Emotional Roller Coaster

I'm home!

The day was an emotional roller coaster.

First they told me I was going home.

Then they decided to remove the Apheresis line in my chest first.

Then the doctors that were supposed to do it said my platelet count had to be at least 50,000.

I've received platelets every day since the transplant and the highest they had gotten was around 20,000. My nurse said there was no way we could get them up high enough before the IR clinic closed for the day. I said that was okay, I'd just have it done on one of the days when I had to come back for labs. (I'll be going back every day for awhile for labs and any transfusions I might need). She said that they needed to start the platelets around midnight to have me ready by the next morning. I was heartbroken. I had already packed my stuff up and was so excited to be going home.

I told her I wanted a pass and would come back at midnight. She said I'd have to be back by 9 PM in time for night meds, so I said okay. I just had to get out of there for at least a few hours. I called Ron and told him I could only go out on a pass.

Then the nurse came in and said my labs came back and my platelet count was 55,000! She said she would call the IR clinic and see if they could squeeze me in. I was excited again!

Then she came back and said they said no, I was already on the schedule for the next day and they were full. Hopes dashed again.

Then she came back again and said they had called back and could take me! They rushed me down there and they pulled out the line.

When I got back to my room, Ron was waiting. We got everything packed up, the nurse brought my meds and did the discharge papers, etc. and we were out of there.

It had been 11 days since I'd been outside (when I was out on a pass one Friday). The weather was perfect, the day was beautiful, and it felt so wonderful to be out. I was so sick of the hospital smell. I immediately felt 100% better breathing fresh air. I even enjoyed the drive home in rush hour traffic. :o)

Ron went to the store and got steaks, some sweet potatoes, stuff to make a salad, some sourdough bread and we had a feast for dinner. It was so delicious after eating hospital food for three weeks.

I've been resting since dinner. The house is dirty, but I'm not supposed to clean, so tomorrow I'm calling cleaning services to get some estimates. I am washing our mattress pad and sheets right now.

Guess I'd better get out my meds and see what I'm supposed to take tonight. Then I'm having a bath, climbing into my freshly made bed, and I hope I'll sleep like a log.

God is good.