Change of Plans (Bet You Didn't See That Coming) |8-9-16|

What is it about appointments and sitting in waiting rooms that makes a person SOO tired? We had a long day at KU Med today, starting at 8:00. (We had to leave at 6:45)(Up at 5:30)(I'm not a morning person!!!!) The last appointment was over around 3:30. When Mike gets chemo on Fridays, Tuesday is usually his worst day. So combine that with a day of walking all over the medical center, and back again, and it equals one really tired man. I'm hoping to call tomorrow and get the results from his PET scan today.

The best part of the day was that my friend and former coworker, Kellee, was able to spend a lot of the day with me in the waiting rooms. I didn't realize how much I have been trying to hold myself together until she walked up to me to say hi, gave me a hug, and I just lost it. It was like all of the emotions I've been bottling up just poured out. It felt really great to be hugged by a friend and have her reassure me that it's all going to be ok.

We got an email from Jodi, our transplant coordinator yesterday, approximately 2 seconds after I published my post about the schedule for Mike's hospital admission and transplant. I knew I would probably have to correct myself, and looky there.... here I am.

Jodi said the the donor and the donor center could do the stem cell collection on Sept. 1st & 2nd. So that means that Mike will be admitted into the hospital on August 28th. It's only a week and a half later than we planned for (and hoped for) but on the BRIGHT SIDE, we will get to be here for Molly's 1st Day of Kindergarten!

We should hear back tomorrow about the team's decision if Mike will get another round of GemOx chemo before transplant. Part of me is hoping he doesn't have to so that he can have more GOOD days with us before he goes into the hospital. I'm sure a lot of it will depend on the PET scan from this morning. In a super optimistic world, I would be hoping that the cancer is gone, and he is in remission. That would give him way better odds for going on to live a healthy life, as opposed to going into transplant with some cancer still there. But the realistic part of me is just hoping that it is still decreasing, even if it isn't gone. I will be so happy. I feel like it is though. He was feeling so well last Thursday that it was almost as if I could forget that he wasn't sick at all. I guess we'll find out tomorrow.

When we got home, another beautiful soul and friend, Ashly, brought over the most delicious dinner. I told her that I get more excited to hear that she's cooking for us, than I get if someone told me we're going to a restaurant. It was the perfect thing for dinner after such a long day.

We feel so lucky to have so many amazing people in our life. We never take the acts of kindness for granted, even if I forget to write a Thank You card, I hope everyone knows how much they mean to me. Major illness really changes your perspective about things. I wonder how many people say how lucky they are after they, or their family member has been diagnosed with something that seems overwhelming. I'm not saying that we're lucky that Mike has cancer, (because it sucks) but we are lucky to be able to see how amazing people are. We are lucky to be able to let go of the little things that aren't really that big of a deal, and we're lucky to be able to treasure the most important things in life. I knew I was lucky when I married Mike, but now I know I'm lucky in so many more ways.

Xo

Robin