Day + 40

Quote of the Day:
"REMEMBER THAT LIFE IS VERY SIMPLE. YOU CREATE YOUR EXPERIENCES BY YOUR THINKING AND FEELING PATTERNS."
-Louise L. Hay

This past Thursday, I received a phone call from the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire De Sherbrooke in Quebec (University of Sherbrooke Hospital).
I was assigned a PET Scan appointment time for next Thursday, August 31st at 2:30pm. This test will indicate if there has been any change in the size of my mass & if there are any cancer cells currently lurking around.

We will probably make a holiday out of this trip to Quebec. I think we will take our truck camper & drive through Maine & New Hampshire on the way to Sherbrooke, as it is very close to the US border. On the way back from Sherbrooke, we may head to Vermont as I want to do some short hikes in the White Mountains......& we may also head to Mount Desert Island & spend some time in Bar Harbor & Acadia National Park ( I really enjoy this place as there are many short, scenic hikes).

We could also fly to Montreal & then drive to Sherbrooke, but I think we are leaning towards the first option.

Anyway, I am getting stronger each day & hoping for a full recovery!

Day + 32 Hickman Line is now gone!

This first photo was taken on Wednesday, the night before my "Hickman Line" removal......we have been through so much together.....it saved me a whole bunch of pain from needles for IV's & bloodwork!!! It has certainly made it more challenging for me to have showers & baths over the past 4 months or so........as it was important not to get it wet due to increase risk of infection! Though.....I would say the Pro's of having it, outweighed the Con's!!!

The second photo is Dr. Nebojsa Sparavalo starting to pull my line out & posing at the same time with Carlina & I.....he was a "master" line puller .....as I had no pain & couldn't believe when it was all over!!

The third & fourth photos show what the line looks like outside of me......










Quote of the Day:
"NOBODY TRIPS OVER MOUNTAINS. IT IS THE SMALL PEBBLE THAT CAUSES YOU TO STUMBLE. PASS ALL THE PEBBLES IN YOUR PATH AND YOU WILL FIND YOU HAVE CROSSED THE MOUNTAIN."
-Unknown

In addition to my line pull on Thursday, I received an envelope in the mail, from my Radiation Oncologist's office (Dr. Derek Wilke) & they have started the process to arrange a PET Scan for me at the University of Sherbrooke in Quebec. Currently, I am waiting to hear from Sherbrooke for an appointment date & time. If I don't hear early next week, I will call them to find out waiting times.
I was very pleased on Thursday, to know that I am going to have a PET Scan sooner rather then later.....
in a May meeting with Dr. Wilke, he expressed that it would be helpful to him if I had a PET Scan completed prior to any radiation treatment. The PET Scan will show if there are any active cancer cells in my remaining mass & it will also give a 3 D picture of the mass that can be used to plan out the size of the radiation field used in treatment.
Radiation is still up for discussion.....but I am probably leaning towards having it.....as I want to do what I can to prevent reoccurance.

I have been in touch with "Best Doctors" again & they are going to arrange another consultation with the same two specialists used on the previous consultation. I want to get their opinion's on Rituxan as a maintenance treatment & on whether or not they recommend radiation in my case.
I also want to know if they have any other recommendations for my treatment at this point in time. Hopefully, they can help me source out Rituxan, if I decide to move forward with treatment.

My next appointment with my primary hematologist (Dr. Anderson) is September 8th, as he is on holidays until that week.....so I will be discussing all my options with him at that point.....& hopefully, I will have some of my own information to bring to the meeting. i.e. PET Scan results would be nice

That is all I have to report medically on my latest situation.

Yesterday, I had a wonderful afternoon & evening at the Aylesford Zoo with Coleen & her two children, my cousin Karen & her nephew plus my Aunt Madeline & her grandson.....
It is a small zoo run by a husband & wife team who have a passion for their animals......it is such a lifestyle for them.....I was especially fascinated at feeding time watching the women owner walk freely in the cages with the lions, panthers, leopards, lynx's, & the bear.......she had hunks of meat that she hand fed to them .......she is the only person who can feed them this way......it is quite the site to see. She explained everything she did & freely & patiently answered every question we asked of her......she is such a wealth of knowledge on these animals & I could have picked her brain all day.

It truly was a great day!!

