Last I left you...

Well the last I wrote in my blog was that we were going to try to make it to a Jan. 19,2017 bone marrow biopsy. I did not make it that far.

As my week progressed things got worse. I started running high fevers of about 101 deg F. and just feeling crappy. Getting night sweats and my whole body just ached because of the spasms from the cold shakes.

I contacted Dr. Brinker's office on Sunday night and he wanted me to come up to his "Same Day Clinic" (that is it's name) for evaluation by one of his nursing staff. We did first thing Monday. An hour and 30 minute drive for a CBC, a chest xray and to be told that I did not have a temp at the time. The temps were coming and going and I could feel them starting. I just wanted some validation. So much that I even requested to have my temperature taken again before I left. We went home.

The rest of Monday into Tuesday. Fever and chills. Broke into night sweats and I hurt even worse. I called off work and spent the day trying to get comfortable. Dr. Brinker's nurser were calling me and following up on me. I think it was four times that day. I would explain my symptoms and non individually were a trigger. So, we moved on. They suggested my coming back to the Same Day Clinic for another evaluation. I decided to wait.

Tuesday night... worst yet. I hurt so much that now I knew something was seriously wrong. I was not going to make it another night outside the hospital. Nurses called and consulted. Suggested Same Day Clinic again. by 11:00 I have already decided that I need to be a direct admit. I tell them I need a room and they consult Dr. Brinker and he agrees. Direct admit to 5N at Spectrum Butterworth Hospital.

I call Cindy or she calls me. Don't really remember. She asked if I need her to come home. I say. "Come Home". She does and she spends the afternoon packing for the hospital. We both know it is not going to be a short term stay.

We get a small room. One of the ones that they would rather just leave open for the last minute. But not to spend a month in this small of room. Vitals are taken. Blood draws and antibiotics start. An IV for maintaining fluids.

Bone marrow biopsy takes place on Thursday morning and we wait for results. By Friday we have some of the answers that we need. Dr. Brinker comes and tells us that it is Leukemia. That "You would not have be able to wait this out." "It was coming fast and hard. Over 60% of the sample showed Leukemia cells"

He tells us there is more results but he does not need to wait for them to start the process in motion. That means things like heart echo, chest xrays, put in a IJ line to be able to give the chemo. It makes for a busy following 24 hours.

Dr. Brinker did tell us that I would be here at least 4 weeks and made the promise that it would not be in that room(the small one). That I made sure to pass on to the friends I have on staff. As luck would have it someone in a larger room was discharged in the morning. Which meant we could move over to it Friday afternoon after it was cleaned.

A lot started happening all at once. I guess somewhere around 4:00 Jodi comes and tells us the room is ready and we can get our stuff and transfer it over. We pack up, didn't unpack very much, and moved the suitcase, clothes and electronics to the new room and get that situated.

So while all the test are going on most of the time Cindy will stay in the room. Dependent on if we thought it would be long and if they would not let her in the room. It would make no difference where she stayed. But, on two separate occasions I waited for an hour after the procedure before transport came to take me back to the room

Transport shows up to take me to get my IJ put in. Since this is the most intrusive test Cindy wants to go. So she does. Now I had been having trouble with my phone not wanting to keep a charge. I put it on Airplane mode and turned Wi-Fi on and it was charging. I could do nothing with it so we left it in the room. Cindy brought her laptop, that I had JUST bought her for Christmas, and it was sitting on a table charging along with her charger for her phone. Now mind you we have never had a problem with theft here. Well...

We decide not to go into hiding things in drawers etc. and hope it will be OK. We go get the IJ done. Process took about on hour and we did not have to wait for Transport. As we get back to the room Cindy starts noticing things missing. I have played a few pranks and so has Jodi so Cindy Just starts asking question. You guys didn't move anything?? Did you?? Answer: NO. Crap. So we start looking. Someone came into the room while we were gone and took my cell phone and charger. Cindy's cell phone charger and her laptop and charging cord. The same individual felt confident enough to go through every compartment of my backpack and clothing in the closet plus possibly our suitcase. We are thankful that they did not take more. They left my laptop. Which was my lifeline for AML and is again. They did not find my wallet. So thankful for that. But, It is just another mess that I am having to deal with on top of the Cancer treatment.

So, we report to security and they say they will look into it. Still nothing and it has been over a week. I had to purchase a new phone and the deliver of that was delayed. I have a phone now. But, this one will be going back for a different version.