September 18, 2022 Update

So I've been home for over a month now and things are progressing slowly but surely, including writing a blog update.  Sorry for the delay.  

When I first came home, I was not able to walk up a half flight of our stairs very easily and now I can come up from the basement with very little issue.  I have been more active, but am still surprised how some things can tucker me out completely. I've joined the ACE program which is a rehabilitation exercise program for cancer patients and tomorrow is my first day.  I did the fitness assessment last week and it was a little intimidating.  I was measured to see how far I could walk for 6 minutes at a brisk pace.  I almost tripped twice but got through it with my legs feeling the burn. That was only 6 minutes!  There were some aspects that I did well on (stretching and flexibility) and I credit that to the consistent Tai Chi that I have been doing through this journey.  

One item that has been bugging me for the month is when I bring my chin to my chest, I get a buzzing sensation in my lower back and hips and it gets worse after excercising.  Apparently that is a common after effect from the Total Body Irradiation but not sure if its permanent or not.  Will be finding out more at my next meeting with Dr. Taparia. 

Another issue has been the elevation in my liver enzymes while I was having my immunosuppressants decreased which had the doctor thinking I was getting a resurgence of the GVH (Graft verses Host) but in the liver so they upped my meds and added a new drug.  Otherwise I continue to get stronger each day. My vision has also improved to the point I even started driving again, just into Stony Plain but after almost 6 months of not driving, I forgot how much of a privilege driving is (I had to pass the Mike test before he would let me go solo LOL).  On a side note, my hair still hasn't started coming back except for on my face.  Apparently that is from the prednisone but I wonder if I received a male donor and facial hair will just get worse (just kidding - that doesn't happen even if my donor is a male).

On the family side of things, the boys moved into their own apartment together in Lethbridge and started school.  Nate is navigating the world of going to university and is loving it. What's not to love about starting a degree in "Biochemistry"?  Simon completed his diploma in Natural Resource Compliance and decided to return to Lethbridge College to complete his degree. As part of his program, he left this morning for a week long trip to Yellowstone park.  Katie has started grade twelve and is still navigating the complex task of figuring out what courses she should and shouldn't be taking whilst still trying to figure what she wants to do now while she figures out what she wants for the rest of her life.

And as for Mike, what can I say? He's been my chauffeur, my advocate, the boy's moving coordinator and final editor of this blog.  Amazing guy really.

Until next time, stay safe!