11 hours in the ER yesterday....

Jim was admitted to Sacred Heart last night.  He has had cold symptoms for about a week and just when we thought he was getting better his temperature went up to 101.  That is a red flag!  They've told us anything over 100.6 and he needs to go to the hospital.  He's had dry heaves and just feels lousy overall.  Just a reminder....Jim's immune system is like that of an infant and will be for the next 6 months to a year.  So, if you have any cold or flu symptoms  please keep your distance.  Even though we'd love to see you if you could postpone your visit until your better we'd appreciate it.  Another beautiful day here in Spokane.  We've experienced two Springs.  How nice is that?  I've been tackling my job and trying to catch up.  It's going to take a while.  Also, am continuing to move back in to the house.  I know it's hard to believe but I'm trying to be methodical about it.  Trying to find a home for everything and trying to discard where ever possible.  Jim says "Hi!"

HOME SWEET HOME!!!!!!!

We arrived Saturday afternoon and the pugs were estatic.  We were overjoyed to see them of course.  The housekeeper did an awesome job.  She moved our furniture and stuff around and we like it so we're going to keep it this way.  I had a few issues with the housesitter but I'm over that now.  We're just glad the pugs are alive and healthy and that the house is still standing.  I'm feeling extremely overwhelmed with unpacking.  It's like moving in all over again.  The house needs an extreme makeover. Need to make it easier to keep sanitary.   Again with the plastic boxes.  Gotta get rid of stuff!  I guess it's sort of like Spring cleaning.  Getting organized.  We're seriously thinking about moving.  This house is old and needs a lot of repair.  Stuff that Jim is just unable to do anymore.  But we've lived here for 20 years and we've accumulated a lot of stuff.  So this is going to be a major project.  Jim has been feeling sick but it's the same GI stuff that he was experiencing in Seattle.  The Gastrointerologist in Seattle was useless.  So the clinic said I needed to get him into see Jim's Oncologist.  So, we're going in to see his Nurse Practitioner tomorrow.  Hopefully, she will refer us to a Gastrointerologist here that knows what to do about this.  It's tricky though since it's related to the Stem Cell transplant.

I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself!!!!!!

We're going HOME!!!!!!  Saturday!!!!!!!!  Tomorrow we meet the attending physician for our exit meeting and then Jim gets his line pulled.  Oh my God!  Can you believe it?  Finally!!!!!  Pugs here we come!  So we got some packing to do.  We need to set up an appointment to see Jim's Oncologist in Spokane next week.  But I think we have everything else in order.  The house is being cleaned.  The backyard is getting picked up.  The pugs have been groomed. The hotwater heater is being fixed.   Now all we have to do is pack up the car and go.  I hope we've thought of everything.  If anyone can think of anything that we may have forgotten please let us know.  We'll want to see everyone soon so keep us in mind for get togethers.  Looking forward to seeing everyone.

95% chance that we'll be leaving here at the end of next week

We met with the doctor today and Jim convinced them that he was ready to go home. We had met with them on Tuesday and the doctor said that Jim needed to drink more so he could get off hydration.  He also told Jim that he needed to consume more calories.  Funny how your wife can say the same thing but when it comes from a doctor you take it more seriously.  So, now Jim is completely off of hydration.  Yippee!    We went to the Nueological Oncologist on Wednesday.  Talk about a huge waste of time.  No tests, no chemo, no nothing.    I was miffed.  So, we need to go back to see him on Monday to get Jim's spinal fluid checked for abnormal cells and to get a round of chemo.  Today the doctor said Jim may need to get another MRI next week.  He's still experiencing discomfort in his lower GI track.    He's done with the steroids now.  They're talking about the possibility of  doing an endoscopy.  They're saying that there may be some other sort of infection.   Someone suggested probiotics, so Jim started taking that and he started taking metamucil again.  So, hopefully that works. .  We're doing everything we can to get out of here.  It's hard to believe we could actually be home in Spokane a week from today.   Jim said he was experiencing a little bit of anxiety about it.  I know what he means.  Even though, I've been working on getting the place ready for us when we get back, there's a lot to do to get us there.  And what will the "New Normal" be like?  I only hope that we will have a new zest for life.  Not everybody gets second chances.

Avgolemono!!!!!!!

