Update & Hello - Dave #3 (Habubrat)

I haven't blogged much since we got to Little Rock 3+ weeks ago. Dave did AMAZING and had little side effects or issues to deal with in this "consolidation" bridge chemotherapy. He and I didn't say anything for a LONG TIME as we both secretly were waiting for some unknown shoe to fall, but it never did! Wow, what a difference his disease being so diminished and being physically and mentally stronger can make. We were delayed in getting out as we had originally planned last Tuesday because we got started a little later than planned. Of course I told Dave "21 days" and he didn't add anything at the front or back end of that - typical lack of "planning" skills! So we lost our tickets to go home because his white blood count wasn't above 2.0 yet and then we met that target, technically on schedule, and were waiting for the platelets to recover, which they were slow in doing. We decided today that I would fly home as planned (second flight scheduled!) and that he would lag behind, get his platelet infusion, be monitored over the weekend and come home Mon or Tues. I'm sitting at the Little Rock "International" Airport having a beer and writing this. I'm looking forward to going home, but it does feel weird to be without Dave. The funny backstory on this is, I was very pissed off that the APN (Advanced Practice Nurse) didn't give us platelets 4 days ago. Had she done that, Dave would have jumped from 17 to over 50 and then dropped slightly to 45 or even 40 and we would have been discharged. I went into the discharge appt this morning prepared to go head to head with the doc on this point! He took one look at the labs and said, "NO WAY!" We went back and forth and I said, "Look, give him some platelets and if his post platelet is up over 30, let us bug out of here." "NO WAY." Well Dave and I had already talked about the idea of me going ahead, so he brought it up. The doc said, "Absolutely! Let your wife go home, you're doing GREAT!" Dave must have had a perplexed look on his face because the doctor smiled and said, "Come on now Mr. Puente, you're a BIG BOY! You can do this, you're doing GREAT. Besides, she's not your mother you know." To which I replied, "THANK YOU! I've been trying to tell him that for YEARS!" We all had a good laugh. He encouraged Dave and said many patients and caregivers do this and can't afford to have them both here for the whole deal. He then said, "Having her here all stressed out isn't good for either of you." I must confess, I don't know what it is, but I get such nervous hysteria at the end trying to get out of here. Its not SANE. I don't know what the root of it is and I plan to do a little soul searching to see if I can pin point what its all about. It feels like what people describe as "Island Fever" in Hawaii, where they just have to get off the Island NOW! We like our new doctor IMMENSELY. We also ran into 4 or 5 patients/caregivers that we have met on our former trips here and it was just so heartwarming and encouraging to see all of us doing so remarkably well. It's, as you know, a deep camaraderie that is hard to describe. I feel similarly on this site with many of you. An understanding, unsaid, about the highs and lows of this disease called "cancer" with essentially strangers, but not strangers for long, with a common foe. Our plan now is to come back mid summer or the end of summer to do the 2nd transplant. Dave's 50th BD is the end of August and our children are coming for a short visit before they start back to University. We want to either get it over with in time to enjoy it and them or wait until after. Its nice to have the freedom to do that at this stage of the game. We hope to actually fly them to Las Vegas and meet them and some other friends there for a long 4 or 5 day weekend. I hope all is going well with all of you. Look for me on Facebook or Dave's Caring Bridge site (on my profile page). Love, Lori "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain."