Ready to go

The doctors have given us a schedule for my bone marrow transplant. As of today, I will be admitted into the hospital on Saturday, February 6 for about a three week stay. The first day I will be treated with chemotherapy to destroy the cells in my bone marrow. I will experience many of the unpleasant effects that a person with cancer has during their treatment. On Monday, the transplant actually occurs where my stem cells are reintroduced back into my system. From that point, I will be recovering. Because I will have no defense from infections, I will be in some form of isolation. The cardiology team will be checking in on me to see how things are progressing during this transplant.

While the doctors have been putting through a series of additional tests they have found out why I have been having difficulty eating. The Amyloid has affected my GI system. A simple restriction in my diet has made eating enjoyable again. Also, I am sleeping better now. Today I feel the best I have since heart transplant. I have been under doctor’s care for over a year. Now I want to get back to a somewhat normal life. The sooner I start, the sooner I am on the road to recovery.

Completely unrelated thoughts….. With the winter Olympics less than two weeks off, I wonder how Canada will handle the opening ceremonies. A few years back, when the winter games were in Italy, they had Pavarotti sing “Nessun Dorma”, a wonderful piece from the opera Turandot. It was an emotional moment as the snow boarders and speed skaters rubbed their eyes and yelled back, “You’re the Man.” I am completely ignorant of the talent just north of me. But my vote goes to “Red-Green” who can work wonders with Duct Tape. Anyway, for my many friends up north that have been a joy to work with, I will “Keep my stick on the ice” and try to catch as much of the Games while in the hospital as possible.