Blog #23 9/01/10 Slowly! Slowly! Easy does it!

Dear Friends and Family:

Another week gone by...slowly...yet it is really hard to believe that I entered the hospital to begin the transplant process a month ago! Time passes by even when you're not having fun!

And God bless Amy! She takes such good, patient care of me! As I told someone else, she reminds me of a patient mother who restrains her crawling baby boy who scrambles to the edge of the bed (and a certin fall) by grasping his leg or his nightie and hauls him back to safety: "Whoa now, Dick! Not so fast!"

Yesterday, Amy did take me out to Lowes, to Bed Bath and Beyond, and to the grocery store. I was estatic! But, I came home and slept for a couple hours!

My last two doctor's visits have both indicated the stem cells are reproducing into the right number of appropriate cells, etc. etc.! Yea God! This is stem cell Day #26 and on day #30 they do some more extensive blood work. Day #60, we do a restaging which is a soup-to-nuts peekie-peekie at all systems, including a bone marrow biopsy. (Though it hurts like fury, I'm really looking forward to it!)

All that's left to do now is sit patiently while my stem cells continue to grow and my bald pate attempts reforrestation. It's been two weeks since I mowed and shaved my head, and I don't even have a 12 o'clock shadow! I do see, however, a few little nubs in front of my ears (where sideburns used to dwell). But, that will take some serious time and growth before I can do a comb-over with them! Meanwhile, I look like a taxi with its doors open! Ah, vanity, vanity!

Thanks again for all your prayers, cards, and encouragement!

Your brother in Christ,

Dick