DEMO DIVA

Today I finish my second round of Chemo at HUP and go home this afternoon. I was feeling good until yesterday when the nausea kicked in and the two medications they gave for it made me a zombie. I slept for 12 hours and am still a little dazed. I still managed to walk today although not as far as before. Apparently I'm an escapee because I walked to the Fresh Supermarket for some fresh food the first three days I was here which is about a mile and a half walk on the city streets in my hospital cover-up, O well once a rebel !Nobody told me I couldn't they just assume you can't or won't. Personally when they say exercise as tolerated that means go for it if you feel up to it. The heat is stopping me from wandering outside and so I'm exploring the Perleman Center which has a ginormous atrium that has comfy couches and a nice coffee bar where I got one of my favorite things, a millet muffin from the "Le Bus" bakery. I also learned to inject myself with medications and I'll be clearing my own IV line when I get home. Not a joyous thing to look forward to. I am looking forward to embracing all the plants in my garden and searching for new seedlings to nurture. Be home tonight so call and keep in touch !

I spent a total of 40 days in the hospital, kinda biblical eh ? I've now been out for 13 days and am feeling about 75% of normal. I have an appetite but not for everything. I still have a common side effect of chemo which is a chronic metallic taste in my mouth. For a while I couldn't even drink water it tasted like sucking on rusty nails. I can drink it now but only with a slice of lemon in it. While my son Sean was here he made some really ONO ( good ) food for me. All vegetarian and all fresh. For almost a month I was not allowed to have any raw fruits or vegetables or have fresh flowers. Since that ended I've been eating big bowls of salad greens and fruits, ambrosia ! We ate pasta with heavy cream Alfredo sauce topped with fresh baby portabello mushrooms sauteed in olive oil, garlic, shallots and white wine,with steamed fresh asparagus on the side.Curries made with a dozen kinds of vegetables and spices. A cheesy breakfast tofu with lots of tumeric and sauteed onions and Irish cheddar cheese. I feel as though Sean put me back on track to enjoy eating again. He left me with an excellent ayurvedic cook book which I am combining with my macrobiotic skills to formulate a diet that will maximize my health. I will be flexible since with chemo you don't know what will be palatable from one day to the next.
So now for my next faze of treatment. On Tuesday June 8 Sean and I went to see my oncologist. She is very pleased with my progress and laid out my treatment options at that time.My six siblings who can be bone marrow donors will be sending in samples to see if any is a good match for me. With that many siblings I should find one to be a donor. This would appear to be the ideal treatment. I go into the hospital this week for another round of chemo for 5 to 6 days. I will then have a 3 to 4 week recovery period at the end of which we will know if I have a good sibling donor match.Then the hard part begins. After the transfer of marrow it will take 4 to 8 weeks before we know if the marrow has reproduced and begun to grow new cells. In the meantime I will have no immunity and again be unable to have fresh raw fruits, vegetables or flowers in my life. I'll also be in a clean room and everyone will have to be wearing gowns, gloves and masks.I'll need all of your support for this. Aloha Nancy