Turtles.

Last year on this day, November 12th, Bill and I packed the car with suitcases stuffed will clothes, mattress foam, pillows, blankets, my quilts, etc. and took off for Moffitt Cancer in Tampa, FL for almost 30 days.  Check in day for me to prepare for my transplant.

Once I got in my room, I was poked, prodded, questioned, paper signer.  Saline drip was started to prepare me for my high dose of chemo that night.  Started the chemo drip around 10:30 PM.  Took about an hour.  More saline.

November 13th- my day of rest before the transplant.  Slept a lot because of the Ativan I was given for nausea.

November 14th - transplant day.  3.6 million stem cells of 9.3 million that I gave were given back to me via a drip.  Took an hour.  This was my day zero.  My birthday, they said.

Days of nausea, no energy, no appetite, sleeping, crying, praying.  What memories I have that I never, and never will, blogged about.  Days of wanting to go home.

November 27th - was able to leave the hospital and check in to the hotel.  Hotel that was approved by Moffitt. Room has to be up to Moffitt's standards.  Each day, we had to go back to Moffitt for my blood to be drawn.  Usually had to stay and have fluids administered.  So tired and weak most days.  Bill would get a wheel chair to take me to my appointments.

December 6th - Loved this day.  Dr. Ocoha released me to go home.  It was late till I got out of the hospital so Bill and I decided we would just stay at the hotel overnight and leave in the morning.  After a few issues in the morning, we finally got on the road and headed home close to noon.  Hello Casselberry.  Hello Tommy!!!!

Then the days to follow were filled with trying to build up my energy level, my appetite.  Days of feeling proud that I walked two houses up, started to eat more then mashed potatoes, not getting sick as much, having some company, trying to do some housework and just trying to get back to normal.

Now it's one year later.  All that above I needed to write to just bring it from last year and how much has changed a year later.  I will never forgot those 26 days.  They are etched in my mind forever.  26 days.

The story continues one year later with me still have some active Myeloma.  Still not hearing the remission word.  Still having to do treatments.  Still trying to beat this!!!!  And I will!!!!  And I will!!!

We still have a lot of lakes and other bodies of water that are very high.  Last week on the way to the Cancer Center I noticed a big pipe in this one lake.  I usually watch the birds on the shorelines when we pass by.  Being nosy, I wanted to see what this pipe was for.  Well, I found out.  There were about 6 or 7 nice sized turtles sitting on the pipe.  Guess it was put in there for them and not for draining.

Quote:

Find the courage to move forward one day at a time.