At home on a spring morning


BOX SCORE




Element

Current

Std. Range

Trend

Hemoglobin

8.0

13-17

^

Platelets

33

140-375

v

ANC

450

1800-8300

v

What a joy it is to see spring peeking out around here. The day before I came home from the hospital, the sun appeared from behind a cloud, and we were able to go for a walk around the Club Sunnyside campus. This activity was not without incident. 

After my escapade on Thursday, I was fitted with a heart monitor, "Just in case." The idea was that, if I had an "incident," while I was sleeping, it would immediately come to the attention of the hospital staff. I noticed, when I was sent out for my second CT scan, the nurse contacted "Telemetry" (I just love that word, "Telemetry." It sounds so scientific and kind of otherworldly.) and let them know that I would be in another part of the building. 

On Friday, when Jill and I went out for our walk, I had forgotten all about the monitor. I was going for a walk with my honey. We got as far as the ground floor (oncology is on Four) when the monitor started steadily beeping. Suddenly, I remembered the call to Telemetry, and I thought, "Oh, no. They know I have escaped. I will be in big trouble now." Nevertheless, I told Jill we should just keep on going and enjoy our walk. And so we did. 

When we returned to Oncology, my nurse was waiting for us. I apologized for our indiscretion, assuring her that Jill was totally blameless in the matter. Sophia quietly slipped a new battery in the monitor and said, "Telemetry notified me about a minute ago that your battery was low." 

Apparently, I was not going to be sent to the Principal's office after all. I wish I had known that during our walk. It would have made things more relaxing...not having to do all that looking over my shoulder for the Telemetry Police.

It was a lovely walk, and it was the beginning of several days of sunny, spring weather that has lasted to this day. Thanks to the caring staff at the Club, we were released from the hospital on Saturday evening and made it home before dark. Next morning dawned sunny and beautiful. Easter Morning as it should be, with all the hope of new life that the celebration of our Savior's Resurrection would suggest. 

Now it is Tuesday, and as you can see in the Box Score, my blood counts have begun to crash, just as expected. They are not low enough for transfusions...yet. I expect that to come on Thursday. In the meantime, I feel reasonably well, although my energy level is somewhere between abysmal and non-existent. Still, the sun is out, and I am home. As we sit in the brewery sipping coffee and listening to music, Molly is cleaning the house. 

It promises to be a good day. After all, this is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!
 

 

 

Comments

  1. AnonymousApril 2, 2024 at 9:48 PM

    Keep up the great attitude Tom. I agree with you that these past sunny days have been so encouraging and delightful. Donalynn

    ReplyDelete
  2. MichaelApril 3, 2024 at 10:44 AM

    Tom, we continue to pray for you and Jill. Belated Happy Resurrection Day.

    ReplyDelete

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