stem cell – Page 2 – Use What Exists

When Cardiology Meets Obstetrics

When we were pregnant with our third child, we were told to attend a refresher Lamaze class as ten years had passed since our last pregnancy. Figuring a free tote bag and some diaper coupons would be worth it, we dutifully went. In the middle of the class, the nurse leading the group told us about a new doctor in the practice. Fresh off the obstetrics assembly line, no one wanted to give birth on his watch. They encouraged us, however, to make at least one appointment with him as we neared our respective due dates. Meet the man in case he is on duty when your water breaks.

We did and as we walked out of the office, we said to each other, if this was our first pregnancy, we’d be scared shitless! This guy gave us every worst-case scenario, told us to get every test in the book. He had new knowledge and he wanted to share it…he couldn’t help but share it. By the time we left, there was the potential for a real freak-out. He led with disaster.

As fate would have it, he was the doctor in the practice that was on call and ultimately, the guy we were glad to have by our side when an emergency c-section was needed. His gentle yet sure manner was a perfect counterpoint to this new development.

Today we have seen more specialists and had more procedures than one would think possible in one day.

After a full afternoon of waiting for the angiogram to be done Wednesday, it was finally our turn. The expectation the doctors (and we) had was that the pesky left bundle branch blockage would show to be a pesky nuisance, the root of all discomfort. They’d clear up the blockage, pop a stent in place, and voila! Our ejection fraction would adjust itself from its normal 40-45% from the early chemo days to a healthy and normal 65% and we’d be running marathons in no time, despite the fact that we don’t run marathons.

We do, however, have one of Rich’s original goals in place… we’ve booked a trip to Ireland in September. In three short months we’d be, with friends, experiencing the often wild and awe-inspiring island country from top to bottom and round again. Waterfalls, rivers, mountains, ocean cliffs, ancient ruins, pubs, villages… the stuff of literature and dreams. With Arlene and Kevin doing the driving and, as before, our support and companions, we’d see our goal come to life. We find we’re telling everyone so they understand our personal goals… This little tune up of ours, is merely a tune up to complete our preparations before we’re flying off to the land of my fore-father’s birth. And one of Rich’s dreams. Will the results of this hospitalization affect those plans?

Rich came out of that operating room and, test not quite complete, we’re admitted for a stay in the cardiac unit. Our tune up is not so quickly done. Rich’s heart has had since March a mere 15-20% ejection fraction. Time has not improved it. There is fluid in the pericardium which is the congestive heart failure that was suspected. But not only the left side of his heart is weakened. The doctors are dismayed to find the right side is weakened as well. The low blood pressures he has been experiencing, this angiogram and the tests that are to come will show that heart failure is the right description of what he has been experiencing. His blood hasn’t got the oomph to make the circulation effective… the pump is broken. Our own cardio doctor is recommending that we be seen here by the cardiomyopathy group.

Rich has been given a double dose of Lasix and admitted to the cardiac ICU floor; the CCU. Once more, he in a hospital bed, me in the standard vinyl recliner, and we settle in for the night, looking forward to the morning rounds where we’ll get some answers. As always when in crisis, we’re glad to be where we are.

One of our first doctors to stop in is from the cardiomyopathy group. She gives us a brief rundown on Rich’s condition and how it applies to her specialty. She applauds and approves the ketogenic way of eating we do. She will stop in later in the day.

When we do see her again, her demeanor has changed. She begins discussing what our options for treatment will be for the heart failure Rich is experiencing. Her opening is about heart transplants. Wait, what?! We went from expecting a quick stent procedure to ripping out his heart? She discusses the benefits of having the transplant assessment done in conjunction with the other evaluative testing Rich is undergoing in order to have that all in place.

While it makes a certain sense, it reminds us of that obstetrician 26 years ago who felt the need to give us all the doomsday possibilities, so eager was he to impart his new-found knowledge. Instead here we are listening to grant money, no cost to us thanks to a grant and adding to the growing prestige of the heart program in this hospital. Wow, we hit the jackpot! She ends with “but of course, our goal is to leave you with the heart you were born with and find other solutions first.” Alrighty then. Better. Because a groupon for a transplant is just too bizarre.

We listen to the rest of the options including a heart pump which would entail another four week hospital stay or simple medications… the last being the treatment of choice. Visions of Ireland begin to fade.

20180607_165004 — First try for swan catheter. Before it turned into a Dexter set.

In between that first and second conversation are the tests, procedures and consults. His ejection fraction still at 15% is confirmed. Next, they stop his current heart meds and begin with Milrinone which is to help the contractions of his heart so the flow of blood will be stronger. After a few hours to let the meds begin to do their work, they feed a swan catheter into the artery in his neck. They will use this, while it is all hooked up to a monitor, to measure his heart output or how well the pumping action is improving. Improvement being our personal preference! Twice they try and fail. His room, set up as a sterile operating room, looks like a crime scene. It’s decided that they will go to the cath lab to use some radiography to guide them along. Turns out some scar tissue from his chemo port needed to be cleaned up and then they were set. We thought what he was getting would look similar to the triple lumen that was used in the stem cell unit. Discreet. What he now sports looks like an array of medals on epaulets; his shoulders dripping with access points off a slew of IV tubing. And the catheter’s end, coming out of his neck, forms a swan neck type curve and connects to all these medals of honor.

Resized_20180607_225113 — just a portion of the medals of honor

There are x-rays, sonograms, attempts to insert an A (arterial) line in Rich’s arms for additional monitoring. His veins are too compromised due to his condition. The odds are they will plump up when the pulses are improved. It’s decided to wait 24 hours and try again.

With all the invasive procedures and contrasts used for helping us to find answers, as well as mentally processing the unexpected diagnoses and possible treatments, the night is uncomfortable on a number of levels. Sleep eludes us. But there are signs that these new meds are working. Belly bloat way down and breathing eased. It’s a busy night and we hope we’ll have time for rest in the coming day.

The good news comes early in the cardiac care unit. An x-ray is needed daily to check the placement of the catheter. The readings that are coming from the monitor hooked up to the swan catheter are more than we could have hoped for. The Milrinone is helping Rich’s heart and besides the expected changes that will bring, we’re thrilled that his oxygen levels, which had been anywhere from 80 to 100 are found to be a full on 100% O2 saturation without any supplemental oxygen. This truly proves that so much of what our pulmo doctors have suspected.

Finally, the daily weigh-in. In 48 hours, Rich has lost twenty pounds of water weight. The fluid around the heart in the pericardium and in his belly is lessened. Hydralazine is added to help open the veins to let the improved output flow.

