Dr. Porter would like to get Jeff on a schedule of visits that are less frequent than weekly. This was an off week. On Thursday, however, we thought we would have to make an extra trip to the city. Jeff broke out in spots on his face, neck, arms and, to a lesser degree, on his legs. It was the same little bumpy red rash that Nurse Jackie noticed at Jeff’s last office visit but more so. A lot of it was concentrated around his ears and velvet hairline. Jeff handed me a pair of reading glasses and pointed to an area behind his ear for me to check. Interestingly, the area he wanted me to examine was far less affected – visibly, anyway – than other areas of his face and head. I wondered why it felt worse to him in that particular spot.
Jeff asked Nurse Anthony to check the rash when he came to the house for blood and check-up. Anthony said he’d seen Graft Versus Host Disease look much worse - large areas of red, swollen, scaly skin. Still, he said he would report it and that Jeff should, too. By that evening, Jeff’s eyes were itchy – oh, no! – and he could feel bumps in his ears, too.
Dr. Porter’s office called in prescriptions to our pharmacy. The treatment is a prescription 2.5% hydrocortisone cream for the face and a formula that is available as an ointment or cream for the body. We still had a small tube from the hospital in cream form and, now, two tubes of sticky ointment that Jeff is less than thrilled to apply. We may have to ask for another prescription for the cream, if the rash sticks around.
After dinner last night, Jeff suggested that Keith and I go to the movies. We both jumped at the chance! As soon as we got in the car, we commiserated about wanting to get out yet feeling guilty because Jeff can’t. I tried to convince Keith that we should go out after the movie to get some dessert but he had plans with a friend. We saw the last of the Harry Potter movies. When Sesame Place traffic diverted us from our normal route home, I observed that we would be passing a good place for vanilla milkshakes. We didn’t stop, though. I enjoyed a Weight Watchers fudge bar with Jeff at home.
On Wednesday night as we were falling asleep, Jeff asked me, “Do you think I’ll survive?” I rolled over and rested my head on his shoulder, praying for the right words to comfort him and not dismiss his fears. As I hesitated, he said, “I’ll have to find a new niche.” Oh, I thought - he’s thinking about life after BMT and about finding new pursuits that take his limitations into account. Then, before I could form a response, he said, “I’ve been trying to spend a lot of time with Keith.” I don’t remember exactly what I said but it was something like, “You’ll sort it all out.” and I finished with, “Don’t you think?” No response. I asked, “Are you asleep?” No response. I rolled over and marveled at the clarity of his expression while asleep! Then he seemed to wake up enough to ask me, “Are you alright?” I said, “Yes. Are you?” I heard him sigh and, “Yup.”
The next night I told him about the previous night’s pillow talk. He said, “Get out!” We both laughed. He suggested that I had made the whole thing up because he would never use the word “niche.” I told him he most definitely used the word “niche” and it was probably his girly marrow at work.
Jeff enjoyed some good phone conversations this week including one with his brother, Paul and another with Pete from church who is also a recovering patient. My mother visited – an outing for her and company for Jeff. A customer/friend of Jeff’s emailed and we realized it had been a year since he’d been in contact with her. It was a year ago this month that poison ivy sent Jeff to the doctor’s office where that fateful blood draw revealed abnormalities in his blood. What a year it has been! Full circle: Rash to Rash!
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