Girl Side?

Yesterday Caroline caught me reading recipes in her Chatelaine magazine. I have also been caught sneaking looks at new sofas and kitchen designs. And getting moody. OMG. It is happening! My body is making the switch to my new female bone marrow. It has been sluggish but my new marrow is consistently making the red, white and platelet cells.

Life carries on here. Sitting outside enjoying the sunshine today. Ride my bike daily, rain or shine. Shine of course is better, and it feels like it has been a long winter. I am jealous of the 25 degree weather Jason is getting in Montreal, with the student protests/mardi gras atmosphere. Zoe is studying/skiing at Kelowna and both kids should be back by the end of April for the summer.

Blue Heron on the Nicomekl River spotted on bike ride

The office is humming along without me, which gives me the peace of mind to continue my recovery until I am physically and mentally able to get back to it.  Great support from everybody continues and I am grateful. 

Biking Again

Bob and me on the banks of the Serpentine River

It has been 3 weeks since I posted because I was waiting for a really good day. Well today I had a really good day. My friend and neighbour Bob picked me up and we rode down Colebrook road and along the Serpentine River in the sunshine. The climb back up was a killer, but I made it like a drunken sailor, weaving up the road.  In total we covered 25 km!

Bridge over Colebrook Road

Me and my Trek

Had a very good check up his week with my red, white and platelet counts all increased on their own and no need for blood products. Happy to see my new marrow gathering some steam. It is about time after all the good food I'm feeding it including good old chicken soup from my mom.



Last week I was down at Spanish Banks watching a brave (or foolish?) kitesurfer sailing in the chop. It is nice to dream, but it is a lot warmer in  the car!

Sole kitesurfer at Spanish Banks with fresh snow at Cypress

Soulmates

On February 14 Caroline  and I donned fine clothes and headed for a local classy restaurant to celebrate Valentine's Day and our 24th wedding anniversary. We suspended our temporary ban on flowers and I had a nice arrangement made by local Best of Buds Floral complete with chocolates and champagne. We had a fine evening complete with flaming Sambuca prawns, which we have since reproduced at home, fire extinguisher at hand.

I am back on a strengthening path again after my bout with Croup which continues to linger a bit. I have been disappointed that my recovery trajectory has not been a straight line, but instead stutters along in fits and starts. Nonetheless, I am told that I am on a good path, and my blood counts continue to be strong, so I have learned to accept it. The cards, prayers and emails keep giving me a boost, and I am grateful.

Our 13 year old family cat Rupert has developed diabetes. I had little patience for him before, but when he got into a routine of drinking and peeing every 2 hours, I realized that we had more in common than I had previously thought. He is now on insulin and we keep each other company in the day. He is a good role model for loafing around.

Our daughter Zoe is visiting from Kelowna for reading break, providing that youthful exuberance to the household. Jason is still studying in Montreal and we will be seeing him in the spring. For now we have long animated Skype calls that include Rupert pawing at the screen.

February Update

It has now been 6 weeks since I was discharged from hospital and time to update the Recovery Blog. I am impatient to return to my normal activities and have hit a plateau. I am now recovering from a bout of Croup, a coughy, wheezy cold usually affecting infants. When one is operating at 50% and then loses 10 or 20% it sucks, but that is behind me.

photos courtesy of Kathie Edwards

Earlier, Caroline and I had a wonderful time at the January Blues event at Belle's with over 90 people including local doctors and their  partners, and some new faces, too. The organizers (Connie, Liz, Kathie, Lisa, Jennifer, and others) did a terrific job of bringing people together and continuing to build that strong sense of community and support that has long been part of S.Surrey/White Rock.

Also briefly attended the retirement sendoff for Michael McBryde, a visionary in Seniors and Residential Care, who will be sorely missed.

I had to miss the Ride to Survive "spin and inspire" day because of my cold,  but we continue to support each other in the journey to overcome adversity. As the weather improves, hope to get outside on the bike  more.

Current reading is the biography of Steve Jobs, that quirky genius that changed the way we interact with our world. People ask how I otherwise pass my time these days: "Some days I sit and think, and other days I just sit".

R is for Recovery

After enduring R for Relapse and R for Rejection (as well as R for Remission), this week I have completed my day 100 post transplant testing including bone marrow biopsy and am able to say I am in the Recovery phase of this illness. The bone marrow was all clear! Yahoo!

I am living in my own home, eating and drinking normally, and building strength daily. I will continue to have challenges with reduced immune function and strength over the next year or more but it is nice to be coming out of the fog. I've been enjoying snippets of sunshine and Vitamin D on the back deck and fortunately we have lots of big trees to shield the neighbours from my maximally exposed skin! Thanks again to all of you who are my support team and helped get me to this place.

Christmas and New Year's!

What a wonderful Christmas we have had! After my early release from hospital and repair of the damage from the house flood, I have been able to enjoy Christmas at home with the family, eating good food, going for walks, playing ping pong, and singing Christmas carols around the piano.

We even pulled out the old super 8 movies from the 1960's and showed our kids what Christmas was like when we were kids, complete with pulling the cat through the snow and playing with Christmas lights, oblivious to safety.

I stopped by the office and was overwhelmed by the generous outpouring of well wishes and cards and gifts (including blood!) from colleagues, friends and patients. It was nice to see the office staff again and meet with Katie Weiler who is managing my practice in my absence and inspires my every confidence. Martin and Carlynn helped me carry the three boxes full to the car and I have been reading cards ever since. The generosity is amazing and I wish I could reply to every one but it is impossible, so I will send a massive THANK YOU to everyone via this blog. I know that the positive energy, love and prayer has sustained me through the dark parts of my illness and has contributed to my near miraculous recovery.

December 25 marked day 100 post one marrow transplant, an important milestone in getting better. I have received over 50 units of blood and platelets over this time, but need transfusions only rarely now that the donor marrow is getting stronger.

And we are even going to take the family to Whistler for a night for a change of scenery and are working on a last minute booking for December 28. Wont be able to ski this time, but the kids will hit the slopes and we will  enjoy some time in the Village.

The New Year approaches, and it is one full of hope and promise. As we all face our personal challenges, we are reminded of the value of every moment of every day and the many things we have to be grateful for.

Homeward bound for Christmas

After weeks of little change, we got our Christmas Miracle. The new medication has kicked in and I am off TPN and IV meds and am being prepped for discharge next week, with ongoing close followup. I am getting all my medications by mouth and am eating 3 modest meals per day. I had partial day passes all week and attended 2 parties by Skype, and then snuck out for a hospitable open house with the WR/SS Division of Family Practice.

                  Jeff Purkis (lymphoma survivor) Santa Steve, and Charles King, Division co-lead

Flood repairs at the house are mostly done, neighbours have put up our Christmas lights, and the kids arrive from University this week. What more could one want? Time to hug and express gratitude to all those who keep us going.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!