The downside to these meds are that they give his creatinine levels a slight rise. All tests have shown that his kidneys are clear of any issues other than damage that is also chemo induced. Our nephrologist feels that the steady elevated numbers have been stable since his cancer treatment so our patient’s higher than the norm numbers is something we’ll monitor but will not interfere with. This added blip from the new meds is explained by her in a way that proves her compassion. “Our main concern is Rich’s cardiac health and his personal well-being. If his comfort and daily life as well as his cardiac health needs these medications, we can be comfortable with this new number for his kidneys.”
It’s also felt that, like his pulmo function, his kidney function will ultimately head in a healing direction and thus better numbers as his cardiac function improves. That this doctor is looking at the whole picture of living life confirms so much for us. This team of caring health professionals have blessed us with their knowledge and persistence.

The plan now is to tweak medications to optimum levels, currently adding in and create the balance Rich needs. Once those are set up using IV infusions, we’ll then transition to oral meds for home use. Making sure heart and lung function maintain improvement and reach the goals we need to go home is the next step. Monitoring and less and less invasively through the weekend, we expect optimistically to be here til mid-week.

Lastly, our cardiomyopathy doctor, the one with the heart transplant conversation stops by again. She’s thrilled with the turn-around that has occurred. Before she leaves, she enthusiastically said “Remember that horror we talked about yesterday? Forget it. Forget it all. Those needs are good and gone!”

Tonight we expect to sleep soundly.

Loving all the good news. And Rich’s neck ware, the swan catheter that’s attached to the medals of honor.

You Can Only Come to the Morning Through the Shadows. ~ Tolkien

The rain has ended and the night is quiet. The sound of the soft breeze in the leaves of the birch is the only accompaniment outside. Our windows are open.

We are once again sleeping in the little bedroom on the first floor. Stairs are near to impossible and small tasks leave Rich gasping. Oxygen levels are all over the place. Balance is a thing of the past. Thankfully, infections are not with us this night. But breathing is shallow, difficult, and noisy.

Rich attempts sleep in his recliner; laying flat it’s impossible to breathe. As the night moves on, the recliner isn’t working any longer. His breathing is labored. The night sounds are no longer quiet although his usual snoring doesn’t exist. Once again, doses are checked, timing discussed and more medications are considered. Days and nights are upside down. We settle into that now familiar routine. As Tolkien’s quote that gives a title to this post, we’re in the shadows.

Since Rich was discharged in March, we experienced a brief and very slight uptick and then a steady downhill trend.

We met with our specialists shortly after we left NSUH as the discharge instructions required. An additional follow-up with our immune doctor shows that Rich’s body does produce new B cells… however they don’t mature which means they do not protect him from infections as they should. They do not produce the antibodies needed. Immunotherapy is suggested since his infusions in the hospital have protected him well. But we do need to also take into consideration the side effects that concerned our stem cell guru when she discussed immunotherapy as a possibility with us in March while Rich and I strolled the hallways on 7 Monti.

As the kidneys are most affected, we’ve added a nephrologist to the specialist mix. Creatinine level has shown to be elevated throughout our journey but with some thorough research on the doctor’s part, it’s concluded that the elevated number has been for the most part stable since his stem cell transplant. Probably a new normal from the intense chemo. We have a renal ultrasound scheduled to document and confirm no other issues, but are otherwise approved for immunotherapy and ketamine treatments as long as the dosages remain as they were before.

And here we are. Most answers are as we have hoped them to be or what we expected. And yet the breathing issues remain and continue their slow but steady downward trend. Our cardiologist had advised us to see him three months post hospitalization to give what he called the insult, the injury, time to heal. In two weeks we’re scheduled to see him. But our concerns peak and we contact him to let him know where we are.

Again, we are blessed with the health team we have. They listen and understand our concerns. This doctor, our cardio guru, understood our fears four years ago when we first went to see him. Our oncologist recommended we see a cardiologist given the doses of chemo Rich had his first go-around in 2004, particularly since the MUGA scan showed some areas of abnormality that were not there in 2003 as part of that pre-chemo testing. When our guru told us in 2014 that we should consider an angiogram, we asked if we could refuse. Rich had been through so much with bone marrow biopsies and radioactive goop and port installations… the invasions to his body went on and on. At that point, to consider an allowing a catheter to be threaded from his groin to his heart was the tipping point for him. Our cardio doctor agreed it didn’t have to happen. He would get EKG records from our GP, and we’d come in for the followup tests between each cycle. We could get by that way. We were relieved.

Four years have passed and thanks to the doctor’s diligence, we’ve been able to avoid the cardio catheterization. But now it’s recommended once more. This time without hesitation we say yes. We need these answers. Our doctor explained that this will allow him to fully see the function of Rich’s heart, arteries and veins, as well as take a look at his lungs and how they are interacting with the heart. Answers. It will give us the answers he needs to diagnose any heart disease instead of the “probably” we have now. Therapy, meds and lifestyle changes will be clear. We agree. The time has come. Let’s fix this!

It has been a long week waiting for the insurance approval. On June 6^th, instead of the cardio rehab we had been scheduled for, we’ll be at NSUH for the angiogram and the answers we seek. In the meantime, I watch this very odd rhythm…the rise and fall of his chest with a hiccup in between … and I know that watching is not as difficult as this breathing is to him, but it feels awfully close.

We look forward to those answers, we look forward to the solutions, we look forward to us both being able to take a deep breath and the night sounds to once more be just the night. With Rich’s snoring… ya know… normal.

Adding Insult to Injury

In the month since Rich’s hospital discharge, we’ve met again with all our specialists; this time in an outpatient setting. The appointments set up prior to our trip to the ER …set up by chance… become perfectly aligned for follow-up. One by one, each one gives us their opinion on where we are and what direction we should go.

First up is our PET/CT scan. Once more Rich is drinking radioactive goop and getting injected with a lead protected syringe that is delivered in a lead box. Biohazards galore. We’re thankful that this test has been approved. For the first fourteen years living with cancer, our insurance has never denied a single test or procedure. Then last year we were thrown for a loop… No PET scan. We were informed that, despite a peer-to-peer review with our stem cell guru, Rich was eligible for a CT scan only. The near to continuous pneumonia bouts that have been our life since the holidays four months ago is the blessing that has brought this change. It is only a few days after coming home from the latest stay in the hospital hospital that we have the PET/CT scan. It is sure to light up the lungs a bit as there is still a lingering pneumonia, but the gurus all determine that it’s ok to have the test.

We have also brought new specialists into our world. In December, we visited, at our pulmonologist’s request, an allergist/immunologist. We thought that perhaps, like his childhood vaccines, the stem cell may have reset and lost the efficacy of the allergy shots he received in the 1980’s. The test showed those shots were still doing their job. These infections were not allergy related. As an immunologist, the doctor also ran a panel to check Rich’s immunology levels. Antibodies that are known as immunoglobulin, are proteins that are used by a well-functioning immune system to ward off bacteria and viruses. You know, all those that we’ve been having difficulties with for so long. She said, in January, that Rich’s antibodies are where you would expect them to be. No worries.