Day + 28

WBC 2.5, HGB 105, PLT 154, ANC 1260

Quote of the day:
"STRENGTH IS NOTHING MORE THAN ENDURING LIFE - TO BE ABLE TO SURVIVE THE HEARTACHES AND AGONIES WE GO THROUGH WITH OUR HEADS HELD HIGH. SOMETIMES JUST WALKING THROUGH ADVERSITY TO GET TO THE OTHER SIDE IS A SIGN OF STRENGTH."
-Sylvia Browne

Unfortunately, I did not win the coin toss.....so if I continue to be part of the study, I will receive no further treatment, unless I have a reoccurance of disease.

Currently, I am exploring my options. I am looking at the possibility of sourcing out the Rituxan & paying for it myself. I have already received Rituxan as part of all my previous chemo treatments, with the exception of the high dose chemo prior to STC. These treatments are standard of care & covered by the goverment.

The Rituxan as a "maintenance treatment" is currently not covered by the government for my type of Large Diffuse B Cell Non Hodgkins Lymphoma, because the trial needs to be completed to show that Rituxan is effective in decreasing reoccurance of disease after SCT......before they will agree to cover the costs......& Rituxan is very expensive.


Rituxan did get approved as maintenance therapy for patients with Follicular NHL as per this news article:
.-- Rituxan(R) doubles overall survival for patients living with common form of blood cancer -->>MISSISSAUGA, ON, Aug. 10, 2006 /CNW/ - Hoffmann-La Roche Limited announced today that Health Canada has approved Rituxan(R) (rituximab) as maintenance therapy for patients with follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) who have responded to initial treatment. Rituxan was shown in a major study originally presented in December 2005 to increase the length of time from end of initial treatment to complete relapse from 15 to 52 months, more than tripling progression-free survival. Furthermore, the therapy doubles the overall survival (48 per cent) for patients with this form of NHL, compared to standard disease management, which is currently "watch and wait."


Dr. Couban is now handing my case back over to my primary hematologist....Dr. Anderson.
Dr. Anderson is going on holidays for 2-3 weeks, & I am trying to get an appointment with him ASAP to discuss my options.
As part of the study, I will not have any CT, Gallium or PET Scans completed until mid October......I may talk to Dr. A. about moving that up sooner so we know what we are dealing with?....should we do radiation?.....should I definitely pursue taking Rituxan?
I want to feel comfortable with the direction we decide to take next, & I need some input from Dr. Anderson to help me with this.
In the mean time, I have been reading as much as I can on the internet. I may decide, at some point to contact "Best Doctors" again to see what they have to say about Rituxan......I also want opinions on whether I should do Radiation or Not??? If so.....WHEN?

So many questions......??

Once I find out anything further, I will do another update.

Day + 27

Andrea, Jasper & I at Lawrencetown Beach on Saturday.......we didn't last very long because it was a bit too cold & windy for laying around at the beach.....but I did throw the "Dummy" in the water for Jasper a whole bunch of times to burn off some of her energy!!

Sue & I enjoying another fire at the "Pit" Saturday night with Andrea & Sue.












Quote of the Day:
"IF YOU'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING, IF YOU'RE NOT HARMING YOURSELF OR OTHERS, YOU NEED NOT BE CONCERNED WITH WHAT OTHERS THINK. YOU'RE FREE!"
-Brian L. Weiss, M.D.

I had already written most of my entry for this blog & lost it when my computer decided to shut down.....so I am going to keep this one short!

My week-end was enjoyable.....walks at the beach, fire in the pit with A&S, a lovely afternoon with Coleen driving through villages on the Eastern Shore, and a wonderful meal at Mom & Dad's on Sunday evening...

Today, I spent most of it researching Rituximab.....more specifically, I was reading studies about how effective it is as a maintenance treatment after High Dose Chemo & Autologous Stem Cell transplant. Maintenance therapy refers to therapy used following initial treatment in an attempt to keep cancer from progressing or recurring. Some of the studies are still in progress,(i.e. the study I am participating in)........ initial results show lots of promise.

Trade Name(s):Rituxan
Type of Drug:Rituximab is a monoclonal antibody that belongs to the general class of synthetic substances called biologic response modifiers. It is used to treat certain lymphomas that have lymphocytes with the CD20 receptor.
How Drug Works:A monoclonal antibody is a protein that fits like a lock and key with a protein on the cancer cell. Rituximab (antibody) attaches to the CD20 protein (antigen) on certain cancerous lymphocytes (white blood cells). Once it attaches to the cells, it brings other immune cells to help kill the cancer cells.