I've been meaning to tell you about the first thing that Jim craved once he could eat.  Avgolemono is a Greek Lemon Soup.  There's a restaurant in Freemont called "Costas Opa".  Jim had me driving to that restaurant everyday.  I'm not kidding.  Even though Jim came up with his own recipe and taught me how to make it.  I think his recipe is better.  I've offered to make it but he wants "Costas Opa's".   Sometimes I think Jim doesn't want to be a burden so he tries to make it easy on me.  I'm more of a driver than a cook.   Yesterday was another beautiful day.  We decided to go for a drive and we fell upon "Shilshole Bay".  Oh my God!!!  Wow!!!!  It was spectacular!    There were a bunch of boats in the water and a ton of people on the beach.  I've never been there.  It's located only minutes from Downtown Seattle.  Of course, we're surrounded by water but this was wide open and undeveloped.  Amazing for such a big city.  There's a tulip festival going on just north of here about an hour.  We've been himming and hawing about going.  I want to! But we have to be careful about crowds.  Today turned out to be another nice day.  Jim is at the clinic getting hydrated right now.  I'm hanging out at the neighborhood coffee house.  It's what I do. 

He continues to get better with each passing day....

Jim is down to a half a liter of saline now which only takes 2 hours a day.  Yahoo!  We met with Pooja , the P.A., on Friday and I asked her if maybe she could give us a "Release Date".  She's not willing to commit to an actual date just yet but said we would probably be leaving in the next couple of weeks.  We're going to be here for sure next week.  We have an appointment with the Nuerological Oncologist next Wednesday.  This is for the BIG TEST.  He will be withdrawing some spinal fluid to test for cancer.  So cross your fingers and say a prayer.  I really don't see how cancer could have survived that last bout of chemotherapy.  Today is another beautiful day here in Seattle and from what I hear from my friends in Spokane we have a lot to look forward to as far as weather when we get home.  And we are preparing.  Julie and Niryan,( Carol Vanhoff's sister and her husband) took two boxes of our stuff and Jim's walker to our home in Spokane.  A huge "Thank you" goes out to the two of you!!!!  I want to menttion someone else who has been extremely supportive throughout this whole process, Pat Soucy.  Believe it or not I've never met her.  She and Jim were good friends growing up in Massachusettes.  Just prior to all this "Hub Bub", the two of them connected and requested each other as "friends" on "Facebook".  She took it upon herself to request me as a friend and has been commenting on my "Facebook" page ever since.  It has been so nice since Jim has not been checking his email.  His focus is just not there.  And now I have a "pen pal" although I'm really bad about responding to "Facebook".  It's a "technical" thing.  I'm getting better though.  Your response to my blog has possibly given me the confidence to make "public" responses via "Facebook".  Well,  I think we're down to a daily countdown.  Jim & I are obsessing about the day we will be sleeping in our king size bed with our beloved pugs.  We've already hooked up with a potentially fantastic housekeeper who is going to "sterilize" our 1928 home as best as she can.  She will do just about anything.  She's going to take our oriental rugs to a cleaning company and she's going to take our pugs to be groomed.  Another Carol Van Hoff referral.  She's a problem solver allright.  Well,  I don't want to make this entry too long or you won't want to read them anymore.  So, until next time Thank you for your time and consideration.

Something I won't miss - TRAFFIC!

Man, this big city ain't for me...It took me 1 1/2 hours to go one mile to the pharmacy and back.  Granted it was at peak traffic time but really what's the deal?   Talk about stressful.  I'll be glad when we get back to Spokane.  Jim continues to get better with each passing day.  The Nurse said we should start to taper off the prednisone already.  So, each day Jim will get 5 mg less for about a week then he will be done with it.  He continues to have more energy.  His appetite is getting better but still not where I'd like to see it.  He needs to drink more.   We're not going anywhere until he gets off the hydration.  He's still getting a liter of fluid which lasts about four hours a day.  Yesterday,  I went into the showroom for a meeting.  It was nice seeing my boss and coworkers.  It's always a shift in mindset.  But it's good to mix it up a bit.  There is something satisfying about being independent.  Being a Caregiver all the time can get tiresome.  It's good to take a break and take care of myself.  Even if it's work.  I even made a trip to the mall and got myself a treat.  Last night, the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance had a special  dinner that I attended with a friend.  Jim didn't want to go.  I ended up closing down the place with five others.  We had a fabulous time.  This cancer stuff is like a sub-culture.  There is so much to talk about because everyone's experience is different.  Today,  I was on camera for a documentary that the U of W is doing about the Information Industry.  I was in the coffee house around the corner and they came in and asked me if they could film me on my computer.  Well, Of course you can!, I said.  So, now I'm famous.  Yeh, right.