But now, a week after our hospital departure, as we’re in consult once again in her office, we know from the recent hospital tests and the accompanying Immunoglobulin (IgA) he received in the hospital that his levels at the time of admittance last month were low. This latest panel she takes will help us determine Rich’s reaction to the recent IgA infusion and the worth of therapy. IgA, is, not coincidentally, the antibodies that help protect the body’s mucosa. It’s no wonder that infections manifest in the lungs. She suggests we wait three months and see her again to check the IgA levels again. The infusions as therapy might be an option. She says “You are a mystery!”

Directly from the immunologist, we go to see our pulmonologist. We first were introduced to this practice in the summer of 2014… four years ago. Rich was in the middle of his pre-transplant chemo and we found ourselves in the hospital with a pneumonia diagnosis. Dr Kz introduced himself to us and over the course of our journey, we’ve welcomed his advice as he is not one to limit his concerns regarding a patient’s health to his specialty. He looks at the overall patient and can see gains and losses when he walks into the room.

One of our favorite memories of him came about a year after the transplant… 2015 being the year of pulmonology. It seemed like we were in the hospital every month with some kind of lung infection… PCP, RSV , hMPV as well as the generic viral, fungal, or bacterial pneumonias and infections. Rich was not progressing well. Our Dr Kz, at one point in a hospitalization, advised to be patient. In a rather long discourse, he advised sticking with the Robitussin instead of opting for the cough med with codeine. He admonished us that the codeine would slow the lungs from clearing. “Use codeine only when the pain is unbearable.” He explained the why of it in intense detail. We agreed.

Trying to stick to his plan, we found we had to resort to codeine in the middle of the night. Knowing we would have to wait for the pharmacy to fill the prescription and that at night could take a significant time, Rich asked me to give him a dose of the meds from my bag. Seeing the pain in his face as he coughed, I gave him the dose. His conscience must have been on duty… no sooner did I get into my recliner than a team rushed into our room. Apparently, his guilt manifested as wonky readings on all the leads sticky taped to his body!

Come morning, the codeine unrecorded, Dr Kz comes checks Rich and finds him much improved. He credits the Robitussin protocol and launches once again into his speech on its benefits and the why of it.

Finally at the end, he says to Rich, “You only had Robitussin right?”

Rich: Nope

Dr Kz: Bastard.

It had been two years since we had seen him… he had sprung us from the ER when Rich was about to be admitted for the flu. Now he walked into Rich’s hospital room a month ago, looked at Rich with a smile and shook his head. “You look better than I expected from reading the ER reports. I don’t understand you!”

collage er

The directness of this doctor gives us strength. His compassion and willingness to work with us is a common trait with his office partner Dr J-R. She tells us, when we see here, that Dr Kz joked with her, “I gave him to you two years ago. What did you do to him?!”
I mention to her that he was supportive of us going home as soon as advisable but, when it came time for us to leave, he seemed skeptical. “Dr Kz was scared with this admittance. He wanted you home, but at the same time, the reports from the ER and Rich’s numbers were extreme. He hoped we were all making the right decision for you to leave, to come off the vancomycin.” The first few days, we wondered if it was the right decision, too!

She also advises that, as we know she suspected, this appears to be infection by way of cardiac issues. Congestive Heart Failure. Of all the reasons for the continual infections, she says this would be the most treatable and could be considered curable. Her explanation is that the congestion… brought on by his heart issues which were in turn brought on by chemo… builds up and it is then that the fluid builds up in amd around his lungs where an opportunistic bug makes its home. The fluid also bloats Rich’s belly which restricts the amount of room his lungs have to take a deep breath. Treat the CHF and the rest will take care of itself. Lasix as needed is prescribed.

Part of that is in direct contradiction to the immunologist, but it makes us think perhaps this is a combined issue.

Another week goes by and we’re meeting up with the cardiologist. While we were in the hospital, the ejection fraction of Rich’s heart was further depressed… lower than his average. Both doctors seen last week brought up that problem, so we’re anxious to see his take on things. We’re first scheduled for an echocardiogram followed by an EKG. Surprisingly, our consult is short. The tests indicate Rich’s heart function is indeed not exactly status quo to where it has been throughout this journey, but is what he would expect given the recent events. He tells us that he wants to reconvene after three months, that Rich’s heart needs to “recover from this insult.” There has been an injury and it needs to resolve. We ask to be more proactive, we ask that Rich be prescribed cardiac rehab. Approved. Continue with the Lasix as needed, he says. Further tweaking of meds will be reviewed when we meet again. We always have to keep his liver and kidney function, particularly with CHF, in mind. Patience.

One week more and we see our stem cell guru. By now we have as many answers as we could have wished for. Blood work is taken and vitals checked. As we have been told by each of the doctors during these weeks, the PET scan not only shows no evidence of disease but a few spots that everyone was watching for inflammation have resolved. We breathe a sigh of relief. So many symptoms this year are part of the list of NHL. We’re glad to have a recurrance off our list of concerns.

At this point in our journey, this is the shortest stem cell consult of all. In many ways, we have moved forward into the realm of other specialists for the issues chemo have brought. We will meet for only for 6-month follow-ups and testing. The consult ends with hugs and a reminder of the Celebration of Life dinner. It will be good to see our fellow HSCT patients and the angels in scrubs who guided us through an incredible month in August of 2014 and celebrate living our new lives.

With one month down from our date in the ER, we have two more to go to see where we stand. But we’ve been contacted by the rehab group and this next month will see the start of evaluation and rehabilitation with a staff that has experience and certification for working with cardiac and pulmonary patients.

The recovery from this latest insult, this injury, this one worse than any before, has been understandably slow. Rich says it feels like he’s taken a jump back three years. Pneumonia in and of itself is not a quick bounce-back. Rich’s condition in the ER was not like any ER admittance before. Three years ago, Rich had his doubts about coming through one of his infection hospitalizations. This time it was my turn to have my doubts while he was in the ER. We’re blessed that deep down is a strength that pulls him through. We’re blessed with our family and our friends who are family to us that support us and are with us along the way and especially there when we need them most. We’re blessed that those who partner with us in the health care system are indeed partners and listen and voice their truth and guide us well.

Well heck, we’re blessed!

“Cut my pie into four pieces, I don’t think I could eat eight.”