Information:
http://www.asheducationbook.org/cgi/content/full/2005/1/321
http://patient.cancerconsultants.com/nhl_cancer_news.aspx?id=35269

Tomorrow, I will find out whether or not I will receive Rituximab every 2 months for the next year. PLEASE SEND POSITIVE THOUGHTS MY WAY TOMORROW.......AS I REALLY WANT TO RECEIVE THE MAINTENANCE TREATMENT OF RITUXIMAB FOR THE NEXT YEAR......& BASICALLY IT IS ALL DECIDED BY THE FLIP OF A COIN!!!!

Day + 24

Last Sunday was a real treat.......the weather was perfect.....the setting was magnificant....& the company was great! Thank-you Maureen for having us out to your cottage for the afternoon. Before my Stem Cell Transplant, I didn't think I would be able to enjoy much of what was left of the summer........so this was a pleasant bonus!!!

Quote of the Day:
"THE UNIVERSE TOTALLY SUPPORTS EVERY THOUGHT YOU CHOOSE TO THINK AND TO BELIEVE. YOU HAVE UNLIMITED CHOICES ABOUT WHAT TO THINK. CHOOSE BALANCE, HARMONY, AND PEACE, AND EXPRESS IT IN YOUR LIFE."
-Louise L. Hay

These past few days have been very low key.....this may be the first time in my life (at least as long as I can remember) that I have given myself total permission, without guilt, to relax totally.....sleep when I want.....read without thinking about all the other stuff I could be doing. I believe that this rest will help my body recover faster & build the strength to fight any cancer trying to survive in my body. Rest also helps my mental and emotional well being so that I can maintain a more postive outlook each day.
I also walk every morning & sometimes in the evening too.....& starting next week I will be adding more exercises on a regular basis.

I am also back doing my daily supplemental program.......
Vitamins have been part of my daily lifestyle since 1998.
In March, I remember sitting in my hotel room in Vancouver.....trying to recover from the news that my tumour was still active with cancer.
Coleen & I had spent the afternoon with my Uncle Terry & Aunt Tish.....we were so thankful that they were there to support us when we found out the bad news.....
anyway, after they left for home, Coleen & I went for a very long walk so I could digest what had happened that day! I cried for quite a while & Coleen comforted me.....eventually I stopped crying.....my brain kicked into gear....& I started thinking about what I could do to help myself. At that stage, we were told that Radiation was going to be my next step in my treatment......therefore, I decided to do three things.

The first thing I did, was e-mail my Radiation Oncologist from the hotel room to tell him that I would need to start Radiation ASAP.....I knew he was often in on the week-ends & I thought this would give him a chance to set things up quickly, as this was a Friday & I wouldn't be home until Sunday.

The second decision I made was to see a Naturopath ASAP. I wanted some guidance on how to set up a program that would help minimize potential side effects from the chemo I already had, plus the radiation, I thought I would be getting. I have read lots of books over the years about diet & supplements, and as many of my friends know, I have always been passionate about this subject. Anyway, I decided that at this point I needed help from an expert.......someone who could tell me exactly what I should take, how much, & why. I was running out of energy to figure it out myself.



The third decision I made, was to call my nurse with the "Best Doctors" program so I could tell her the latest update from Vancouver. The Best Doctors program is a benefit offered by my health plan in which I can get second opinions as to what is the best treatment for my disease. I had consulted them, when I had to make a decision on whether I should have radiation or not. This decision was left in my hands & I needed more information in order to make an informed decision. Anyway, all my records had been released from my hospital and sent to 2 different top doctors in the U.S. One was a Oncologist/Stem Cell specialist in Nashville, Tennessee & the other was a Radiation Oncologist in Boston, Mass. Once, these doctors, were updated about my active tumour plus the fact that it had increased in size,......they were recommending SCT. Once my hematolgist, Dr. Anderson at the QEII hospital & Dr. Connors at the B.C. Cancer Ctr. found out that my tumour had increased in size, they too recommended SCT. Plus all the other Hematologist's at my hospital discussed my case....& they all said SCT.
So, the great thing about 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc.....opinions....is that when everyone is recommending the same thing.....one has no doubt about their choice!!!

The reason, I wanted to talk about these things, was to say, that I found out that the best way to deal with difficult news..... is to feel all the emotions that come naturally....vent....then figure out all that you can do to help your self or others that are part of your team. It is so important to be an active participant in your care.......mistakes do happen & things do get missed. You need to be aware of what is happening and why.....what are your options....
It also is important to feel you still have some control over your disease or situation......because when you get diagnosed with an illness.....you feel a loss of control & you feel that your life is in the hands of a bunch of strangers......at first you can feel helpless.....but later you can take back some control. It is important to feel you are making a contribution as part of a team in doing everything you can to get better & to improve your quality of life.

