Home Sweet Home

I got home this afternoon after 5 days in the hospital, 5 days in isolation and 15- 2 hour treatments. We'll hope that this helps.    I'll have the virus for perhaps a weeks, but should be getting better.
Thanks for all your love and concern.
     

This is my last treament Sunday afternoon.   I was so ready to be done.  Soon this will be a distant
memory.

A Set Back

Hi Everyone:   I'm back in the hospital for five days.   I went to clinic on  Tuesday and had a little cold.  They did a nasal swab to see what viruses I have.  When I got home I got a call at 5pm from the PA and saying that I had RSV (plus the rhino virus and corona virus)  and needed to be hospitilized for treatments for the RSV.  If not treated, it can quickly turn into pneumonia for bone marrow patients.   So, I was at the hospital at 7:30 pm that night and got my first treatment at 10 PM.   The treatments last for two hours, every eight hours.   I'm not getting quality sleep and I'm tired. But, it's better than the alternative of being in the ICU with pneumonia.    
    The treatments are not painful, but terribly inconvenient.    I am in a tent on my bed breathing in the medicine via an oxygen mask.   I then have to take a shower, and sheets and clothing have to be washed. Everyone wears a mask in my room and I'm confined to my room.  
     I'll be very glad to go home hopefully on Sunday afternoon.   Until next week.
Kathy

Turned Another Corner

It is nice to say that I am feeling so much stronger and can tell that I am so much better than I was last fall.  I'm still on a lot of oral meds, but my IV has been reduced to one hour a day.  I started out doing 6 hours a day, so I am feeling less tied down.  

I am going out more, running errands and shopping.   I do have to pace myself and in most places, I still wear a mask in public.   If stores are not crowded than I'll take it off as it is difficult to wear.  

I  go weekly to the hospital, but just this week I was able to go in for blood work only.   I'll see the doctor now on an every other week basis.  That is very encouraging and hope that the tapers for the medications start and the central line will come out.   I'm hopeful that will happen before summer.  

My hair is growing back.   It is super short and I'm no longer wearing hats everywhere.   It came in as startling white/silver.    Everytime I looked in the mirror, I jumped.    I really did not recognize myself, although many people thought that I 'rocked' that look.    Last week, I had it dyed to blonde.   It will be a work in progress to get it to the right blonde.  It is really hard to dye white hair.  
Funny thing-in the hospital I really didn't think I would ever dye it back.  I just wanted hair.   I guess I must be getting better, since it matters to me.

Everyone is still so nice and concerned.   I appreciate all the good and positive thoughts sent my way.   Yesterday, a nurse told me there is joy in his job as he sees that what they do in bone marrow patients is to give us a few more years.  I told him that I certainly hope I get a few more years!   I'm looking at a long life!   I have to have that hope!  Life is good.