I have also included a World Series picture. We wish the Tigers had had a better World Series, but they have given us many hours of entertainment.
February 2012: Breakfast Pills
October 2012: Breakfast Pills
Thank you Tigers!
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Progress: Day 432 after Transplant
Making progress... The pictures below will help tell the story. You can compare Ron's breakfast pills in February and now in October. He continues to have 3 liquid meds and Advair that he takes also, but he no longer uses the inhaler. Now that is progress. Another sign of progress is that we have had to look for his cane a few times! He uses it about half of the time inside the house---then doesn't know where he left it! That is a good problem.
I have also included a World Series picture. We wish the Tigers had had a better World Series, but they have given us many hours of entertainment.
February 2012: Breakfast Pills
October 2012: Breakfast Pills
Thank you Tigers!
I have also included a World Series picture. We wish the Tigers had had a better World Series, but they have given us many hours of entertainment.
February 2012: Breakfast Pills
October 2012: Breakfast Pills
Thank you Tigers!
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Fall Colors
The first two pictures are near Gilead Lake! The last one was taken on our drive up North near Northport, Michigan. Ron and I both love Fall, and this year is extra special.
Friday, October 19, 2012
Pure Michigan
Wow! Life is good if I haven't blogged for almost two weeks! Ron planned a trip up North in the Leelanau Peninsula area to see fall colors, visit casinos, go rocking on the shore of Lake Michigan, and make stops at a Barb's Bakery, Knot Just a Bar, and Kelcherman's apple orchard that we had visited in past years. What a great trip for us even though it rained most of the weekend. The drive north was sunny and treated us to amazing fall colors. It was 39 degrees and heavy mist when I rocked at Christmas Cove early Saturday morning. Before it started to really rain, I had found a few Petosky rocks (state rock of Michigan) and many beautiful rocks for my rock garden.
We spent a night in Ann Arbor on our way home because Ron had early appointments in the GVHD Clinic on Tuesday, October 16. He is doing very well at this time. His cough from August's pneumonia has nearly resolved; in fact, his pulmonary function tests showed the same results as February. Because he had some rash on his arms and back, his steroid med was not tapered, and I am putting a medicated cream on his arms daily again. As the doctor said, just a reminder that Ron has chronic graft versus host disease... but so incredibly better. His immunity remains compromised, so we are cautious and go through bottles of hand sanitizer. He remains on preventative meds, meds to treat his mouth, meds to treat his lungs; steroids, vitamins and minerals, and is weaning off all "mind altering" drugs, as I call them. His spirit and mood are positive, and he seems very much "his old self".
We continue to have special appreciation for our days at home and the normalization of our lives. Ron will have physical therapy at least through November and is making great progress. The walker is parked, and he uses a cane when out but walks unassisted at home about half of the time.
I plan to post a couple pictures from our colors trip soon.
Love to all, Ron & Jan
Go Tigers!!
We spent a night in Ann Arbor on our way home because Ron had early appointments in the GVHD Clinic on Tuesday, October 16. He is doing very well at this time. His cough from August's pneumonia has nearly resolved; in fact, his pulmonary function tests showed the same results as February. Because he had some rash on his arms and back, his steroid med was not tapered, and I am putting a medicated cream on his arms daily again. As the doctor said, just a reminder that Ron has chronic graft versus host disease... but so incredibly better. His immunity remains compromised, so we are cautious and go through bottles of hand sanitizer. He remains on preventative meds, meds to treat his mouth, meds to treat his lungs; steroids, vitamins and minerals, and is weaning off all "mind altering" drugs, as I call them. His spirit and mood are positive, and he seems very much "his old self".
We continue to have special appreciation for our days at home and the normalization of our lives. Ron will have physical therapy at least through November and is making great progress. The walker is parked, and he uses a cane when out but walks unassisted at home about half of the time.
I plan to post a couple pictures from our colors trip soon.
Love to all, Ron & Jan
Go Tigers!!
Monday, October 8, 2012
Moving ahead...
...had a good trip to U of M on Wednesday, October 3. It truly feels like we are making a shift back to a more normal life. As Ron continues to be able to have lower doses of part of his meds, it feels like we are peeling back more layers that have masked his persona. It is great to be thinking more ahead instead of living in the moment.
