And So It Begins - For Real

I’ve just watched a broadcast of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Made me teary a couple times to think what he represents and how far our nation has finally come. (If you’ll forgive the unsolicited political blah-blah, I’m so glad Obama, not McCain, is our new prez!)

It also reminded me that though this huge process consumes most of my thoughts and my time, I am just one person. Though I hope to still have an impact – however small – on the world: if this transplant is successful, it will help pave the way for others with my disease; and, I really want to get back out in the world as a volunteer – that has been part of my identity forever, I guess. So, onward…

Friday I got the call that my Central Line placement appointment was moved up from the 27th to this Thursday, the 22nd. FYI, this line will be “my friend” for the next few months and will be used for everything from simple blood tests to giving me nutrition if I’m not taking in enough. Its first use will be infusions of stem cell growth-stimulating drugs followed by collection of those cells, so with its placement comes a firmer timeline that puts me on target to enter University Hospital on about Monday, February 2 and begin 6 days of chemo. (On the 7th day my collected stem cells will be infused and we’ll wait for my new immune system to “engraft.” But I’m getting ahead of myself…)

The next ten days or so will be busy with trips to SCCA. Rick will be my main driver/caregiver (except tomorrow Deb takes me to the UW for a swallowing/speech evaluation) since along with the procedures we’ll be receiving info we both need to know.

Also, this is not the only HUGE thing happening in our lives.

• Robin leaves for New Zealand (!) on February 8: she’ll be studying there for a school year as part of the UW exchange program.
  
• AND Darren, having finished his degree in December (BFA in Graphic Design), will be moving up from SoCal to live with us – to help as much as needed and to find work up here. This will happen as soon as he can work out how to get himself and his stuff up here as cheaply as possible.

So there’s a lot on our plate.