I have spent a couple of days over the last 2 weeks working in the garden and have also started a vegetable and herb garden. I can't believe how my lettuce and tomatoes have grown in a week.
Jimmy had chemo on Thursday and his white blood counts had come up nicely after the Neupogen injections. The chemo clinic has been very busy lately and it was the fourth time in a row that I waited in the lounge instead of sitting next to Jimmy. They were so busy on Thursday that he actually lay down on one of the beds to have his chemo. We discussed going away for the weekend as we have been itching to go camping with the warmer days that we have been having in Cape Town. Funny how you definitely know when summer has arrived because the South Easter is blowing a gale. We got home at 3pm and made the decision that we would go away for 2 or 3 days. I packed the fridge and our clothes and we pulled out the driveway at 4.10pm.
We had a lovely chilled weekend at Onrus Caravan Park. We got there quite late on Thursday so I just put of the awning and did the rest in the morning. We had a good laugh because Jimmy can't really do much more that hold the tent poles while I hammered in the pegs and attached the guide ropes. I also had to unhitch the van and do all the things that men normally do and we were convinced our neighbours thought that Jimmy had it totally waxed. All that was missing was a beer in his hand while I set up camp! My Mom and Dad came through from Bredasdorp for the day on Saturday and it was so nice to see them again. They have both had bad flu and bronchitis so it really has been a while since we have seen them.
Jimmy had his last session on chemo today. And boy is this a nice feeling. Unfortunately not for all the right reasons but it still feels good to know that going through twice a week will be a thing of the past for a while anyway. I had got myself all ready to go and find out what is happening next and when. We were a bit frustrated that they had gone ahead with the last cycle of chemo after Prof had said he was stopping chemo. And then on course we didn't know if they would only start the motivation for stem cell transplant after this cycle or only once the next cancer count results come back. I had my little speech all planned but we received some wonderful news instead. Prof has in fact already done the motivation and Ilhaam was going to send it off to the medical aid today. She said it has to go to the board and then in front of a panel and can take up to 2 weeks to get confirmation but she didn't think it would take this long for us because our medical aid works quite quickly with authorisations compared to most. So we should hear in the next week or so. Prof then gives us a typed up 6 week plan laying out exactly what happens when for stem cell transplant. Ilhaam actually showed me what it looks like and on there is listed when the Neupogen injections are to be given to stimulate stem cell production and it also explains which days and for how long Jimmy will be in hospital before he actually goes into F4 (isolation) for the transplant. This is basically the only period that they cannot predict as it is different for each patient. It depends on how sick he is, the level of nausea, the level of diarrhoea and if he can stomach food etc etc
The clinic was very quiet today, only us and one other person so we were asking all the questions we could think about with regards to stem cell transplant. Jimmy's white blood counts have dropped off a bit again but because he will not have any more chemo for now, Prof did not give us a script for any more Neupogen injections as without chemo his white blood counts should come up nicely on their own again.
So now we are looking at the calendar and if things start moving forward for stem cell transplant we really will be housebound from next weekend and are hoping Jimmy should come out of isolation around the 15th of December and be home for Christmas. Of course we won't hold our breaths as there are endless possibilities for delays along the way.
Today is the start of matric final exams and Brad wrote CAT. We wish him and all our friends whose children are writing matric everything of the best. I think the month or so ahead is going to be a bit stressful for learners and parents alike.
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