Thankfully, today was less busy. And, yesterday’s post was helpful in organizing my thoughts; its a good start to figuring out myself and my post-transplant-at-home-life. It’s a work in progress – then again, we all are. As I was reminded by Laurie – the transplant itself is not just the goal, rather, life after (with its twists ad turns) is. It’s always a good reminder for me to hear this. Conversations with Andy, Mom and Dad were also helpful. I appreciate my loved ones’ understanding, kind words and flexibility with this process. It makes me feel as though my voice is being heard, my needs met and that, quite frankly, means a lot.
The other bits of my day were solid. My Telehealth appointment was fine, with my doctor requesting the immunization schedule set out by the NIH. I spent a bit of time navigating the oh-so-fun waters of health insurance and claims; over the summer my insurance changed, unfortunately some systems take a tad longer to process. It’s not a big deal, just tedious. And it felt good ticking it partly off my To Do List.
Later, groceries were gotten, Top Chef was watched, Mom made dinner, and we all prepped for Crock Potting tomorrow. I’m not sure why I’ve started referring to making food in the Crock Pot as “Crock Potting” – but it’s fun, and it sticks. It’s the new Harrison Tweet, what can I say?
Tomorrow I’ve got an early Hematology appointment and it’s momentous, not so much for the appointment or the fact that I’ve had a Stem Cell Transplant, but because Mom is actually allowed in with me. Throughout all of this time up at the NIH, I’ve been solo while Mom has remained at the apartment. It only took 2.5 months of being my Caregiver, but she can finally attend a doctor’s appointment with me.
Physically I’m OK – tired, yes, but doing well. My facial skin seems to be cooling down, after Saturday night’s discomfort with snow, cold, wind and rosacea. My skin rash is not noticeable, although my skin remains extremely dry…this will continue for quite some time (the dry skin that is). Otherwise, it was weird – no Monday morning NIH appointment…no worrying about the line at Phlebotomy, and zero labs or numbers to analyze. It was just another Monday at home, 100+ days post-transplant. I recognize how fortunate, how incredibly lucky I am to be here in this moment and I am grateful.
And that’s all for now. Andy has just fallen asleep next to me (I think) – his breathing has deepened and is steady. I’ve missed him oh so much. BananaBear is next to me on the other side, covering most of the blanket after cleaning herself into a frenzy, snoring her kitty snores. Cats.
Goodnight!
The Art of Transplant 