Two days have passed since the Sunday we entered the chaos of the ER. Rich has been, the most part, reclining in his hospital bed, and it is amazing how busy one can be while motionless in a hospital bed. The long night in the ER gave us very little time for sleep and morning came too early. A virtual revolving door brought on a Q&A marathon with each specialty having their own focus. In many ways, this is a boon for the mystery we hoped to solve before our unplanned detour. Throughout the day the new doctors that have come on board since we’ve last been here have us repeat our history as well as what has brought us here this time. As well as the floor staff, our main gurus from each division that has been part of our journey have stopped in, ordered tests and discussed their differential diagnoses. More and more are we partners in this journey; having been managing Rich’s health outside of the hospital for the last two years. There is a comfort to the coordination that happens inside. This coordination also allows for the tests’ results to be further analyzed and lead to additional tests. Conclusions can be made quicker than on our own.

What seemed to be a huge step backwards is proving to be a blessing. Answers are coming fast and furiously during this admittance.

As always, once we reach a certain level of health, each consult ends with us requesting release. Yesterday was too soon but we did let our wishes be known. And we are heard. Our nurse advises us that for the most part, our intravenous meds are being discontinued… a sign of prepping for discharge. We are told that our pulmonologist is in the deciding vote… and we know his views on getting us out of here.

We work subliminally on our team. Rich is no longer in his bed, but we have breakfast sitting in the chairs with the hospital table between us. IV removed, he wears a t-shirt. We create a vignette of health; looking out of place in this hospital room. All indicators of illness are removed from view as much as is possible. Our plan is to take a stroll or two so the staff will see us up and about, as we do every day. It shows our determination to take our care back into our own hands.

This has worked for us before. We look forward to getting back into our own routine. Our own home. We know that once Rich’s health reaches a certain point, we need to be in our own space for the best healing.

We look forward as well to seeing the doctors this morning. We look forward to seeing them in the appointments made last week for the end of the month. We’re pleased that tests that we had anticipated for those appointments have happened already thanks to this admittance. Only the PET/CT scan remains; it’s scheduled for just days away. A delay may be needed as we do not want the pneumonia to give false readings. We consider making a second appointment for the following week just in case.

Twelve hours ago, Rich was given a three-hour infusion of Immunoglobulin. Amongst the tests administered since our admittance, we’re told that his immunology is off balance. We’ve always known the blood counts need to be on our radar and this one, as we’ve indicated before is the one we’ve been watching closely. It has been on a slow rise but never quite reaches the level we need. This infection brought it down by 100 since our last in depth bloodwork. We’re told that this indicates that he could have developed, since the transplant, an autoimmune disorder that creates that imbalance. And that a simple, periodic treatment of Immunoglobulin could be the answer we’re looking for. It’s something to keep in mind. We don’t need more side effects so it’s not a quick jump onto the bandwagon.

And now we do know that we will be going home today. Our determination for best impressions has paid off. Cardio came in and cleared us for discharge. Next was Infectious diseases. They are the kingpins this go-around… it is this group’s determination if the antibiotic that is only available by IV can be discontinued. We agree that we’ll contact them if there is any degradation at home. We laugh that we had plan B in place to convince him just in case and he feels, with the other antibiotics we’ll be supported by orally, we’ll be fine. Besides, we give him little choice.

The rounds by the other doctors will now be to discuss post-hospital plan for care. As we have appointments scheduled with them already, it will be more protocol than a necessity.

It’s just a matter of time and paperwork. Every hour, another confirmation of our leaving or another step closer.

We’ll be home by dinner. Sprung!

And in honor of today’s date 3/14/18 as well as the title of this blog post, credited to Yogi Berra as we enter baseball season, we’re prepared.

Happy Pi Day!

To Be Like A Lotus

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Our little pond in our tiny yard has been a source of calm in our lives. Each year we patiently wait for the leaves of our lotus to unfurl on to the surface. Later the flowers poke their buds up and spread their petals towards the sun. These same flowers retract under the water at night.

It is because of this rising from the mud that the lotus plant is associated with rebirth. From darkness, beauty. They teach us patience and show us we can rise above the miasma that sometimes finds us.

The past few months have seen us anywhere from the summit of mountains to the muddy muck of ponds. While our personal highs and lows have not been such a roller coaster recently, there have been moments where they felt that way.

Rich started his latest ketamine treatments in the middle May and went on into June. He had a small bout of pneumonia somewhere in the middle. Some antibiotics and six-day pack of medrol (steroids-lite), nebulizing over and over for months to come and we figure we’re good to go.

At the end of June, we reached a summit. Literally and figuratively. We set off for Maine by way of New Hampshire and Sturbridge Mass, singing in the car at the top of our lungs. Rich was at the wheel for the first time without another driver in the car to relieve him when he got tired. No more belt and suspenders… we were on our own.

Sturbridge has always been a place of peace for us. So many wonderful memories of family weekends… quiet winter mornings and hearty meals by the warmth of the fireside. Newborn animals in the spring, kiln fired pottery in the summer, the change of seasons and a chance to slow down. This was now just an overnight stop along the way as we traveled north, but, as always, it refreshed our spirits.

Rich’s feet were now renewed with ketamine and MMJ keeping the neuropathy at bay. The open road lay before us. The fog lifted from the White Mountains of New Hampshire as we drove, the peaks revealing themselves slowly through a haze. Adventure was in the air. Our plan for these next two days? Mountains… glorying in the mountains. We were not climbing and very few trails had our names on them.

Music blasting, open road, singing at the top or our lungs

As has been our need these last few years, we’ve made adjustments. On this day, we were traveling via train through the valley of the White Mountains and into the Notch. We would sit in a dome car, sheltered from the intermittent rain, and watch the waterfalls, gorges, woodlands and vistas through the windows of the vintage rail car. We would marvel as the walls of the notched stone closed in on either side before opening once more to the valley view below. We ate in the period dining car, reveling in the flavors and views.

The following day we found ourselves on the summit of the tallest mountain on the East Coast… Mt Washington. Here, the highest winds on the planet have been recorded. The old summit observatory and stage office displays a plaque on its exterior: 231 Miles Per Hour. We are awed to see this same building has thick chains that go up and over the roof in three places… secured into the granite to keep the roof, and the building, from flying away.

Despite our gear, we did not hike to this mountaintop. Rich’s feet and lungs, though so improved on his current regimen, are not up to the task. Instead we travel as others have for almost 150 years, we take the cog railway. Our fascination with trains has not prepared us for the wonder of this ride. It is not the view that captivates us. We can barely see through the clouds as we ascend; indeed, the fog itself rolls through the open windows of the car. It is the engineering that brings us such delight. What imagination!

With this help, we stand in the mist of the clouds at the top of our world. And we grin happily as if we had walked every step of the way. Success!

