Not that long ago I wrote about how there is no such thing as a little bug. This past week's experience with bugs tells it all: sore throat....cough.....fever.....pneumonia. When will this winter end? As the snow flies again in Denver I am once again wrestling with a colony of bugs who have taken up residence in my lungs. Enough already!!! Susan is visiting our good friends in Paris so Catherine took over and shuttled me to the clinic and hospital, and has monitored my fever, fluid intake, eating, etc. She has proven once again her ability to be calm in the midst of a storm. We had a few rough days but things are quieting down a bit and I suspect in another week we'll be back to normal. Susan is beside herself that she isn't around to nurse me back to health, no doubt with homemade chicken soup, but we are managing. Julia has a short break from school and will be home today to check on me. These girls continue to be pillars of strength, even though I know they get scared when I get so sick. Despite my urging to enjoy Paris, I suspect my pneumonia has been a dark cloud in what should have been an enjoyable springtime in Paris for Susan. My weakened immune system frustrates me as I know in my precancer years this latest bout would not have gone beyond a sore throat for a few days. This is an example of why I'm so resistant to talk of another transplant. A foreign donor transplant would require me to be on immunosuppressants for years after the transplant, which would make me even more vulnerable to all these bugs. I see these patients at the clinic regularly and they are visibly frustrated week to week as they can't seem to rid themselves of these infections. They do not have quality of life.
Due to the respiratory infection Rifkin cancelled the velcade this week. I was relieved as I did not feel up to dealing with the ups and downs of the chemo on top of this crud. I see him again on Monday and hopefully we'll get back on track. A few weeks ago I thought I saw spring around the corner, but it was apparently a mirage. Perhaps we'll see it by May 1!!!
Love,
Dan
This blog was initially created in 2005 to track my progress through a stem cell transplant for my recently diagnosed multiple myeloma. Like so many things in life it has grown into so much more and is now a worldwide support network for me and my family as we travel the path of living with myeloma. Read or comment if you wish and welcome to our journey.
2 comments:
Dan,
You are a lucky man to have such great daughters. Together you should be able to exterminate those bugs.
Sorry that this weekend's visit didn't work out - I'm holding onto the rain check and am looking forward to seeing you soon.
Love,
Tom
Yes Dan, you're right, I talked to Susan in Paris, and she was worried like hell. Actually I did not even expect a blog from you to be here, just checked hoping to get news on how you're doing, and reading it, kind of tells me, that the worst is passed.
And thanks for the transplant explanation, oh yes, NOW I see and understand completely why you don't want to do it. I am with you a 100%, no doubt. Keep it away as long as you can.
Be strong man, don't let yourself down, you will make it.
Love,
Ingrid
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