Advanced Degree in Patience

Each step of Don’s treatment has been postponed at least once. When the treatment plan was first explained to us it included a bone marrow biopsy, followed by four months of targeted chemo (four, four-week cycles), then the autologous stem cell transplant, which would take about a month, followed by several months of recovery

Don’s cancer proved to be resistant to the drugs and so he went through three different regimes of chemo that lasted about ten months before it achieved the desired results. He had three bone marrow biopsies and has had the second part of the transplant postponed and rescheduled once, due to coming down with stomach flu. We have heard the phrase, “every body is different” and reacts to the treatments differently a whole bunch of times, “but not to worry; it will turn out fine.”

Man - we are going with that!

Needless to say, are eager to check into the hospital tomorrow morning and move through the last phase of the treatment. So if you have a moment today; cross your fingers, send a little prayer heavenward, and/or send good thoughts our way, that all goes according to plan. Our bags have been packed and ready to go for a week and a half and everything is in place. The cats are a little nervous as we think they know they will have to do without Don’s lap for awhile.

A bed for Sami, bedding, laptops, musical instruments, books, and clothes waiting patiently to be carried to the hospital.

We are happy to be where we are, and content, and relaxed. Right now, Don is downstairs playing his guitar and sounding great. We sincerely believe the next blog entry will come from somewhere on the 7^th floor of the Cancer Center.

All these stops and starts in Don’s treatment has meant that we often sent information out way in advance of when things actually happened. If you want to know in general what will happen to Don while he is in the hospital and how best to reach us, read the Dec.18^th blog entry, The Incarceration Set to Begin. For a detailed look at what happens the first few days he is in the hospital read the December 26^th entry, Ready for the Next Adventure. 

Cheers, friends!