Sunday, May 23, 2010

Home is sweet now!

I've been home now for little more than a week. It is good to be home! sleeping in my own bed, uninterrupted sleep (by both nurse and IV pole beep), the constant company of my dog, friends helping me out, life seems to be on quite the uptick. I still get frustrated because I'd like to garden a bit, and spend more time in the sun, but the reality is this slightly inconvenient style of life is a much better alternative to being on the wrong side of the dirt.
I am surprised to be still sporting my mohawk; a lot of my hair fell out, and it is quite thinner than when I went into the hospital a month ago, but if you never saw me before the chemo you'd never know. My 'playoff beard' looks a bit scraggly, but not much worse than some of the Blackhawk beards. I will shave that soon, I don't like the white very much. Leslie calls it 'distinguished' but I think she's just being kind. I did shave much of the beard last week - after I shaved in the hospital with nothing more than a washcloth and some soap! - and still don't actually need a shave again; quite the odd thing for a guy who used to gain a five o'clock shadow by three.
Life at home is a lot more tiring than I perceived it to be as everything wears me out: going up stairs, going downstairs, making the bed, doing laundry, I mean everything just takes more energy than I have to spend. Naps, man, naps are a wonderful thing. But I can drive without too much effort, and the shaking head of my doctor, but as I am told by the nurses, I doing far better than most of the patients in my situation. Hell, my immune system is only 26 days old. I'm a bay-bee! So I try and make myself stronger by staying on my exercise bike and pushing the limits of what I think I can do. Mostly avoiding the doldrums that I believe could be detrimental to my situation; I honestly believe attitude and mental perception are my strengths, so I work to keep both very healthy.
If you've got some free time, feel free to call me! My number is 773 284 2617. I can't promise not to swear, but I can promise it won't be at you. Email works too. I'm most always at home, stop on by! we can play cards or video games, or just shoot the breeze on the back porch. I might put you to work in the flower beds, but you can handle it. Later in the summer (not much!) I'm going to need volunteers to pick my raspberries, pickers get first crack at whatever dessert I devise, be it sorbet or baked goods.
Oh, but I wasn't home yesterday afternoon! I actually made it around the nine hole course nearby without falling down or wiping myself out too bad. Although I napped later and went to bed early, still it felt good to do an exercise I enjoy and get the wind in my face. Just between you and I though, I have no strength and lost a few yards on yards on my irons. I can still putt though. Didn't lose a ball either. High score though...
Next week I'm desperate to get myself some fishing. We'll see if I can't arrange that. Until then, it's household duties, walking around the block, and video action.
My spirits are high, my heart rate remains regular and steady, and the sun comes up every morning. Things are sweet.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Race ya!

Tomorrow i go home. Allegedly. I've remained a boring patient for most of this stay at the hospital, except for last Friday, when my heart went into "atrial flutter". Which meant they (the docs) sent me down the hall from the transplant wing into a room with a heart monitor, as my heart wouldn't release the beat of 160 without some sort of treatment. Many drug trials later, the docs reduced my rate back to a normal beat and rhythm on Saturday, only for my crazy heart to develop an "atrial fibrillation" on Monday. Again with drug trials and beta-blockers and now i'm at a regular rhythm again, and it appears that I can go home tomorrow. As long as i can make it through the night without incident, and I can stay at home as long as I can remain without illness, infection and more heart racing incidents. There will be no lawn-mowing, no gardening, no strenuous activity for a while and no heavy duty work around the house. Luckily for me it is almost summer and I can concentrate on golfing and fishing, right? Anyone who cares to drop a line in the water should look me up, my license is up to date and my reels are all wound. My golf clubs should be in order, but my dreams have told me otherwise and they are all i have to gauge my golf by these days. Perhaps we can form a group and make road rally to the drive-in some saturday night - it is the one way for me to see movies without being in a large crowd of people. I'll race you for the good spot in the middle in front of the snack bar.