Our weekend continues and we’re ultimately back home, tired but content. We have not seen the stunning landscape that the telescopes promise at the top of Mount Washington as the clouds never rose enough and we could barely see three feet ahead. But the journey itself was the prize. This could never have happened within the three years since Rich’s diagnosis.

The wheezing, though, never quite went away from the pneumonia. We check in with our pulmo doctor who recommends, cautiously, prednisone. A small dose. Rich agrees… it is time to hit this with all we can and get it gone once and for all. And so once more our beneficial bane is back with all its accompanying side effects. The second day on this med and Rich has had enough. The doom and gloom of the adrenals is hitting and hitting hard.

The morning of the third day I leave what sounds like a rather hyperbolic message with the pulmo doctor. Quality of life is gone. We’re in the muck. She know us. She know we don’t exaggerate. We’re to stop prednisone immediately and to continue with the regimen of nebulizing. No need to wean off as the dose was so small and for such a short period of time. We’re relieved. Ready for that lotus to push through and blossom once more.

That relief is short lived. The two days later Rich is on his way to pick me up at the train station and his eyes are full of tears. He admits, it’s been a rough day. When we get home, the truth of that statement shows how inadequate it is.

Prednisone has many side effects and we’ve dealt with most. For whatever reason, it now manifested itself as it had never done before. As he drove down the street, Rich felt an overwhelming urge to open his car door and jump out into traffic in front of a moving truck. Again, his strength leaves me in awe.

The psychosis that prednisone can inflict has hit hard. He fought back and won. The doctors are stunned to hear this latest development. And yet, they nod. It’s a known problem. We spend the weekend on tenterhooks to keep this demon away.

By Sunday, in all ways, we can breathe a sigh of relief. This has passed us by. And so, we spent a weekend a month later celebrating Rich’s third year post-transplant. The roller coaster continues, but we honor our journey to date and give thanks for the life we live.

One of our celebrations found us in an apartment in Brooklyn attending class. Before us were a selection of mostly primary colored acrylic paints, some brushes, and canvases with dried lotus leaves applied. We spent the day mixing colors, some ending up the same color as the mud from which these lotuses grow, and applying the paints to our textured canvases. What a reflective and yet spirited adventure this was! We hang our masterpieces in our home proudly.

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A few weeks later, we spend some time once again the mountains, this time in the Catskills of New York. Our weekend is one of appreciation. Appreciation of the journey we’re on, the light and life we’ve been given and the beauty around us.

Some of that beauty in the amazing meals we enjoy by chefs who know what they are doing. Some in the architecture of mansion along the Hudson that we visit. Most of the beauty we celebrate is that of artisans, certainly more skilled than ourselves, who show their work at a juried festival we attend.

On our way back to Long Island, we stop at the botanical garden in the Bronx where we enjoy the artistry of Chihuly and of nature in bloom. There we find, within the garden’s, ponds displays of lotus, rising through the murky water, from their roots in the muck of mud, to reveal the light and color to which we humans can only aspire to replicate. From the depths comes beauty that raises us up to the light.

And for that reason we continually celebrate.

Rebirth.

Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.

Abraham Lincoln was quite right when he offered that advice. And it has not been as easy as one would think!

As January came to a close, the little twinges of neuropathy that had lain dormant since October began to show themselves. Rich’s balance was starting to once more resemble the sailboats we watched on the lake last summer… there was a slight list and occasional stumble. We met with our ketamine team and they advised another five-week session. And asked if we could wait until April so that we had a six-month span between treatments. Not a problem.

There is a certain frustration that most patients have with their health care and that is either waiting in offices forever or waiting for an appointment itself. When you aren’t feeling well, in whatever shape that discomfort takes, that frustration is magnified. We’ve found medical offices each work differently and sometimes the doctors themselves are not aware of how theirs truly work. We were told the insurance approval and appointment scheduling was under way when we saw the K doctor in February. We would start at the beginning of April.

Long story short, when we called in mid-March to find out about our appointment we were told it would be mid-May… they were booked til then and they had just gotten Rich’s file. We asked to speak to the doctor himself. Now, Dr Ketamine is a very nice man. He treats his patients with respect and care. His manner suits our ways. He’s direct. And he took our concerns to heart and is very much a partner in our journey. Rich was immediately scheduled for a one-time four-hour infusion, a booster, right away. There were no other appointments to complete the once-a-week-for-five-weeks infusions but this small gap existed for us to slip into to hold Rich over until May.

As we thanked him for this, we also admonished him, he needs to change his dialogue with his patients… his office does not run the way he thinks it does and to present that expectation is to set patients up for disappointment. He agreed. We learned a valuable lesson. We had gotten complacent with our stem cell team who took control of our appointments once we were in their hands. That time is now past. Another milestone slaps us in the face and tells us to wake up!

As I have often said of Rich, I am in awe. The pain he dealt with before these ketamine treatments or every day when the ketamine wore off is astounding. And he always handles it with humor and stoic resolve. But in March just before the infusion booster, as he pulled off his socks at night, the internal screaming was beyond containment. That moment when he would sit and lift his foot to prep for bed was put off until there was no recourse but to get on with it. And hope the meds he just took will kick in soon. His shoulders would shake in an effort to control the sobs. It was impossible for us to wait two months. As Rich said today in wonderment “I didn’t know it could be so painful under your toenails!”

That booster in March eased the pain slightly but was indeed just a stopgap. It was not long before the nighttime rituals were dreaded once more and the cane was again needed to keep him upright. We are determined to maintain a strict six-month rotation on the schedule to avoid this gap going forward.

Abe is also quoted as saying “Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Indeed. Throughout our journey Rich has had such humor about each situation we have found ourselves in. He has made up his mind, as that man whose likeness is now carved on Mount Rushmore has said, to be as happy as possible. And it manifests itself in so many positive ways, despite his ongoing neuropathy.

Two days ago, my brave and strong-willed husband began the road, once again, to relieve this pain that plagues him. We’ve started, as we did seven months ago, the four-hour infusions once a week for five weeks that will ultimately have him without pain on his radar. As we left the facility, we couldn’t help but laugh at how this building has no hand rails on the steps leading to the sidewalk. They house this ketamine group as well as a spine institute… wheelchairs to assist in the lobby for patient use. And yet… no handrails? Feet and brain were temporarily disconnected as we attempted those rail-less stairs. We roared in amusement looking as if we just left a late night of imbibing at the bar; holding each other up. The cab driver looked at us warily, hoping, I’m sure, that we were not his fare! For a couple of days, Rich will have this loopiness but we hope once more that instead of those blade-like stabbing spikes and internal screams, he will soon glory in the feel of texture on his feet… warm sand, fresh-mown lawn, cool stone. Or as he did in January, the feel of his grandsons vying for his attention as they clamber to his lap, his feet their boost up.

