Can you believe it's June???

It is wonderful being home. We are adjusting to how life at home has changed for us and at the same time, appreciating the wonders of nature that surround us. We have been entertained by kingfishers diving into the lake and hummingbirds,cardinals, finches, and other birds that come to our feeders. I have seen deer behind our garage, and we have seen swans and sandhill cranes fly overhead. Our families have pitched in to make it feel like home with gifts of outdoor flower pots and the dock put in. George continues to mow for us, and they arranged to have our Amish ladies clean before we arrived home. Amish girls came a few days ago in horse and buggy selling strawberries, so we have been eating huge strawberry shortcakes. We will get our pontoon boat soon. We have a few vegetables planted in the garden, and I have decided to plant a pumpkin patch again. I guess a lot has been accomplished in our first week at home, but my to do list remains long. I love yard work and gardening but don't want to do too much to maintain. Ron will go back to see two of his doctors in Ann Arbor on Monday. I can judge how well the day is going for him by whether he is walking mostly with his cane or choosing to use the walker at least part of the time. It is a challenge to entice him to drink enough fluids each day. Dehydration makes him feel weaker. We are both learning to make adjustments for the loss of vision in his left eye. If I walk to his left, I keep a hand touching him, but it is better to stay on his right side. His depth perception and reading with ease are diminished. He has progressive bifocals, but I have wondered if new glasses might help his reading. Graft versus host disease GVHD continues to be an issue. He has a variety of ointments to treat his flare-ups but is no longer on pills to suppress the rejection. He has GVHD of his mouth which causes dry mouth and occasional sores. He continues to use his steroid mouth rinse. Chronic GVHD can last for years. Ron's weight is staying in the upper 150s. He eats well and is encouraged to eat high calorie food and desserts, so the result of my stress and joining him in his high calorie food has not had a good result for me! I am so glad to be active again in the yard, gardens, and house. Ron does have some neurological symptoms as a result of 7 rounds of chemotherapy, the transplant, and the numerous meds that he has needed during his recovery. He will start a thorough evaluation and appointments in a neurological clinic in July. He has tremors that vary in intensity...mostly in his hands, and that has made it difficult to impossible to email or text. He has re-mastered using the remote control! He can barely write on some days; other days it is legible. All of that being said, the return of his personality has been quite remarkable. He sounds like himself again but has struggled with the loss of vision in his eye especially and worrying about what could happen next. That seems like perfectly reasonable reactions to what all he has been through. We never could imagined that he would have so many complications, but the leukemia continues to be in remission. Overall, I think he is doing quite well, and today Kitty Boy Blue has started napping with him at the foot of the bed. Good medicine. Love and good wishes to all of you. Bring on the summer! Ron & Jan