Day + 21

HEY! LORI/LAURIE FLOAT @ THE NANTON PARADE!!!!
THANK-YOU FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT :)........!!












WBC 2.6, HGB 103, PLT 156, ANC 978 (AUTO) & 1404 (Manual)

Quote of the Day " WHAT YOU DISMISS AS AN ORDINARY COINCIDENCE MAY BE AN OPENING TO AN EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURE. "
-Deepak Chopra, M.D.

Sorry for neglecting my blog during the past few days......the week-end kind of got in the way!
The weather was beautiful.....I spent time resting & reading on my swing......did a couple small house projects....went to my neighbors cottage on Sunday afternoon......did lots of napping & going to bed early. Monday was a holiday......I watered the garden with a brand new long handled hose adapter..... which gave me a sense of accomplishment. :)
My day usually involves accomplishing something & then resting or napping on and off all day. I have been getting up early in the mornings and walking a mile or two, then stretching & doing some light arm weights......when I am finished, a nap usually follows. As time goes on, I will be needing less naps. It is very important to listen to my body.....rest when tired.....this really helps in the healing process.

Last night & early this morning we had another thunder & lightening storm with lots of rain......restless night & I woke up feeling very tired.
Dad took me to the hospital for 8am. this morning. Today, I had blood work & my Hickman line cleaned. My bloodwork only has to be done once a week now & after next week, my Hickman line will probably be yanked, so I will have to start getting poked in the arm once a week for the blood work.
After lunch, I fell a sleep for most of the afternoon.....now I am about to head out for a dog walk, as I didn't have a chance to walk this morning. It is definitely a goal for me to walk everyday.

Don't worry, if I don't do an entry everyday......I may not have too much to write about. I will definitely report on anything important as soon as it happens.

That is all for now!!

Answer to Sarah's Questions

The reason my blood work had such a huge discrepancy on Thursday, was nothing more than a lab error.......OR it may have happened during the collection process.....the blood may have been diluted with fluid when the nurse flushed my line. When the results came back with such a large drop, my nurse immediately figured it had to be incorrect. The only way my HGB would have dropped so significantly, would be if I had some sort of bleed.....anyway, we were pleased when it all came back OK!!

I didn't have ICE for my first 2 high dose chemos.
The standard of care in Canada is R-DHAP for NHL & Hodgkins Disease....which is made up of Cytarabine, Dexamethasone, Cisplatin, plus or minus Rituximab (Rituxan). I believe some of these drugs are the same as ICE.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am part of a Phase III Study Number: LY.12.

The first part of the study is being done to compare two different combinations of chemotherapy to see which is the better salvage chemo. This study compares the standard treatment listed above (R-DHAP) vs. (GDP).....this consists of Cisplatin, dexamethasone,gemcitabine, plus or minus Rituxan.
The drug gemcitabine is similar to cytarabine in the way it works against cancer cells and the side effects of gemcitabine may be less severe than the side effects of cytarabine.
Participants in the study are randomized to have one of the above treatments.....I was randomized to receive R-DHAP which is administered on an inpatient basis. GDP is done on an outpatient basis. Fortunately, I responded very well to R-DHAP.

The second part of the study randomizes patients with CD20 B Cell lymphoma to either receive Rituximab once every 2 months for 1 year or not receive further anti-lymphoma treatment unless the lymphoma comes back.
Personally, I am strongly hoping to receive Rituximab......so I will need everyones strong positive vibes on August 15th.

I hope that answer's your questions Sarah. I do have a web site of the study somewhere if you want to know more ....if I find it, I will add it to this post later for the information of others aiming for Stem Cell Transplant..

Day + 18

Quote of the Day:
"HOW YOU TREAT PEOPLE- WHETHER IT BE AN OLD FRIEND OR A TELLER AT THE BANK- IS INDICATIVE OF HOW YOU CAN EXPECT PEOPLE TO TREAT YOU."
-Deepak Chopra, M.D.

There is no medical news to report again until this coming Tuesday, when I go for blood work & a cleaning of my Hickman Line....so until then....my entry's will be more general.

