So I am making yet another blog post because frankly, sitting in a hospital bed while the whole world is in isolation is quite boring. So far today I have have lots of blood taken, eaten breakfast, walked 32 lengths in the hallway (24 lengths = 1 Km I am aiming for 2 Km a day while I have the energy so that I can stay strong), had a nap, received cryo-precipitate (aka plasma to help my blood clot), done one medium, one hard, and one loco Sudoku, eaten lunch, and built a tower out of my pill cups.

To help with my boredom I am going to start a virtual diary of my life here in the hospital and possibly after as I navigate the course of going from cancer caregiver/ wife to cancer patient. Treatment hasn’t started yet because they are running a test on my bone marrow to see whether or not I carry the Philadelphia chromosome, a genetic mutation that can cause the white blood cells to become cancerous. Whether I am positive for this gene or not will affect the treatment regimen I am started out on. I likely won’t get the results of that test until Tuesday. In the meantime I am getting high doses of steroids in the mornings (100 mg Prednisone for my pharmacy phriends out there) and that has some anti-leukemic effect as well. I also get acyclovir twice a day to prevent a nasty viral infection and I am getting pip/tazo, an antibiotic, IV to get rid of whatever potential infection I came in on. (should be nearing the end of that soon though).

I am humbled by the outpouring of love, prayers, thoughts, well wishes, and offers to help from everyone. Thank you to all who have reached out and shared our story. This gets a little bit more real for me every day but I am doing my best to stay upbeat. I still worry more about Luke and how he is doing at home. I miss my husband and I miss my fur babies. During the time that I was stuck at home in bed with a fever Penny wouldn’t leave me alone, constantly next to me even when I pushed her away. Even Zoey was being especially calm around me and giving me so many extra kisses and snuggles. I would give anything to have them here with me now. I got to see Luke for 24 hours before Luke got to go home, it was bittersweet. I am happy that he is well enough to be able to go home and continue to recover, but I miss him terribly and just want to be chatting away with him about absolutely nothing and everything. The staff here are all so wonderful that I don’t feel as alone even though no visitors are allowed though, and I am thankful for them

On that note I am going to sign off for now and maybe rest or watch TV or do some reading (I found The Hobbit in the library here so that’ll keep me busy). I don’t know what to expect in the coming weeks or how my body will handle treatment once it begins, but I am doing my best to stay strong so that I can put my all into the fight ahead.

Love, LB

p.s. Silver lining, I grew!! Haha, they measured me at 161 cm tall which is 5 feet and 3.4 inches I don’t know how that happened but I have been 5 foot 2.5 inches (maybe 5′ 2.75″ on a good day) for years now, so maybe the cancer has made me grow (or their measuring device is off), either way I’ll take it!