Frustrating!!! I finished this blog last Saturday..then lost everything except the first paragraph in cyberspace!! So here I go again.
Ron and I returned to Bowling Green on Friday-Saturday: our first trip back to Cale's since Christmas Day. Of course, we had had visits with them at Ann Arbor and Gilead Lake. It was so good to spend time with them and see the changes in their home and also spend game time with them at Montesorri School. Joey and Jack demonstrated their two wheeler bicycle skills, and Allison didn't miss a beat as she picked a book and went to Ron for a story as soon as we arrived. Their soccer games were cancelled due to rain, muddy fields, and cold, so Jack and I made monkey bread, and we had puzzle-mania.
Grammy time is the best! (good visit with Jim T, too)
Ron and I continue to be amazed by the splendor of autumn. The fall colors are spectacular this year. The cooler temps are such a relief from summer, so the sweatshirts are out of storage. Perhaps missing this time of year last year has made us even more thankful for the beauty of the season. I am lesiurely gardening, and Ron continues to heal and make progress.
What's next?? Ron has an appointment in a week in the GVHD Clinic. His progress, treatments, and status will be reviewed and evaluated by the head doc of the BMT Clinic. He might adjust his meds. He will not see Dr. Mag again until November 12 which is 5 weeks; now that is progress! Ron's steroid dosage was decreased last week. That med drives the train for all of the preventative meds he takes.
Enjoy the beauty of the season!
Love, Ron & Jan
Frustrating!!! I finished this blog last Saturday..then lost everything except the first paragraph in cyberspace!! So here I go again.
Ron and I returned to Bowling Green on Friday-Saturday: our first trip back to Cale's since Christmas Day. Of course, we had had visits with them at Ann Arbor and Gilead Lake. It was so good to spend time with them and see the changes in their home and also spend game time with them at Montesorri School. Joey and Jack demonstrated their two wheeler bicycle skills, and Allison didn't miss a beat as she picked a book and went to Ron for a story as soon as we arrived. Their soccer games were cancelled due to rain, muddy fields, and cold, so Jack and I made monkey bread, and we had puzzle-mania.
Grammy time is the best! (good visit with Jim T, too)
Ron and I continue to be amazed by the splendor of autumn. The fall colors are spectacular this year. The cooler temps are such a relief from summer, so the sweatshirts are out of storage. Perhaps missing this time of year last year has made us even more thankful for the beauty of the season. I am lesiurely gardening, and Ron continues to heal and make progress.
What's next?? Ron has an appointment in a week in the GVHD Clinic. His progress, treatments, and status will be reviewed and evaluated by the head doc of the BMT Clinic. He might adjust his meds. He will not see Dr. Mag again until November 12 which is 5 weeks; now that is progress! Ron's steroid dosage was decreased last week. That med drives the train for all of the preventative meds he takes.
Enjoy the beauty of the season!
Love, Ron & Jan
Monday, October 1, 2012
Sending positive thoughts to Coach Chuck Pagano...
Thinking of Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Chuck Pagano, wife Tina, and family tonight. He was diagnosed with AML last week and is having induction chemotherapy...same chemo drugs as Ron had in April 2010 after his diagnosis. Coach Pagano has a different subtype M3, Ron M4, but both are AML which is bone marrow cancer. Can't help but re-live what a shock it was to hear the word leukemia and clearly remember asking, "You mean he's going to have to spend the night in the hospital?" (in Coldwater, MI) Then the next day Ron was taken by ambulance to U of M, and we were told that his first hospitalization for induction chemotherapy would be a month long. My head was reeling with questions, emotions, and an overload of information about AML.
In some ways, it seems like yesterday when our world turned on its axis, but it was exactly 2 and 1/2 years ago today. In some ways, it seems like a lifetime ago.
In some ways, it seems like yesterday when our world turned on its axis, but it was exactly 2 and 1/2 years ago today. In some ways, it seems like a lifetime ago.
So happy for a tie...
Stay tuned to see what the Detroit Tigers do when they win the American League Central! There are 3 games left, starting tonight. Go Tigers!
Manager Jim Leyland said that his best call/decision of the game was to get out of Prince Fielder's way when he jumped down into the dugout and ran through it like a bull after his 2 run go-ahead homerun in the 8th inning.
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