Yesterday, Mom spent the day with me at my house. It was a rainy day, so we decided the best way to spend it would be to work on a puzzle & play some crib. In between, these strenuous activies, I napped!!! Does that sound like a vacation or what! Mom prepared my meals & left around 4:30pm.....I had another nap....
After working all day, Sue prepared a delicious supper of Salmon Shish Kabobs & Rice.....I am somewhat useless these days, because I get tired & dizzy quite easily when I attempt to do things for myself.....WHAT AN EXCUSE!! ......But it is true.
Almost every time I see someone for the first time since my transplant, they say something like "You look great!".......but the truth of the matter is that my insides aren't looking or feeling as good as my outside.......my counts are still well below normal & my immune system is still very vulnerable. Like I said in earlier posts, many people take up to a full year & sometimes more to fully recover from a Stem Cell Transplant......though, I do hope to be back in full swing earlier than a year! Until that time, I may not be my smart ass self all the time.....& I will improve my listening skills since I won't always be able to talk as much as I usually do!!!.......but that is probably a good thing!

The biggest difficulty I am going to face will be my fear of recurrance. I have to control this fear so that it doesn't control me. I have to tell myself everyday & several times a day that I will get better......but it is hard sometimes when you are tired & feeling weak.....or when a tickle of a cough gets your imagination going ( a cough was a major symptom of my original diagnosis )......it will continue to be a challenge keep negative thoughts away & to try to enjoy each day to the best of my ability.

Anyway, today was a very good day! We watched a movie this morning, Sue made a delicious breakfast & we worked on the puzzle. The sun came out part way through the day.....I did one productive job in helping Sue attach a hose holder to the side of our house.......now we will have a hose handy for me to water our gardens in the front of the house. Sue mowed & fertilized the lawn......& now we are heading off to Mary's house (my sister's mother-in-laws)for her 65th birthday party. Mary & Chummy (her husband) were the one's who picked out & planted our garden just before I went in the hospital......we are very appreciative that they took the time to do that for us!!!!


That is it in a nutshell!!

Day + 16

WBC 2.1, HGB 101, PLT 107, ANC 527

Quote of the Day:
FOR THIS DAY, ACKNOWLEDGE THE RESTORING POWER OF HOPE. DIRECT THAT POWER TO BLESS ALL THAT NEEDS HEALING IN YOUR LIFE, INCLUDING YOUR NEGATIVE ATTITUDES AND DISAPPOINTMENTS.
- Caroline Myss and Peter Occhiogrosso

We had a bit of a scare this morning, as my 1st set of bloodwork came back with a WBC of 1.3, HGB 70, & PLTS 61.......when your HGB drops below 80, a blood transfusion is required. Obviously, we rechecked the bloodwork & the numbers were all up, as per above. Finally, my ANC is over 500!

At the hospital, I had my 2 hours of Bolus & then I was fortunate enough to get into see Dr. Couban before noon......therefore, I didn't have to come back for my scheduled 3:20 appt. He once again expressed how pleased he was at how I have handled the Stem Cell Transplant. Now it is a waiting game to see if we will get the results we are looking for.
Around "Day + 60" I will have a CAT Scan & a Gallium Scan to see where things stand. If those tests show negative for Cancer, then we will set up an appointment in Sherbrooke, Quebec, for me to have a PET/CT Scan.........this is a more accurate test than a Gallium Scan. It will show if there is any active cancer cells in my tumour.

I see Dr. Couban again on August 15th...... as I mentioned in earlier postings, I am participating in a 2 part study in which the 2nd part is a flip of the coin to see if I will get a follow up treatment of Rituxan. If I get the side where I receive Rituxan, it means that every 2 months for 1 year, I will get Rituxan by I.V. The study is trying to show whether or not the Rituxan helps prevent recurrance of lymphoma. In order to be eligible for the Rituxan, my original cancer cells had to be CD 20 positive(which mine are).....this is a type of antigen attached to the cancer cells. If I don't win the toss, I will have no follow-up treatment.

Anyway, on August 15th, Dr. Couban will pull my Hickman line, if I am not going to receive Rituxan.....he feels that a patient should only leave the line in as long as it is needed. If I am not to receive Rituxan or blood products, then it should be pulled. I guess other doctors think differently......

Well, I am home tonight & looking forward to sleeping in my own bed.

