Day Nine - Saturday - St. Valentine's Day

St. Valentine's day was overall a good day with a few quirks. 

(St. Valentine was a healer I think.)

Jen Visit

It all started with a visit from Jen which was wonderful. She came laden with Valentine's stuff, including a card, balloon, and many cards/pictures from Anna. She also took the cards I already had and hung them around the room, dressing things up a bit. Thanks to everyone for the cards--they are wonderful, let me think of you, and brighten the room.

I had sent her a Valentine's ecard "Love My Life With You" and she had viewed it before coming in. She was just as touched as I was by it--its beautiful, fun and a little funny--so like our relationship--warm, loving, beautiful, and fun. I am a lucky man to be so loved and so in love.

We had a wonderful morning eating some Valentine's candy and with my new-found freedom, we took a "stroll" (me with a mask and IV-tower-on-wheels) around the ward.

Dad Visit

My dad then visited a little while later and stayed for two hours. We had a great chat. He is not all that computer savvy, so is not able to read all of this or really research the disease as well. So it was a great chance for him to learn about what is going on with me and for me to catch him up on everything.  We also had a good chance to just talk about other things like family and nonsense. 

We also went for a walk with my IV-tower-on-wheels (which reminds me a bit of H.E.L.P.er on Venture Brothers. :) ) and I showed him around the ward. It was a nice visit--but I kept him long--he had to get back to the house for lunch with everyone.

Lunch

I ate a real meal--a vegetable soup and grilled cheese sandwich. It was nice to do but made me feel a bit sick to the stomach. Just a carnation instant breakfast for dinner (thanks again Susan!).

Disease and Drugs

In general I am doing well. They are reducing my steroids daily, but the infection doctor made it clear to me that I will be getting fevers and more eventually--its just a matter of when. Also apparently there was a shortage of Vessinoid in the whole Florida Hospital system.  Some was procured for me though--and I hear now (Sunday) the issue is resolved.

Video Games

I spent the afternoon wasting away the hours with a video game. It all felt rather pointless in the end. I think I started to come to terms with the length of my stay here and how I am still just at the very beginning. I am a bit tired of being tied up with monitors and IV lines, and not being able to bathe. It's frustrating, but certainly manageable. I've got it pretty good overall.

PICC

I was weary and tried to go to bed at around 9ish, but suddenly, after a very interruption free day, things got busy. They had to change out my 24 hour drip chemo (Cytarabine) and then the IV nurse came down to change out my PICC dressing a little early (was scheduled for Sun). 

It all went well, except that after she left I realised something felt odd. There was this terrible little pinching feeling--its just a pinch--but unending. It looked to me like there was a piece of tape below the dressing tearing at my skin.

Well first they had to check all the PICC line blood flow to make sure it was good before they could call the IV nurse back. But that is what it was. It took awhile to get resolved--and boy did it hurt until then--but thankfully she just redid the dressing without the tape and all was well.

I had a couple of orange Popsicles and called it a night--a fairly uneventful one at that. 

A hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's day!