Day -22, or 5 October

It’s official! I’m here at the National Institute of Health, and, and…and…Where to begin? First, it’s late and I’m exhausted – a combination of yesterday’s driving, today’s early start, and just getting settled in. It’s surreal to be here – I’ve known about my GATA2 since May 2018, had my first clinical visit with the NIH in October of that year, and then promptly had my transplant pushed back and postponed three times over 18 months.

I’m going to pull on my naturally sunny disposition and say that, “Fourth time is the charm.” Woot!

Officially I’m at Day -22, with my actual transplant date scribed as “Day 0”. At least that’s what my Clinical Record says and I’m sticking to that. My friend Lisa commented that it seems like a rocket launch, and it made me laugh, so I’m hoping to be Go For Launch on October 27. In the interim, I’ve got about 3 months’ worth of appointments within a 2-week timespan, and then I start my pre-transplant phase of chemo and radiation, otherwise known as “Conditioning”.

Alas, I get ahead of myself. Again, it’s late and I’m tired. And again, have an early start tomorrow.

So – because this is a combination of art, writing and photography, a few more photos from yesterday’s travels (or Day -23).