Day + 15

WBC 1.8, HGB 106, PLT 90, ANC 416

Quote of the Day:
TRY TO AVOID THINKING ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE NOT: "I'M NOT HAPPY, NOT RICH, NOT GOOD-LOOKING," AND SO ON. INSTEAD, THINK ABOUT WHAT YOUR ARE:
"I AM JOYFUL; I AM PROSPEROUS; I AM BEAUTIFUL." YOUR SELF-ESTEEM WILL RISE IMMEASURABLY.
-SYLVIA BROWNE

Last night we had a "Thundering & Lightening" storm along with some rain.......it woke me up a few times.....which is maybe why I woke up feeling exhausted today. Mom helped me get cleaned up this morning & I ended up vomiting.....which I thought was behind me.
Anyway, we made our way to the hospital for 8:30am. for my bloodwork & my 2 hours of bolus.......I felt not so good the entire time & could hardly wait until I was back at Mom & Dad's for a nap. I was so exhausted & nauseated that I slept about 3 1/2 hours.....so much for short naps!

As I write this, I am feeling somewhat better but not 100%.........I am not complaining as I know that this is all part of the recovery process.......which no matter how much I try, will not happen over night.

Mom is making a stuffed chicken dinner & Sue will be joining us after work. I get to see the dogs again!!
I have decided to stay here at Mom & Dad's house one more night, so it is easier to get up & go to the hospital for 8am. My nurse, Allison, is trying to bump up my appointment to see Dr. Couban after my blood work & I.V. ....otherwise, I will have to make another trip to Halifax at 3:20pm tomorrow.......which is more exhausting & inconvenient.
Dr. Couban told me on Monday(when he discharged me), that he may pull the "Hickman Line" out of my chest tomorrow......that means I can shower freely again......& maybe manage a swim this summer!!! Yippee! It also means, that I will have to start getting poked in the arm again, for my blood work.......OUCH......my veins are now so tough that only the best blood gathers can do it with out hurting me too much.

There is not much else to report today other than my counts are looking up.....my ANC is getting very close to 500.....

Day + 14

WBC 1.5, HGB 105, PLT 61, ANC 255 (Auto Count)

Quote of the Day:
WHAT'S THE BIG HURRY? YOU'RE NOT EVER GOING TO GET IT DONE, SO WHAT ARE YOU RACING TOWARD? EVERY SINGLE ACTIVITY THAT YOU'RE INVOLVED IN IS FOR ONE PURPOSE ONLY, AND THAT IS TO GIVE YOU A MOMENT OF JOY. LIGHTEN UP. LAUGH MORE. APPRECIATE MORE. ALL IS WELL.
- Abraham-Hicks

It is great to be out of the hospital! Dad barbecued some chicken breasts last night (I enjoyed the smell of the barbecue).....Mom baked some sweet potatoe & steamed some green beans for supper last night & I did a great job eating everything on my plate. I even managed a small piece of wild blueberry pie & ice cream.......the blueberry's came from our property.....compliments of Sue M. doing the picking.....mmmm mmmm good!
Slept like a baby last night without all the hospital interuptions. Dr. Couban was definitely correct in sending me home for a faster recovery!!!

This morning Dad drove me to the hospital Medical Day unit on the 4th floor of the Victoria Building for my 7:30 am. appointment. Allison is my primary nurse this week & she took my blood and then hooked me up by I.V. for 2 hours to receive Bolus ( Saline & Liquid ). I received my blood counts back around 10am. & was on my way home by 10:15am. I was lucky today, because my nurse told me it can take up to 4 hours to get the counts back!!

The rest of my day went very well.....Dad & I dropped by my house to pick up some clothes.....& while we were there, we decided to water our new garden & my "Mount Everest" tree.......it felt great to be at home....outside.....enjoying the sunshine & nature!!
After lunch I needed a nap.....it is recommended that I take a few short naps or rests during the day, rather than long ones......& only enough that I can still sleep through the night. Andrea, Sue M. & Denise stopped by for a visit after my nap....which I enjoyed!

Tomorrow, I am going to start excercising to get my strength back.....as per instructions from my medical literature. It is recommended that I start doing some cardio to strengthen my heart.......weights & stretching for the muscles. For me this is not a hardship, as I love to exercise......this stuff is right up my alley!!!

Tomorrow, is also the day I get to go to my own home.......in my own bed!!......though, I have been very comfortable at Mom & Dad's.....they take great care of me! Mom will stay with me during the week days to help with my meals & appointments. Sarah asked me about the dogs....it is OK for me to be around my dogs but not to sleep with them in the same room....if I pet them, then I must wash my hands....& they are not to kiss my face. As I am writing this, the dogs are running around in my parents back yard waiting to see me for the first time since being in hospital......I am very excited!!! .....I must go now!

My appointment for tomorrow is 8:30am. for bloodwork & Bolus!