Saturday - Day 40 - Good to the last drop, at home.

So, this week I had a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday appointment.  After the Wednesday appointment, everything was looking good for being able to cancel the Sunday appointment, and come home for the weekend.

The plan was to come home for the weekend, and drive back for Monday for my appointment. 

Nothing ever quite goes as planned though :)

They hooked me up on Friday, and did my bloodwork.  The results came back, and my Creatinine levels were high again - on a steady increase over the week.  They hooked me up with a second back of fluids, and it looked like they wanted me back for at least Sunday.  After a lot of bargaining about drinking even more water, and the head Dr. wanting me back for both Saturday and Sunday, we worked out a deal where if I learned how to flush my own lines, and hook up my own IV bag, they would let me go home with two bags of fluids for the weekend.

I think my nurse Nancy had a big hand in that, so I was very thankful for her efforts that day.  I have seen myself hooked up and flushed so often, that I was able to pass her testing, and she cleared me to hook myself up at home.

So, I got to come home !  Sonja drove in with the boys, and we were home around 4pm.

This morning, we got a coat hanger from downstairs, and I gave myself my liter of saline IV this morning.  All went well, and I am feeling pretty good.

The research drug I am on can reactivate the Epstein-Barr virus the 95% of us have, so my levels are tested each Monday.  It has been reactivated in me, but my levels are not high enough to worry about yet.  They continue to monitor it, and as long as the levels stay in check from my immune system, everything is fine.  If they go up to high though, then I am in every day for extra IV drugs to keep the levels in check.

They have lowered my Ciclosporin and Prednisone drugs to un-suppress my immune system a bit (will help with the Creatinine levels, and the EBV).  They will continue to taper them off as the months go by.  As always, the ire of Graft-vs-Host is lurking - waiting to do more then give me a bit of a skin rash.


So far, they have me booked for Monday, and Thursday.  We'll have to see how Monday goes.  If it stays at twice a week, I will spend the 4 hours commuting so I can be home each night, but any more and it's too expensive and tiring to do.  I will probably be staying at the lodge for Monday night. 

I am doing good enough that I can walk from the Cancer Lodge to the LBMT Clinic, and walk around the area to get supplies (Safeway, McDonalds, Drug Store, etc.).

With that Mom checked out on Friday Morning, and is now back on the Island, home sweet home.  It's been quite a bit of time apart for her and Bud, with him being out here for the summer while she was in Nova Scotia, and then f%$ken cancer screwing up the last weeks.  Even when you are too sick to talk, move, or interact, it's nice to have someone you love near just sitting in the chair knitting away, reading a book, or watching TV.

It was also nice to get to spend so much time with Mom in general.  Plenty of Mom-Son bonding that wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for the cancer.  Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.
Thanks again Mom, and Bud for putting up without her (make sure she makes that Butter Chicken for you now).

So far, so good.

Comments

Tony said…
Hey Richard,
Great news! I'm happy to see you home! I know what you meant about mother-son time, I felt the same way and it was one of the best things that ever happened because of cancer. My mom and I spent four months here before she went back to Toronto. We had some great bonding time, great walks, great card playing, great talks and great quiet times together. Keep thinking positive!!!! Cheers bud!!
12/04/2010 9:17 PM
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