Best, best friends

2/13/10  Saturday

Teri’s sunny Saturday is marred by a headache and light sensitivity. I close the blinds.  Dr. C. says that it can be from the Zofran and switch her to Kytril.  Despite being an ‘expert’ in pediatric vomiting, I’m learning more about vomiting.  Teri continues to have some hives (started months ago) and some unknown achiness in her shoulders.  I’m wondering if the headache has a migraine component.  Tylenol helps.

Steve and Mary, closest of friends of 32 years (and many vacations together – one planned 2011), come from Madison.  They come hug, support, listen, reminisce, laugh.  They bring Teri’s Vietnamese bun (cold noodles) from her favorite place in Madison courtesy Memee and Ray.  Steve raises practical issues about my father’s continuing care.  They stay for dinner with Chinese food from Fortune.

As an aside, we missed three planned Chinese New Year’s (Year of the Tiger) dinners this weekend one down in Chicago. Teri had four trips planned in the next two months – two to accompany Dad to Palo Alto and Phoenix, and two pleasure to Orlando and NYC with her sister.  All trips are up in the air, figuratively and literally.  Our life is up in the air.

But hey, nothing beats best friends.

2/14/10

Another sunny day.  Ara-C continues to be infused.  Run silent, run deep.  Teri’s counts are stable.  Teri’s headache is gone and her energy is good – she’s walked back and forth to the nurses station pushing her soon-to-be-named intravenous tower, ? Colin (Firth).  We received a visit from Paul & Dean, also long time friends from Madison.  They even brought a Chinese NY balloon festooned with characters.  They renewed their friendship with our adult ‘kids’ as they saw them last when they were wee ones. 

Yesterday and today we begin a series of video chats using Ben’s iChat on his Apple Mac Pro.  We spoke with Teri’s Asian Womyn’s group in Columbus, brother Tony in Hayward (CA), and nieces and nephews (and their kids) Jennifer in Chapel Hill, Jeanine in San Diego and Michael in Alameda.  Teri is energized by these chats, cards, calls and visits.  She takes a nap before supper.

We order noodles from Singha Thai.

Teri decided to cut all her hair off tomorrow before it falls out in a week.  To be proactive and to take a bald picture with Ben, something she wanted to do.  I’m saddened at the loss.  Teri has reconciled this new appearance.

2/15/10  Monday

Teri thinks it my blog is a hodge podge, too much technical detail.  I can’t help it.  We have a new nursing team (they work 7 days straight) and attending oncologist.  She gets her 3^rd and 4^th units of blood over 4 hours.  Dr. H. her primary oncologist comes in at 6:00 pm.  Quiet days are good days he says.  He has a ‘72 hour rule’ – no looking too far ahead.  We ask about visitors as her neutrophil counts (white cells) fall at 10-21 days.  He says he would prefer not.

Rachel does the honors and buzzes her.  She takes bald and buzzed pictures with Ben.  With trepidation, I find … she looks like an attractive, Buddhist nun.  She wonders whether an orange and saffron robe would enhance her appearance.  Can I call her the Buddha babe or Dharma darling?

More videochatting with the nephews (and kids) and a wonderful visit from her condo book club and neighbors – Sandy, Sandra, Sharon, Natalie & Sheila.

Rachel and John decide to stay another week to help out!  Teri is happy.  I cut back my clinics.  I send a notice to my NASPGHAN leadership and colleagues.  I drop out of the NIH consensus panel on lactose intolerance scheduled for next week. 

We can’t thank you enough for all the prayers and thoughts.