A long interval

7/13-9/7

A short note.  A long interval.  Much has transpired.  I’ll make it short. 

Good news is that Teris has had NO hospitalizations but plenty of visits to the Cancer Center for maintenance chemotherapy, lab tests, red cell transfusions, Neupogen (to stimulate white cells), and platelet transfusions.  She has had the usual malaise, nausea, anorexia that accompany the chemotherapy and attendant loss of red and white cells.  Her main problem has been disabling nausea (7 lb weight loss), dizziness, and headache like a migraine from hell that has kept her in bed for 2+ weeks unable to eat and function (including e-mail, her e-lifeline).  It turned out twice to be the Bactrim, an ordinary and common antibiotic.  I finally figured out that she must be a slow acetylator (slow liver metabolizer of sulfasoxazole component) that gives rise to toxic levels of the drug’s metabolites and abundant side effects.  Her team agrees.  It is hard to watch her in that state.  The net result was going off it with recovery within 36 hours but she then got her 3^rd PICC line (left elbow to heart) in order to get IV antibiotics daily at home.  With her low platelet count there was a lot of bruising and bleeding.

We’ve had a number of out of town visitor-helpers including Terri (two R elder sister), Rhonda ‘Matzowitz”, Steve and Memee who brought Teri’s favorite Vietnamese ‘bun’ rice vermicelli with BBQ beef salad, Winnie (college friend from SF) who introduced us to Alice Water’s type vegetables, and local Tony who brings by Chinese dishes from time to time.

We journeyed to Columbus without incident for 4 days to attend Rachel’s two baby showers, visit our old gourmet club, visit friends, get advice, and get recharged.  Unfortunately there was no Buckeye football game for B.  Rachel & I exercised together both with stomachs pooched, but hers is full of kicking Jack.

The bone marrow registration drives go on in Milwaukee (OCA & APAMSA), Columbus (Chinese Student Association & APAMSA) and hopefully at the APAMSA national conference.  Teri is frustrated nothing is happening in China to stimulate more targeted drives in her parents’ provincial regions.

Teri is tired of being sick and not feeling well for 6 months and of the high uncertainty she faces.  She is discouraged at times, especially when the nausea overpowers her and reduces her to bedridden, bedraggled, disability.  Nausea is quite honestly difficult to treat.  Vomiting is not.

We face time as the adage goes on a “one day at a time”.  Grasping this attitude, the days feel longer as they are simpler – as we stay home, don’t plan too far ahead and watch the boaters and rowers as the waft down the Milwaukee River.