Category: cancer
-
Some mumbo for your jumbo
First, I want to proactively acknowledge that this post might be a little bit out there, but guess who doesn’t care? Me! I read something transformative this weekend, and I’m still excited, so I want to write about it. I recently mentioned my introduction to Eckhart Tolle, and I’m about halfway through his book, The…
-
The straight and marrow
You know how sometimes things work out perfectly with no loose ends and complete closure, like a beautifully wrapped gift with a bow on top? And other times you cut the wrapping paper just a tad small and are too stubborn to waste it, so you begin piecing together a patchwork of paper to hide…
-
Live oak
I recently borrowed a memoir from the local library. It caught my eye instantly because it was called Marrow, a word that entered our vocabulary uninvited in May—without even a gentle knock. The book’s author, Elizabeth Lesser, is a perfect match for her sister who needs a bone marrow transplant. The sisters want to have…
-
It’s just a game. But I still hurt.
October 10. 10/10. That sounds like a date filled with promise, doesn’t it? It’s clean and round and associated with a perfect score. But, as a Braves fan, I have bad memories of October 10, and those are extra poignant today. The year was 2010. I was supposed to be getting outpatient sinus surgery (my…
-
Back in the garden
We saw the hematologist/oncologist on Monday and stopped by the healing garden. Though I believe in the garden’s restorative powers, they’re apparently not strong enough to fix someone’s refusal to cooperate for photos. But hey… I’ll settle for questionable smiles if the garden focuses on the leukemia. Despite our brief hospitalization last week/weekend, Ramón is…
-
A room with a view
We’re not where we planned to wake up today, but this sunrise helped immensely. Ramón was admitted to the hospital yesterday after running a fever. They don’t believe it’s anything serious, but we have to be extra vigilant while his immune system is at its lowest. Ramón’s spirits are high, his appetite is hearty (minus…
-
Gosh, he’s growing up
It’s crazy how time flies! Gosh, he’s growing up.
-
The gift of time
Look how fancy we get for other people’s weddings and wear jeans to our own! I stumbled across this post the other day and realized I should probably write a sequel – though, really, it’s more pertinent now than it was at the time. When we got married, we were young and bright-eyed and thought…
-
Share Love, That’s All
Tomorrow marks three months since Ramón’s cancer diagnosis—uh, I mean, birthday. A few days after Ramón’s diagnosis, surprise visitors arrived at the hospital: Lindsey and Mike. We hadn’t met them before, but a mutual friend linked us up because Mike, too, had been diagnosed with leukemia three years prior. I missed their visit (because I…
-
It’s the cliiiiiiiimb
At this time last year, we were enjoying the picturesque Colorado Rockies, and now we find ourselves facing a different kind of mountain. Ramón was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday after spiking a 104F fever (Go big and don’t go home!). Following a multitude of tests, we’re still not sure of the source, but…
-
Perspective
Sweet Noodle Beagle’s eyes say it all. It’s day 77, though if you told us it was day 177, we’d believe you. The novelty of Ramón’s leukemia diagnosis has worn off, and we’ve grown accustomed to our new normal—one that includes constant trips back and forth to Emory, a multitude of naps, and unpredictability from…
-
Outpatient Chemo: Round 2, Day 1
We’re exhausted, so I’ll let Ramón’s shirt do the talking; it was gifted to us by an admirable couple fighting a similar battle. We’re channeling our energy in the direction of love and hope you are, too. Send us love as we embark on outpatient chemo round 2, day 1.
-
One of one
We’re 50 days into this cancer thing. It’s still somewhat surreal to type that, yet it’s also difficult to remember life before the diagnosis. Thankfully there’s not much to report; Ramón’s treatment has been complication-free thus far, and we hope to keep it that way. He received platelets on Monday, and he might be due…
-
Fighting traffic (and cancer)
We’re fighting traffic AND cancer! After some slight rerouting, Ramón is finished with the first round of outpatient chemo infusions. His counts are dropping, as intended, so he’ll likely need a blood transfusion later this week. Today is day 8 of this chemo cycle, and his white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets should…
-
#BoneMarrowMonday
Is #ManCrushMonday still a thing? Regardless, it’s also #BoneMarrowMonday, because we’ve got news. Today we saw the oncologist, and Ramón’s bone marrow is in remission! So, what does this mean? Happy Bone Marrow Monday!