching the landscaping progress in the back yard, doing laundry, getting cars registered at the DMV, and whatever else comes up. There’s plenty to do, and it’s kind of a nice change and a challenge to get the house “finished” before LRN4 gets home. I think I’ll hold off on hanging pictures until she’s here to direct that work, but I’m committed to having everything unpacked, the backyard done, the pantry and closets organized, and the house spotlessly clean for her return. It’ll happen.
Work is well underway on the backyard! The jacuzzi got here yesterday and it back there, most of the pavers are down, and the raised beds are just about done. There’s still a lot more to be done, but it’s moving quickly. I’m excited to get home in an hour or so and see how far they’ve gotten today. I’m taking a lot of pictures so LRN4 can track the progress too.
Family and friends have rallied around and are really taking care of us and showing they love us. LRN4’s sister Melanie has been here every day. LRN2, Melanie’s husband Ken and their daughters Marcie and Tonya have also been here. We’ve had numerous phone calls from my parents and brothers and sisters and LRN4’s dad and brother, and all our kids, of course. Then there are the text message, emails, and Facebook posts. There’s been a flood of communication. I’m kind of struggling to keep up with it all, but I think we’re holding our own.
The future looks rosy. The immediate future will be tough, but I’m convinced that the future will be extremely good. The events of this past week have refocused my mind and heart and made me realize how truly precious LRN4 is to me. She is my entire world. I don’t know how I could live without her, and I’ve taken her so for granted for so long. I’m quite sure our mutual life will be the sweetest we’ve ever had. I’m going to make it that way, at any rate.
No food violence news tonight. I’ll be back with that tomorrow. Instead I’ll leave my Loyal Readers with this: Shannon Morrow, I love you deeply. Be mine forever!
See you tomorrow.
March 2nd, 2013 at 11:27 am
You are my rock. You are everything to me. I love you more than I can possibly express in words. I’m yours forever!