Day 172 – Frozen Shoulder, Great Hair

We might have celebrated Jeff’s last dose of Tacrolimus today if he hadn’t forgotten to take his meds this morning.  Unfortunately, with his improving health he sometimes forgets he still needs his arsenal of drugs.

Jeff started his physical therapy again today.  PT Mike did not recognize Jeff because he is so changed since his last visit!  Jeff told Mike that he gained an inch of height between the last two of Dr. Lee’s assessments (hospital discharge and post-100 days).  Mike saw improvement in Jeff’s strength but called his restricted arm movement “frozen shoulder.”  Jeff’s new exercises include the pendulum move which involves bending at the waist, letting the arm dangle and swinging it by moving the body. 

Tonight Jeff and I attended our first Gilda’s Club meeting, a networking group for people who have been touched by blood cancers.  There was a more popular meeting on palliative care across the hallway; our group was attended by only three of us plus the facilitator and an intern.  It was nice to meet Joann, a melanoma patient who is two and a half years out from bone marrow transplant - also done at HUP.  She was just now finding the need for a support group because she feels her friends and family, who have provided wonderful support through her ordeal, are getting tired of hearing about her ongoing side effects from pre-transplant conditioning.  She was truly sorry that Jeff had to hear her woes because she felt he should only be encouraged.  Evidently, she had a rough time with GVHD and had to continue to take Tacrolimus immunosuppressant for a long time.  She was weaned off of Tac just four months ago!

Joann’s donor was her brother, a sports fan.  Since transplant, she has developed a couple of new habits – watching sports on TV and swearing!  She attributes both of those habits to her brother’s marrow.  Well, now!  See?  That may explain Jeff’s new talent on the dance floor!  

Joann told Jeff repeatedly how great he looks for being only a few months out.  “You have hair!” she exclaimed.  Joann is a little younger than we are and has children around Keith’s age.  Among many other things, we discussed how our children have handled their parent’s life-changing illness.  It was good to hear her say things that Jeff and I have thought about and discussed only with each other.  We hope that we were helpful to her as well.

Our conversation brought Jeff’s donor to mind again.  Pray for her, please, and for Joann and her family.