Early Thanksgiving - Minus One More Pill!

Our pre-oncology-visit anxiety this month was shorter in duration but more intense than usual.  Jeff and I both had a terrible night of sleep on the eve of the visit -Thursday night.  Jeff had been to the family doctor last week and his labs showed his liver counts were off.  When Dr. Peck called to report the issue, Jeff told him, “No kidding.  That’s the GVHD I’ve been dealing with since about six months after transplant.”  I was nervous that Dr. Porter would not continue the Cellcept taper or, worse, that he would want to add back one pill.  Jeff couldn’t say exactly what he was worried about.  His was a more general anxiety.

Friday morning, with a few last minutes instructions about Rosie’s care to the substitute caregiver - me, off he went to the city with iPad in hand.  Dr. Porter’s staff had asked to see pictures of Nicole and Jeff’s meeting at the Gift of Life walk and Jeff was looking forward to sharing them.  He had a good bit of time to kill before his appointment so he had breakfast across the street from the hospital at Potbelly Sandwich Shop then texted me to make sure Rosie was on schedule for her morning feeding and nap.  He seemed a little put out that I got to give her cereal for breakfast since he hadn’t yet had the pleasure.  He’ll have plenty of opportunities now that she is starting solid foods. 

Jeff texted later that he’d met the new oncology fellow, Scott, and was very impressed with him.  A rare pants-off exam was in order.  Scott said, “Oh, sure!  Wait for the new guy…”  

Jeff told Scott, “Before we get intimate, let me show you pictures of my family and donor.”

It sounds like Jeff and Scott will get along well for the next two years.  Scott knows Dr. Allison Rager, the former fellow, now in Pittsburgh.  Jeff hopes he’ll continue to get news of Allison through Scott.

Thankfully, Jeff’s liver counts were good.  The taper will continue!  Jeff’s blood pressure and weight were good, too.  Dr. Porter wants another pulmonary function test before the January visit.  Jeff remembered that his one-year lung function test showed better results than before transplant so there are no worries about that!

 

The return train ride is often the start of a good long nap on doctor-day.  Instead of joining me at Rosie’s house, Jeff headed home for a snooze.  He wanted to rest up for his niece’s senior art show in the neighborhood of her school, Temple’s Tyler School of Art.  So the evening brought Jeff’s second trip to Philadelphia in one day, this time by car.  We met Kim at the show, saw Jeff’s brother’s family and, of course, the fruits of Elizabeth’s labor.  A fun evening.

During prayers at church today, I offered a prayer of Thanksgiving for Jeff’s good counts and his upcoming speaking engagement in Florida.  Pastor Wiseman commented that Jeff will be so practiced at public speaking that he will return, able to preach.  Jeff replied, “I could do it now if I only have to talk about myself.”  Chuckles from all.

Jeff has declared an early Thanksgiving for all our blessings.  We spent last weekend with my sibs and their spouses at Mark’s uncle’s mountain house.  This weekend Jeff, his brothers, and Cousin Richard visited Aunt Kate in Norristown and feasted on Zeps at Eve’s.  Thanksgiving weekend will be spent with family and friends.  Life is good. 

Dreams of Glory, Wedded Bliss and Stink

The big news around here is that Gift of Life has invited Jeff to speak at their holiday party in December at their Florida headquarters!  He has been thinking about adjustments to the speech he prepared for The Big Meet with Nicole.  He has some good ideas going.  Those thoughts, evidently, have seeped into his sleeping hours.
 
In Jeff’s dream last night, his audience was much larger than what Gregg and Barby from Gift of Life told him to expect.  There were lots and lots of people including some families with children.  The stage at the dream-venue was built out of materials from the venue’s kitchen renovations.  Jeff began addressing the large crowd.  When he took a step back, the weak floor gave way and the vases of flowers that decorated the back of the stage crashed down.  The speech was interrupted while clean-up took place.  Some of the families left at that point.  It was getting late.  The speech resumed and the audience was enthralled!  They began to applaud - the speech was just that great!  Then a storm came up.  The windows could not be closed because they were electric and the power had gone off.  Rain poured in! The windows were finally closed but more people had left.  He continued speaking again and then… he woke up.  Phew!

Jeff was diagnosed three years ago, just a couple of weeks before Oktoberfest.  The annual Oktoberfest serves as a marker of time as well as providing the name for our fundraising teams, Bist du Stark?  Are you Strong?

To compete in the Strong Man competition, you hold a full pitcher straight out in front of you for as long as you can.  In order to prevent beer being spilled, the pitcher holds lead shot to approximate the weight of a pitcher of beer.  When you can no longer hold the pitcher aloft, your arm drops, it hits a wooden bar which then swings to indicate you’re finished and your time is called.  In 2010, just days before starting treatment, Jeff placed second in the Strong Man competition with a time of 3:45.  In 2011, Jeff had issues with his right shoulder due to the full-body irradiation he received as part of his pre-transplant conditioning.  His left-handed Bist du Stark effort was only 1:43.  Still, he gave it his best try.  In 2012, Jeff declined to participate in the Strong Man, Bist du Stark, competition, accepting his limitations easily.  This year, Jeff declined to participate in the Strong Man competition because, he said, “What is the point if I can’t win?”  He did not accept his limitations so easily.

On Sunday, we celebrated 34 years of wedded bliss with a hike at Pennypack Wilderness.  It was an overcast, windy fall day not unlike the day we were married.  We had linner (late lunch, early dinner) at Pipersville Inn and, by chance, were seated at the table right next to my cousin Dawn and her husband, Clarke, and Clarke’s family.  They’d lost their daughter to leukemia when she was a young woman – too young.  They were pleased to see Jeff looking so well – and facing a platter piled high with gooey ribs.  While enjoying our meal, I noticed that the hike had worn Jeff out.  I accused him of planning to nap when we got home.  He replied quickly, “I might not wait that long.”  Just as we finished our meal, Keith called from Afghanistan where it was already Veteran’s Day.  It was the first call we’d had in three weeks.  It was good to hear from him. 

Some stomach issues have been giving Jeff a little trouble for a couple of weeks.  Something to report to Dr. Porter next week. 

In other news, Giblet got skunked this morning.  I bathed her with the Skunk-Away neutralizer we had the foresight to buy when Emily and Matt’s dog was skunked.  Jeff spent the day scrubbing and airing out the bathroom where I'd bathed the stinker and otherwise dealing with the stench that wafted throughout the house.  He did such a good job that by the time I got home from work, the smell of the fresh bread he’d made was more prominent than Eau de Skunk.  Another treatment of Skunk-Away - or two or three – ought to finish the job.   

Gift of Life Press

Check out Gift of Life's November newsletter.  You will see a couple of familiar faces!

http://www.giftoflife.org/Public/News.aspx
Scroll down a little to "Coming Together to Fight Blood Cancers."