Mood:
sharpNow Playing: Copy of email from Wes
Topic: Update
It's late morning on Saturday, March 28, & I'm (back) home for the weekend, enjoying familiar surroundings & a nice sunny day here at my lake home. My doctor gave permission to spend the time here, so my sister, Verna, drove me up to Pelican Rapids yesterday, arriving here about 2:30 p.m., with a couple of stops enroute (groceries, gas, cash, etc.). Yes, I spent the overnight alone, & managed quite well, sleeping until nearly 9:00 a.m. this morning. Brother Al, sister-in-law Becky & lake neighbor Bonnie joined me here for a PAPA MURPHY'S PIZZA Friday night, after which we played a card game called "Golf"; I was the BIG winner! Son John still has the two cats in Chaska, but may return them here when he, son Joel & friend Shawn arrive next weekend? They plan to hunt wild turkeys in the area, & also put my dock & lifts in the lake, so I'll stay away for that weekend. I'll spend it back at the U of M apartment with Gail, who is arriving May 2 from Austin, Texas, until she departs May 7. Hopefully, someone will get my van to us, before she arrives, so we'll have means of transportation beyond the U of M campus area? With permission, I will return alternating weekends to the lake home, given a "driver"..until my discharge from the BMT Clinic?
Son John has continued his website "blog" with his unique sense of humor, poetic "talent", etc. to provide updates on my life "in recovery", but suspect some of you haven't been able to access that website, so this will let you know what has happened through this e-mail? Yes...I do check e-mails from my laptop in the apt., but rarely send messages, because it means typing in each address, & a laptop is more difficult for me to write or type messages, without mistakes! I've had several visitors recently, which has helped the days pass more quickly..thank you! Verna & I drove to Faribault Thursday afternoon to see son Joel, daughter-in-law Dori, Amy & to meet Jeff, Amy's boyfriend, which was about an hour's drive south on I-35. The highlight was seeing their new home, which they'd purchased recently, & moved into April 19. The location is still about the same from their employment at Malt-O-Meal in Northfield, but a 3-year old home with 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, triple car garage, etc. I'm happy for them! Son John lives in Chaska, a suburb SW from Mpls., about 30-45 minutes from me, depending on traffic, & niece Kelly lives in Richfield, a nearby suburb, with her husband, Rick, son Jake & daughter Jessie. They have recently completed a great addition to their home, with much of the construction work done by Rick these past 3 years. All three "check in" on me regularly, with my care-givers taking walks with me, & accompanying me to BMT Clinic mornings..down to twice a week from 3-4 times a week earlier-in-the-game. Friend Ed Karels, a former teaching colleague, lives in south Mpls., & has helped "fill in" the gap between family care-givers, & allowing us to "catch up" on life since retirement, too. All 3 granddaughters accompany their dad, my son John, on alternating weekends, to see me at my apt., & have found the complex (even) offers "stuff" for young people to do there.
The questions I'm asked most frequently are HOW DO YOU FEEL?...or HOW LONG WILL YOU HAVE TO STAY NEAR THE U of M hospital/clinic? I feel pretty normal again, but tire easily, especially after the daily walks around campus..or after a more "active" day..including the clinic checkups, which can last up to 3-4 hours, with lots of waiting, it seems? I'm quite restricted about activity, which inludes NO yard work, NO swimming or use of the hot-tub, NO large crowds of people, & wearing my face mask when "out" in public with the masses. I'm expected to wear sun-block when exposed to the sun, must eat well-done meats (ish) if/when dining "out", & washing my hands frequently, to prevent the spread of germs. I must guard against infections, be it bacterial, virial or fungal, & GRAFT vs HOST DISEASE, which can occur anytime in the first 6 to 12 months, after transplant (3/16)? Those symptoms, should it happen, would be a skin rash & diarrhea, both of which can be "fixed" with a lotion-cream, and/or steroids, I'm told. Prayers are always welcomed! :-)
My mailing address & cell-phone # while in the twin cities: ARYGLE HOUSE # 1028, 920 DELAWARE ST. SE, MPLS. MN 55414...( 612 / 240-3934) or my home address at the lake, which is 26468 COUNTY HIGHWAY #4, PELICAN RAPIDS, MN 56572 (218 / 863-8119) The cards, calls, visits & care-giving has all contributed to my successful AND (relatively) quick recuperation, in addition to the Lord's will, the miracles of medicine & medical staff, & my own determination to get through this phase of leukemia. Taking good care of my financial affairs, the house plants & forwarding correspondence from here are brother Al & sister-in-law Becky, another god-send to ease my stress levels. I'm very grateful to family members, especially.. for their concern, help & encouragment these past 6 months, & will hopefully) continue to regain a sense of independence? Perhaps the greatest "gift" has been the stem cells donated by my twin brother, Warren, for which I've been given another chance at a healthy life! May you be equally blessed!
Hugs, Wes