Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Ah, peace and comfort (and more purple!) in the Mt. Timp. temple. The impressions I have are varied and hard to put into words, but I know that I'll survive the transplant, that not to proceed would be the equivalent of giving up because the Hodgkins would keep coming back--more and more frequently--and chemo would be less and less able to fight it, that there might be some complications from the transplant but I'll still be able to help others and learn and grow myself with them, and that the trials I've had so far have strengthened me and that strength will serve me well through the next few weeks and months.

Okay, we can and will keep going.

The family conference at LDS Hospital is longer than I anticipated and mostly a rehash of what we've already covered. What happens before, during, and after the transplant. What to expect. What the rules of the hospital ward are.

There are a few surprises: no visiting hours, no limits as to who can visit as long as they are healthy and over 14 (but exceptions can be made for age), I can wear my own clothes while there, and that isn't going to be a quiet and restful process in any way.

I have daily goals: walk four times a day for 20 minutes each time (wearing a heavy-duty "pig" mask, gown, and gloves each time), sit in a chair three times a day for at least 20 minutes each time, rinse my mouth every 30 minutes, practice expanding my lungs at least 4 times a day.

All that in additon to normal things like eating (even if I don't feel like it and it hurts to do so), showering, and having vitals checked every four hours--a.m. and p.m.

Whew! Is there going to be any time left for anything else? Why do they encourage me to pack so many things to do if it seems like every minutes is already scheduled for me? And is there a luggage or weight limit to the things I bring in because I've already accumulated quite a stack!

Oh, and there's a glitch. The insurance company and the hospital have yet to sign a legal contract that specifies at what level the health benefits are going to be paid because, while LDS Hospital is a preferred provider for almost everything, it isn't for the transplant process itself. We can't proceed until that contract is in place. So no port removal or central line placement tomorrow. The best we can hope for is that they get the contract figured out tomorrow and we can do everything on Friday: port removal, line placement, admission, and first day of chemo.

Please pray that the contract is negotiated by Thursday evening so that the transplant isn't delayed up to a week.