Mr Lincoln was also known to say, “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.” I do know for certain Rich will meet the future as he has done so far, finding the roses and not the thorns despite their efforts to prick.

/bləd/

Blood: The fluid circulating through the heart, arteries, veins, and capillaries of the circulatory system. Blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the cells of the body and removes waste materials and carbon dioxide. What a simple definition for an amazing thing! Along our way these last three years the one constant has been the importance of blood tests. Vial upon vial has been drawn and analyzed.

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At various point in time, our focus on the different parts of the reports that have been generated with each drop that has been put on a slide has differed depending on where we were on our journey. Rich’s first blood test gave us the initial indication that there were concerns.

Three years ago when we came back from welcoming our little Bean into our lives, Rich was so tired that he went to get some blood work done. Our primary care group, as we have reported here at the start, were brilliant in putting a few clues together and sending Rich to his gastroguy and the rest is our history. Once chemo started, our focus was on those white cells, red cells and, particularly, platelets. When the counts got too low and chemo delayed, platelets and iron-rich red cell infusions were added to our schedule. As we got closer to the end of outpatient chemo treatments, everyone kept their eye on the stem cell count so as to catch the best chance of harvest. Once admitted for isolation and the week-long bombardment of high doses of chemo cocktails, the red/white/platelets were back on the daily reports.

We knew the day Rich’s bone marrow died. We knew also the day that those precious stem cells engrafted, eight days after the transplant, and began making new marrow… a day of quiet celebration. Since that point, the blood work has been an indicator of Rich’s continued recovery. Finally came the time that the platelets were stable; slowly getting close to where they need to be. Anemia gone. Still we watch liver and kidney function… those poor organs whose job it is to clean the body of the beneficial poisons that were so crucial for ultimate health are still struggling to catch up. They’re still on our radar.

But when we look back to the time after we left the hallway within a hallway, our little room that reminded us so much of our Amtrak cabins, our focus has been on Rich’s immune- suppressed system. Every blood work since has been a study of the immunoglobulins… the antibodies that are found in our blood. These can tell us where Rich’s immune system is up to… or, as has been since his new birthday, down to. Our reports show the three of most concern, IgM, IgA, IgG continue their very slow rise.

As anyone who has followed our journey here knows, the first year after leaving our stem cell cocoon, Rich caught any bug that happened near him. Pneumonia being his illness of choice, we became well versed in protocol at the ER. Our pulmonary gurus went so far as to forbid him to sit in their waiting room but had a clean room set up for him whenever we had appointments. The blessings of health care providers who really care have been with us on our path.

Our latest bloodwork shows that Rich has gone from a low of 345 in September for the most important (to us) immunoglobulin, two years after his transplant,to a much improved 656 mg/dl this month. Normal range is 694-1618 mg/dl… so close! Our doctor had said she’d be pleased as long as it was above 400. While we look to be comfortably in the middle of the range, we’ll take our new number with gratitude.

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This improvement allows us to continue in a way that we thought was yet another year in the future. Rich has been having his childhood vaccines re-administered for the past year. Stem cell transplants reset the body and many of the titers for childhood diseases are no longer there. On a carefully timed schedule, he’s had his HiB, Polio, Diphtheria, Tetanus and a few different pneumonia injections. Live vaccines were not on our radar. His immune system would not allow us to have those which include mumps, measles and rubella. With the latest outbreaks of these diseases due to the anti-vaxx contingent, it’s been nerve-wracking. The herd protection that comes with a large percentage of the population being inoculated has been lost. No longer are those who are too young for vaccines or those whose health precludes them protected. We’ve been lucky to avoid them. The results could have been devastating.

We are told now that in a few days Rich will receive his MMR shot… a live vaccine. This milestone is one to celebrate… the numbers are lining up the way that they should. So carefully have the live vaccine administrations of our grandsons been timed with our family visits as per our team’s instructions. No longer will this be a concern. While platelet numbers are still low, while immunoglobulin counts are nudging but not quite in the normal range, we can have a little breathing room. We have gone a full year without a hospitalization. The red card that gains quick admittance to the ER and takes us straight to a private room has not been used in over twelve months. Asthma and bronchitis have still been with us, but with less devastating effect.

We’re blessed.

Blood.

The new life Rich has been given has come from his own blood. The stem cells were his own, harvested through apheresis over the course of two days. That science has been able to define these procedures to break down and then renew the body is a gift. That it comes from one’s own body is a miracle. An anonymous quote says “If power is defined as the ability to do anything and create anything, then the stem cell is the most powerful ‘known’ life force.” We are made of that power. That power flows through us all every second of every minute of every day. We are composed of approximately 125 TRILLION cells. With that kind of power within us, what is not possible?

Deportation and Unassimilation

225672_10150182626467824_3242997_n As we sit on the swing by our little pond, we watched the butterflies flitting about the garden. A copper-roofed birdhouse swings in the breeze. From under that little roof bits of dried grass, yarn and the flotsam and jetsam that make up a finch’s nest have been pushed out the side. Our occupant has begun re-arranging the furniture to prepare for the next batch of eggs.

We too have been busy in our house; spring cleaning has been underway, little by little, since we returned from our trip. One by one we’ve tackled each room. Donations have been picked up. And then there is our box. The bigger box that has held any number of elixirs, potions and pills that have been with us on this journey.

Filled to the brim, it’s time to say goodbye to many of these little miracles that provided relief and kept us on track. It is bittersweet to go through this box. We say a small thank you to each as we set it aside for disposal. There is a feeling of ceremony. Each bottle brings back a memory. We thanked thorazine for quieting the barking seal that the hiccups brought and we remember the overnight chemo where we recorded the sounds that reminded us of San Francisco’s piers and then could not stop laughing when we played them back. Which brought on more barks. Which brought on more laughter. What a catch 22 that was! We thank the tincture of opium which our gastro guy called “the plug” for its effectiveness in stopping the months of non-stop diarrhea. This cure discovered too late to allow Rich to attend Nick’s college graduation, but what a wonderful memory of us sharing the moment of him walking across the stage at Cooper Union via today’s technologies. We thank the lasix for deflating the pontoons; gone before we could test water walking possibilities. We thank the ambien for restful nights but mourned the end of the midnight food fests.

And so we continued through the box. One by one taking a moment to remember with gratitude these companions along our journey. And celebrating that they are no longer needed. Mepron,Voriconizole, Simethicone, Budesonide, Emla, Valium, Morphine, Dilaudid, Omeprazole, Sucralafate, Lomotil, Colace, Senekot, Ativan, Zofran, Emend, Pantapropazole, Ferrus Sulfate, Vitamin C, Albuteral, Spironolactone.

