Day 29 – Surprised, no SHOCKED

Tuesday August 14, 2012
Quail Run RV Resort Lot 15
Wesley Chapel, Florida

 

This is not the blog post I have written
and intend to post today.

That one will come another day.  This is late breaking news.

 

Today is David’s weekly visit with the folks at Moffitt.  The blood draw appointment is for 11:00.  We are on time.  So are they.  It is the usual routine.  Check in, then wait.  Get called for the wrist band, then wait. 

Now it’s only about 11:30 and David’s doctor appointment isn’t until 1pm.  We’d brought our lunch.  But we don’t have time to eat it.  They call David again.  He goes back although we had no idea what for.

In just a minute or so he comes out to get me from the waiting room.  The PA is going to see us now.  It’s only 11:45.  An EARLY appointment with a knowledgeable medical person.  GOOD GRIEF!!

We should have known something was up when it all went off like clockwork.  Rich Guyer, Dr. Alsina’s PA, is waiting for us.  He’s there BEFORE we are.  Rich is a very knowledgeable myeloma person.   He has David's blood work in his hand.  It’s only been 45 minutes.  Last week it was over 4 hours before the blood work was available.  WOW!

Rich goes over the numbers with David, asks questions about how things have been going, how’s his appetite, his energy, other concerns.  After he he checks David’s lungs, abdomen and the other things he always checks, he announced that David will not have to come back until his November 1st three month appointment with Dr. Alsina.

 

We are shocked. 

We know he’s been doing well.  His sleep the last couple of nights has been up to 4 hours straight,  he’s able to walk three times a day for 40 minutes and his major side effects are improving though slowly. 

Rich answers all the questions that come to mind with this new situation and pretty much says, other than swimming in oceans, lakes or streams and being involved with chemicals or dirt, David can do whatever he feels ok doing.   No more 24/7 caretaking.  He can drive, do as many physical activities as he feels he’d like to. 

In 3 months, at that November 1st appointment,  they will do the first real Myeloma test of his M-Spike to see if the transplant has put him into complete remission.  But for now he can live his life however he’d like. 

We arrive at 11:00 and are out by 12:30.  Unheard of speed.

 

What GREAT news!  

And so unexpected.  Now we have to figure out what to do next.  He is not “cured” of course or even necessarily in remission.  He still has low energy, swollen feet after being up on them too long, abdominal issues and some peripheral neuropathy.   It won’t be back to life as he used to live it but it definitely opens up more possibilities.

We’ve made it through to the other side of at least  the stem cell transplant.  We are mighty happy and congratulating ourselves on a tough job well done.  We’ve just passed hurdle number two.

 

 

You all have been so important in this!

Those of you who have been with us throughout this nightmare cannot possibly know how much your comments and encouragement, prayers and postcards, lottery tickets and letters have meant to us.  We can never thank you enough.  You are our family and friends, we want you to be with us still as we find out what is now in store for us.

We’ll no doubt be here at Quail Run at least another week getting things wrapped up and trying to figure out and plan what’s next.  Soon I’ll post the blog that was to be.  But next to this, I fear it will be a bit of a let down.  And I’ve got to get back to planning where to go next.

Speaking of which, where’s the closest place we can go to have highs in the low 80’s and lows in the high 50’s???  JJ