Home sweet home.

That was a happy surprise to turn this on and see you had blogged this morning Kathleen.
First off I do feel well, the weakness and tiredness is just always there but I'm no longer sleeping during the day like I did most days at the apt.

so measuring progress is a subtle thing. Neither do I sit around as much, everywhere I look I want to clean out,streamline, reasses the need for this or that. so I'm mostly productive all day. I guess I have a pulled muscle in my groin, thats what the Dr. says, but it has really cut down on my walking outside on distance and it's been like two weeks now. Then at pt she had me balence on something that is round on the bottom, forty five minutes of that and the next day I could barely walk at all. The pt thought I did everything fine, and I did, but I look better than I am at least as far as my muscles go, and it was too much, to fast. I'll tell her that next visit. She was also encouraging me to think outside of the box, like what sports did I used to play? well, dodge ball, basketball, kickball ( in the 9th grade I'm thinking) oh, and tennis. That would be perfect! (she's striving to improve my balence) I think I will strive for being able to resume some distance walking first.

For the record, I am doing 45min of 2# wt lifting and 30 min of exersize on a ball 4to 5 days/wk

Thanks for reading the blog and reading your comments is fun. Thankyou for your caring, concern and prayers. Love, M

So far, the snooze for which we are hoping...

Feel very pleased indeed that there is not much to report.
Spoke with Robert today. Their week shakes out like this: doctors visit with oncologist once a week, blood draw, talk with doctor about any changes, or problems, lunch.
Physical therapy, where progress is checked and new excersizes are assigned is also weekly. Staying indoors is pretty much a priority and away from people and their germs. (I know I've covered this adnaseum)
I know dad is thrilled to be back home- they were gone for seven months and not only did he miss being outdoors on the property, but the maintainance can get behind, so he's been busy doing clean up.

Margie and Robert can't have a tree in the house for Christmas this year, so of course that's dissapointing for Margie. I suggested a photograph of a tree sitting where the tree would normally be displayed. No?
Any other suggestions would be appreciated- feel free to share.
Love, Kathleen

Margie's wonderful life, now.

Well, just getting used to living in her own house again is fairly big at this point.
I spoke with Margie this morning and she told me about how here schedule would be now, what she has to spend her time doing and what the concerns are now.
Remember, it's not over till it's over?

This week so far she had an appointment with her Oncologist who now takes over her case since she's "dismissed", so to speak from the Hutch. The next day she had an appointment with her Physical therapist who thankfully is on the island.
Dr. Picozzi explained that right now and for the next 6 months to 9 months she is at her most critical. This means that her body is more vulnerable to infection and although Cathy's immune system is "in place", it is still battling within Margies' body and that's why the anti-rejection drugs, imunosuppressants, gvhd drugs, prednizone, etc.

From the first year anniversary post transplant to the 2nd year post transplant (next july 08 is one year post transplant)
that is when her vulnerability BEGINS to drop. So, you now are likely to understand my last post a wee bit better, as in Margie is so not out of the woods and we have to be as careful as ever. A lot of it for Margie is common sense: handwashing, staying away from groups of people and especially people that are in any way sick, were sick, going to be sick, thinking about going to be sick or just hung out with someone that was. You get the picture. She gets to go to the movies (she loves the movies) but only during off hours when there are like, 6 people there. She can't have a bunch of people in her house, invading her germ free environment. She and we must all be very careful, aware and thoughtful of her surrounds and exposure.

Ok, back to her routine:
Her appointment with her oncologist will be once a week as well as a once a week physical therapy. Besides that, her job is to get her body recovered from the hell it's been through and is still going through by doing 2 to 3 hours of physical therapy everyday, six days a week, including walking and using 2 pound weights on her ankles and wrists.
She can't go to the gym (we all know how moist and germy they are) Can't garden, touch trees and have any exposure to flora and fauna.

She'll be spending lots of time in her house, so she's busy writing a list of her daily routine (see above) as breakfast, p.t. and just stuff around the house is going to fill her day. She'll be able to spend time on the computer, something that she has wanted to do for a long time, read books, write, cook, and focus on her own health, what with the above as well as the condition that the last year has put her in, including but not limited to an onset of osteoperosis and neuropathy in her hands and feet/legs. During the last couple of months, another melanoma was found, so she'll have to undergo another surgery for that and I'm sure that's on her mind as it's not the best idea to let it go.

I hope I've given everyone some useful information as to what's happening now and although in the big picture she's an A student, she's still got a long, long way to go.

Love, Kathleen

It's not over till it's over...

what???

Yes, Margie and Robert have moved home. NO, the party hasn't started. She is not out of the woods on this one folks and is still in a very compromised position with her immune system and the various drugs she's on to keep problems at bay.

Please don't make plans for a visit as you'll be introducing the germs and bacteria of yourself and others into Margie's environment and that's just not going to work at this time.

She's got to lay low, stay out of circulation and generally stay in a very protected environment.

Thanks,
Kathleen

100% Cathy

Isn't that what we all want? Let me explain. Margie's team of doctors explained this week that her immune system has been 100% replaced with Cathys immune sytem. Science fiction or just magic? Luckily, very real and happening right in front of us.
Not only has her immune system been replaced, she's experiencing things that are evidence of the changes: Margies had a chronic allergic coughing for many years now... gone. Margie has always had thin, cracking finger nails: gone. I'm sure the list will get longer. This is truly amazing, no?

More big news: This sunday? DAY 100! I know you are as astounded as I am. Margie and Robert will be moving completely back to their home this thursday or friday and the relationship with the Hutchinson center will end and will pick up with Margies oncologist, Dr. Picozi.

This not to say that Margie is finished with this, but on paper, she's looking really great. Among the common sense stuff that she has to practice once she's home (hand washing, steering clear of sick people, etc) she also can't touch trees, any flora and fauna essentially. Not an easy task at their house. It is Washington afterall and with all that rain, things just grow.
She'll continue to take the wheel barrel full of drugs that she's been on since the transplant and the prednazone and get regular blood draws and check ups.
The next big milestone is one year post transplant. That is when, after she makes that, the Hutch team considers it a successful transplant.
You Go Girl!

Love, Kathleen