Catching up

It's been a few days since I've had a chance to write and considering it's approaching 12:30 a.m.
now is probably not a chance either. But I want to relay some of what went on this past week.
Friday around midnight while sleeping I heard a doctor paged on the PA system in the hall. Then I heard Anne's voice "Dennis"... reply "What honey"..... " They said something I think we have to go out into the hall"......reply"No they were just paging a doctor".... then she said with total innocent amazement "We're in the HOSPITAL???.... I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Chemo was finished on Saturday which was a relief. A few days earlier she remarked that the chemo wasn't all that bad. That was then but the rough road laid ahead. By the weekend the nausea was in full swing along with the eye sensitivity to light not to mention the itchiness on her back, chest, and stomach. She was managing it all and it took all she had (which wasn't much) to get through the day. Fortunately the fevers had subsided and by late Sunday she was a bit better.She attempted her first walk in the hall on Monday which didn't go very far but I wasn't there and don't recall the details reported to me. Overnight on Monday was the best yet. We both slept five straight hours without interruption. This must be some sort of record as there are no soap operas on to distract the staff from none stop vital sign taking etc. At 6:30 a.m. ,feeling refreshed, we attempted our first walk outside the room together. She was as wobbly as a new born calf and shuffled her feet ,in her words, like a ninety year old. We walked half of the floor and when we got back she was exhausted. We did round two in the afternoon for two thirds of the floor( much better), and the entire floor in the evening with a little energy to spare. Meanwhile the nausea is not subsiding. By this morning (Wednesday) the itching is gone as well as the eye sensitivity( Praise the Heavens). We took an even longer walk this morning. When I talked to her from work around 5:00 she was sounding great but still nauseated. When I got there tonight she had been running a temp and the doctors ordered a chest x-ray, blood work and added an antibiotic. We'll se what that is all about tomorrow.

I can't begin to thank everyone ( and it's not really my place to) for all the incredible support in both time, prayers and "stuff" that have been offered to help her get through this difficult passage in her life. It does and will make a difference.


Dennis