While yesterday was a great day with Tim finishing the marathon, today was a bit of a ‘return to reality’ day. The nausea is getting worse and Tim is starting to worry more and more about the “rough” days still to come. He is losing weight and struggling to eat.
Tomorrow is transplant day and while that is a big day, it is just the beginning of a new journey. Day 3 following the transplant, Tim will be given medication to help with Graft vs Host Disease (GVHD). That medicine is more chemo. Chemo that can be rough on the body. Some do sail right through it. Some have a few rough days and then are back up again. Some have a long rough patch. That last one is what Tim is the most apprehensive of!
I have been following all kinds of different leukemia journeys through Facebook and one I follow said it best:
Anxiety didn’t always look the way I thought it would.
It wasn’t always panic or tears or being unable to function.
Sometimes it looked like going to work. Making dinner. Laughing. Taking pictures. Living a completely ordinary day.
While somewhere in the background of my brain, a thousand possibilities were quietly running.
I could understand the medicine. I could know what the doctors were watching. I could know that worrying wouldn’t change the next lab result.
None of that made the fear disappear.
Maybe that’s one of the strangest parts of this journey—learning that you can be okay in a moment and still be scared of what might come next.
So, that is where we are at today. Pleased that Tim had the stamina to finish a marathon (and keep walking, even at a much slower pace), but scared of what the tomorrows might bring. And, honestly, that is okay. We know God is with us, because he has shown up in so many ways but, even having Jesus in the boat didn’t stop the disciples from being fearful.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
Please pray that the side effects are kept to a minimum and that Tim is able to bear those that do come along. Along with that, being tired means more naps. More naps means more time in his bed/recliner. More time in the bed/recliner means more body aches, especially his back and neck. The physical therapists on this floor have been AMAZING but he will need to be seeing them more and more often!
Please pray for mental health as well. I know what I go through in a day here and can’t even begin to imagine what Tim is going through. Depression on this floor is a real thing.
We are told that the courier (a 60 year old man) who is bringing Tim’s donor marrow is scheduled to fly in tomorrow around 3:00 p.m. and then Tim is scheduled for the transplant about 5:00. We all know how commercial airlines can be, so please pray for his safety in traveling and that there are no delays, especially weather!
PRAISES:
For the specialists, like physical therapy, who help make one issue much better. The gals that have been coming by have been so wonderful! The one that has been working on Tim the most is just a student but she will have a GREAT career!!
For all the doctors, nurses, techs, and other staff that have been so kind and helpful. Tim especially misses some of his favorite nurses from Mary Greeley, but we have come to like many of the ones up here also!
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