3/15-3/18 Monday – Thursday
B teaches Teri a new move. She continues to burn up the floor by walking a timed 20 minutes three times a day and singing along (quite loudly) with her iNano. B could actually hear her two doors down the hallway.
A quiet time for Teri, puttering around the house, putting up pictures, cards. Many visitors from the building – Sandy, Laura, Sharon, Sheila, friends Tony, Wang Yin – and two former neighbors from Lincoln Park, Bobbie and Nancy, and Kari from Columbus who was Rachel and Ben’s Suzuki violin teacher for 9 years. Packages arrive, sometimes two a day, with blankets, hats, scarves. She video chats with her Asian Womyn’s book club that she started back in Columbus. They send her an origami circular paper kaleidoscope that inverts infinitely to yield a new look – she is overwhelmed, again. Teri took one day trip with me to Costco our indispensible dispensary of food.
Teri is looking forward to seeing her guardian angels on 4NT. Nurse S. has a warm and cheery disposition and gives her encouragement and tells her how wonderful and blessed she is to have such support and love from family and friends. Nurse D. is like an old friend. She gave her gentle back and foot rubs when they were swollen. She lightly touches her back to remind her to walk straight. She makes sure our visitors have what they need to drink. And she gave Teri a copy of Ava Cassidy rendition of “Somewhere over the Rainbow” that will give you goose bumps. Nurse S. is the youngest and somehow always brightens Teri’s day with her youth and positive attitude. She has a way of lifting Teri’s spirits. Nurse T. is the veteran and she knew that a lounge chair would fit nicely in Teri’s room to make her more comfortable and tries to make sure that she gets a good night’s sleep.
B found two Teri’s hairs in my noodles that were very short, and matched Teri’s length more than mine. They reminded me that her buzzed hairs are falling out in droves and her CF (cancer free) and KB (kick butt) emblems are now imperceptible. As I was packing up today, for the clinic visit and return to admission, I found a long hair of Teri’s. It reminded me of our former life just 37 days ago.
B went to the hospital on Tuesday and Wednesday. He had been coming in on weekends to do paper work and review charts. He caught up with a bunch of nurses, dieticians, assistants and colleagues – getting curbside consults on nausea and vomiting (his specific expertise) and travel (also decent expertise). He found that the nurse-practitioner who works with him in the vomiting program has had her daughter in the medical ICU for four months. We wished each other to “hang in there!” Many people ask how I am doing. I said “hanging in there” “head above water”. I have managed to preserve exercise and Tai Chi (twice daily) that have given me solace. In fact, I rode my new Orbea for 10 miles three days in a row, cranking it up intermittently to 21 mph. Although the temperature was around 50, with a breeze and fading sun, it felt like 35, and I underdressed all three days – never learning.
Dad is in improving at the Milwaukee Catholic Center adjusting to the routine. He will have to stay for 10-12 more days. B has delivered a variety of necessities and Chinese newspapers and magazines in English. He is very clear and discusses the future of China with me and says that the Taiwan separation may disappear – I agree.
Today, we saw Dr. H. in the Clinic. The Cancer Center at Froedtert is a brand new beautiful glass edifice. The interior is paneled with soft blues, greens and warm paneling displaying uplifting pictures and quotations. We are in the Life Center (others – Faith, Hope, Courage) and the signature quotation is “Life is a pure flower and we live by an invisible sun within us. (Sir Thomas Brown)”. As I look at the wounded, the survivors, and the strugglers who abound in this bright new building, I realize how important it is to be surrounded by uplifting pictures and quotations.
Dr. H. tells us that today’s blood work reveals a near normal white cell count of 4000, near normal red cell count of 11.4 and normal platelets of 368,000 – definitely recovering marrow. There were no bad genetic markers (translocations) amongst the blasts – this is very good. The search for a live donor has been widened to China through the national China Marrow Donor Program. B is aiding in the search and through his pediatric GI colleagues, and has been in contact with top adult leukemia experts in National Taiwan U., Hong Kong U. and Ruijin Hospital (Shanghai). Other friends are helping to search for regional bone marrow registries in China as well.
Today, Teri and I begin to climb the 2nd mountain of four. Altogether we have to go through three rounds of chemotherapy, one induction (completed) and two consolidation (higher doses), plus a bone marrow transplant. She will be readmitted to Room 4NT9 at Froedtert Hospital 414-805-7279 (she reserved it!). She will be here until next Tuesday 3/23. As usual, Teri is mentally prepared for round two facing the beast of blasts.
Teri tends to rest between 3-5 pm CDT and asks that you not call later than 8:00 pm. Send your positive energy Teri’s way as you did before!
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