The box was like Mary Poppins’ bag which held all manner of items and had an endless bottom. The list continued. On and on we gave thanks and said our goodbyes.

And in time we came to prednisone. Bottle after bottle of varying doses. It has been our bane but it has been our companion too. As part of the chemo cocktails, it not only worked against the cancer cells, but it also helped to keep at bay the worst of the reactions to the other beneficial poisons. It relieved inflammations from the continued bouts of the different pneumonias. It was a necessary evil that we didn’t welcome but we are grateful for what it was able to do.

Of all the medications, this end was the most celebrated. But at the same time, perhaps the most necessary medication of all. And so we thank too those many corticosteroid bottles for their help along the way. And celebrate that they are no longer needed. We visit our stem cell guru. Rich receives his booster vaccinations. It will be a year before we’re ready for the next set. His bloodwork shows that we can now say goodbye to the folic acid. The first indication of a problem as we started this journey was anemia. That we can eliminate yet one more supplement, one of the first, that helps the body with anemia and to grow new blood cells is another indication that we are on the right path.

We are nearing full circle.

Our box is slowly emptying out.

Tomorrow we say goodbye to another stalwart companion. Our One of Nine will be disengaged from the Borg collective. Rich’s port will be removed. Cyborg no more. In preparation, more blood was collected, this time to check the clotting factor. The tube, that runs from the port and protects Rich’s blood vessels from the toxic burn of the beneficial poisons that make up the chemo cocktail, that catheter lines his jugular vein. We prefer no bleed outs. Tomorrow we will be thankful.

The port has been a less painful option for infusions and blood draws. We are grateful but it is time. We’ll say our goodbye with appreciation. Another ceremony. For the first time in two years, Rich will no longer wear the bracelet that identifies him as having a power mediport. He will have been deported. Another milestone.

But first there is work to do. We need to prepare. Let the manscaping begin!

Take a Giant Step Outside Your Mind

“…Remember the feeling as a child When you woke up and morning smiled It’s time you felt like you did then. There’s just no percentage in remembering the past It’s time you learned to live again at last. Come with me, leave yesterday behind And take a giant step outside your mind.”

This song has been a little earworm going ‘round and ‘round in my head for the last few days. We find ourselves excited with our Icelandic adventure to start in a few hours tho’ there is just a tinge of apprehension coloring our plans. This is, for us, a huge leap in Rich’s recovery. In the past two years, we’ve taken weekend trips to visit family or traveled with friends. The support has always been close by and there always has been accommodation for Rich’s needs. Tonight we step onto the Icelandair plane and take, as the Monkees sang, a giant step outside our minds.

With us will come our assortment of medications both required and emergency. Rich’s cane will be our companion. We’ve opted for tours instead of our usual take charge kinda travel. Our schedule is varied but gentle. Our trip is a quick five days. With all these precautions, we’re still trying to get out of the patient mode that has deviled us on our journey.

“You stare at me in disbelief You say for you there’s no relieve But I swear I’ll prove you wrong. Don’t stay in your lonely room Just staring back in silent gloom. That’s not where you belong”

Ah, patient mode. We were well on our way to getting out of that gloom when just about a month ago Rich woke up with chills. Dammit. The Magic Fingers Bed was back with a vengeance. It took a full hour to stop the rigorous shaking that exhausted him and left him aching from head to toe. A handful of meds to counter the symptoms of an infection that seemed on its way, we waited for the doctor’s office to open.

I went to work figuring that this would be a quick Tamiflu script and we’d be fine after a few days. This was the first time in these two years that I was not planning on going to an appointment with Rich… because, you know, we’re getting outta patient mode. As I was speaking in a meeting at work, I suddenly stood up and said “I have to leave” and walked out the door. It was odd how strong that feeling was.

Rich was already en route via taxi to the doctor’s office and I texted him that I would meet him there. By the time I got to Great Neck, he was waiting in an exam room, having had an xray of his lungs to rule out one of the vast arrays of pneumonia he seems to latch onto. We sat and chatted while we waited for a doctor to see us.

During the short wait, Rich became uncomfortable. He complained it was hot which to me was understandable since he still had his hat and coat on. The complaints continued tho’… quite unlike him. The light was off in the room as is our wont. We find it easier to relax in a dim room when we’re in situations that could be tense. We’ve at times joked around by putting a candle gif on our phones and pretending we were on a romantic date; anywhere but a doctor’s office.

This time the romance ended when Rich started making heaving sounds. I flicked on the light and could see that this spasm wasn’t coming from his stomach but from his throat. I asked him if he was ok and there was no response. I got up, saw he was pale and clammy… beyond his glasses, his eyes were rolled back in his head as he continued to make these retching noises. I called out for help and the staff responded quickly, checking his vitals and getting him on oxygen… and calling 911. He pinked up quickly and came around though for the life of him he could not figure out how many fingers the PA was holding up in front of his face.

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And so started a thirty-six hour marathon stint in the ER. The one place we didn’t want to be. Rich does get a separate room when he is in the emergency room because of his lowered immunology. But as a melting pot of germs, it’s still not optimum. His blackout was probably due to dehydration and a drop in blood pressure but being a single incident and his diagnosis to be otherwise Type A flu, we began our campaign to get discharged which was not as easy as one would think. Until our pulmo guru came on duty and stopped in. Immediately he was on board to get us home even while the hospital was prepping a room on the cardiology floor. Once again we are filled with gratitude for the team we have. They listen to what we say and respond with common sense. We’re blessed.

Once home, Rich’s recliner became his cocoon as he worked through the effects of the flu. We were again sleeping in the little room on the main floor as stairs were not yet possible. The walker was brought back into service. And yet it was good to sleep on something other than the cold tile floor. It took two weeks for him to begin to get to where he had been before this episode, the Tamiflu knocked back a good amount of the discomfort relatively speaking, but slowly progress was made.

And now prep for our trip began in earnest. But this episode did raise some flags we had thought we could put away for good and brings us the slight apprehension that we are doing our best to totally disregard. Instead we’re focusing on doing what we love most together… seeing new sights, meeting new people. The weather holds no promise for a viewing of the Northern Lights, the Hákarl fermented shark will still probably be the worst tasting thing we’ll ever try, and English will not be the first language of the citizens of the city we’ll call home for the next five days, but our itinerary will be more than we could have dreamed of doing a short six months ago. And for that we’re grateful. It’s time.

“Come with me I’ll take you where the taste of life is green And everyday holds wonders to be seen.

Come with me, leave yesterday behind And take a giant step outside your mind.”

