Wednesday was largely uneventful, which at 190 days post Stem Cell Transplant, is really good. I did house stuff, ate a banana, paid a bill, messengered with a few different friends, ate a second banana, went for a long hike, showered, ate dinner and watched a movie with Andy.
It was, for the most part, a perfectly normal day.
I have to say, the hike was a bit of an exception, coming in a smidge over 11 miles. It was my longest hike post-transplant, and I was proud of myself! I drove 10 minutes to the main Asheville corridor of the Mountains To Sea (MTS) Trail, and zipped out and back between Hendersonville Road and the 74, adding an extra bit down to the MST bridge just west of The 25, and back. For just under 4 hours, I carried a light pack and moved quickly on the narrow path, listening to both podcasts and sounds of the forest, depending on my mood. I flirted briefly with the idea of hitting an afternoon HEW class, but erred on the side of less is more.
While I was moving, my body felt good, and the small rollers that I encountered (PUDS – Pointless Up And Downs, in backpacking speak), didn’t tax me nearly the same as the last time I hiked this similar route. I was still tired at the end, but it was an accomplished fatigue. I was also really happy!
The shower felt great, warm water soothing my body. Andy greeted me with a strawberry popsicle, which I had requested, and it felt very luxurious laying in bed, wearing Andy’s oversized bathrobe, eating my popsicle. If only there was a Dinner Fairy – Andy laughed and said that he had one. I resisted the urge to shove my popsicle in his beard.
And that was it. My body was definitely tired and through the course of the evening, I continued to push the fluids. I did have some night sweats, though it’s hard to tell if that’s simply hot flashes or something else. To note – I’ve dealt with night sweats for most of my life; sometimes I’ll even need to change my PJs, or move to a drier part of the covers. It’s just a thing with my body.
Skin continues to be OK, eyes retaining moisture, and most other systems in my body are doing well. I still have a bit of irritation in my cuticle, but the Doxycycline I’m taking has helped tremendously. My back is still a bit sore, but it doesn’t feel on the urge of injury, as it did early last week.
Today – Thursday, I’ve already had a banana, coffee, and have gotten dinner – chicken cacciatore – into the crockpot. In a bit I’ll do some sort of movement with my body, and later I’ve got Round 1 of my COVID vaccine! Woot! Dinner at Andy’s Moms’ house, which should be great.
Make it a great day!
The Art of Transplant 
How great normal is! Here’s to more such days.
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