I Sing the Body Electric

Walt Whitman wrote in his poem:

I sing the body electric The armies of those I love engirth me and I engirth them

They will not let me off till I go with them, respond to them And discorrupt them, and charge them full with the charge of the soul.

Rich’s PET scans, CT scans, MRI’s, X-rays, all reminded me of the first line of this poem. The same line that Ray Bradbury, one of our favorite authors, used as the title of one of his short stories. The same title that the song from Fame used, the lyrics to which include:

I sing the body electric I glory in the glow of rebirth Creating my own tomorrow/When I shall embody the Earth

It’s always seemed fitting for Rich.

With the cancer related deaths of David Bowie and Alan Rickman among others in the entertainment industry this week came an avalanche of media reporting that all included the phrase “battle with cancer.” And so Walt Whitman’s armies spring to mind once again.

We haven’t felt our particular journey to be a battle but the attention to the phrase brought about some research that made us think. In retrospect, perhaps battle is not such a bad term at all. It has its roots in Old French bataille from Late Latin battualia. The dictionary gives it to mean “exercise of soldiers and gladiators in fighting and fencing.” Not perhaps appropriate. The Latin from the Germanic battuere means “beat” which is one of our goals. Modern definitions include combat, conflict, contend with, struggle, or engagement. OK.

There is certainly struggle with cancer and its treatment… another word that seems to pop up when talking about cancer. And while we’ve had our struggles, again, not a word that would immediately come to our minds. We’ve definitely been in conflict with cancer… it has different agendas than we do. And yes, we’ve engaged cancer in a type of combat by throwing whatever weapons we can find at it. But again, none of those would totally define how we choose to view the last two years. There are different types of battles… battle of encounter, battle of attrition, breakthrough, encirclement, envelopment, annihilation. Certainly chemo is one of attrition… we strive to have lesser losses than cancer. Breakthrough… yep. Get through those defenses to find the vulnerable flanks. Annihilation… yeah, that’s been our end goal from the get go. Destroy the basterd. Those definitions would again negate our viewpoint.

But just as there are multiple types and definitions of the word battle, there are also numerous ways to approach it. If we were required to battle, our view would be more like Jujutsu… the martial art whose name can be translated as “the art of giving way.” It uses the enemy’s energy against themselves and thereby neutralizing their threat. So many of the modern chemo cocktails do the same, as we’ve learned on our journey; using the DNA of the cancer cells to neutralize them. We strive always to continue forward, not retreating in the face of an obstacle, but searching for resolution, a way to slip past. Rich has plowed through, courageously in my opinion, the side effects of cancer and its treatment. Sometimes it’s been a fight to do so but overall, these words that define our journey as an aggression just don’t seem to fit.

We’ve striven, over the last two years, to look at this as a puzzle to be solved. A path with detours to take. A goal to reach by the best means possible. By treating it that way, we tried to eliminate the angst and tension that the word battle brings to mind. While not passive on our journey… everyone needs a good compass to guide them… we have attempted to meet the challenges head on and be as best prepared as possible. When we approach our journey this way, we leave ourselves open for the joy in life instead of a focus on the negative.

We can visualize this path we are on as one of the many wooded paths we’ve hiked and see the obstacles cancer has put in our way as the temporary moments they are… to be considered no more than a rise in the path, a boulder on its way elsewhere, a sudden stream from a quick rain. We navigate them and continue on and marvel at the light as it filters through the branches when the sun peeks through the clouds and we know we are where the universe means us to be. We fill our spirit with these images.

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As we moved past the treatment phase and into the recovery, our journey was even less battle-like although our many trips to the hospital may not have seemed so. Before Rich went into the hospital for his last chemo marathon and the stem cell transplant, we went to the beach. Our first summer that we were dating was filled with sand and surf, a crowd of us filling the bus to either the north or south shores of Long Island. But this day, fatigue made it impossible to get to the water’s edge; instead we sat in the sun on the boardwalk and in the distance we could see the water’s tide moving in. The water would then pull back out but with each incoming wave, further up the sand the edge of the surf would come. Two steps forward, one step back, two steps forward… This movement of the water defined our experiences this past year. Like a tide coming in, we’ve had our forward movement, sometimes too slow to discern, but always there. A stumble back, temporarily, then stronger again forward. Progress.

In the dark of the night, when negativity can give way in a tired mind, the zen of the ocean’s heartbeat gives strength that we have been on the right path. There is a peace in that rhythm. That we will reach the point on the beach where we need to be. This has served us well. By releasing negativity and the tension of battle, we can use our reserves of strength to move on.

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And moved on we have. With the new diet that we began in December has come new strength and clarity. We spent Christmas week in Rochester welcoming to this world our newest grandson and luxuriating in the frenzied activity of our other two. Surrounded by family, we reveled in the holidays. We made sure the Rich did not overdo but it was apparent that his energy levels have improved significantly. Our stem cell guru, who we saw before we took to the road, was thrilled with his progress. While acknowledging the results of the new diet, she said that many of her patients report that at a certain point in time after weaning off the corticosteroid, it seemed like a light switch turned back on. We rejoice in the evidence of this bane’s release. We still need to watch the gluten/fat/dairy/sugar involvement in our diet… there are swift and uncomfortable ramifications if we don’t… but it is good to have confirmation that prednisone’s grasp is gone. Fifty pounds of bloat have gone and we begin to see the end of the moon face as well. Our pulmonary doctor reports the best lung function testing that Rich has had in the last two years. His immunology is such that he can have the pneumonia shot. We pray 2016 will be pneumonia free. In the spring, our eighteen month old will begin his childhood inoculations all over again.

We welcomed in the new year with friends and looked forward with hope. As we rested on New Year’s Day, rejoicing that Rich was able to stay with us throughout the night, we discussed again our story.

What has defined us in the past and what would we want to define us in the future? Discovery through travel has been what we have missed the most. The planning as well as the journeys themselves are filled with fresh ideas and engagement with the expanded world around us.

And so, as has been one of our goals, we once again look towards seeing new places, meeting new people and learning new things. Debates continue as we consider the pros and cons of various travel destinations we have been dreaming of. While Ireland has been on the top of that list, there is so much to do there that requires more energy than Rich yet has.

In the end, we decide, with the help of a serendipitous Groupon, that a tour of Iceland is our next goal. The half days we’ve planned of mellow activities like lounging in thermal pools and one full day of touring in a comfy motor coach going from volcano to waterfall to geyser to rifts between tectonic plates seem perfect for our current state. The right mix of rest and mild trails and stunning landscape. A trip not too long in length, but enough. It will be a blessing to see other shores where those tides that empower us have landed.

We decide to listen to Mr Bradbury when he said, “Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.” If we should chance to have all the celestial requirements in alignment, perhaps we’ll experience the

Northern Lights and charge our souls.