Working on Day 39

Pictures: Bridget and I after our workout at Standing Bear. Our strange mail delivery from Keith and Marilyn Baker: sweet corn from Ainsworth.

Brian had a lot of work to do this weekend for school and cross country, so I became obsessed with my Spanish verbs workbook. Occasionally, I catch myself thinking in Spanish, so my work feels like it is paying off. I will be finished with the Rosetta Stone Level 1 software this week (only four more to go after that).

I found myself craving milk products all weekend...ice cream...pizza...grilled cheese. I am happy to announce that my taste buds have returned for the most part, and I now like pizza, chocolate, and coffee again.

Brian and I went out for an hour walk on Saturday, and I threw in six short "jogs" in the middle of it. I maybe made it total about a quarter of a mile. My hips and hamstrings are really tight. I have no calf muscles either, so it feels strange pushing off of the ground.

Sunday I went for a morning walk with Jill, while Brian went to church. It was a beautiful morning. We walked from her house to Standing Bear Lake, and then turned around about a minute on the trail. Some guy made fun of us because he assumed we parked in the lot and only did a two minute workout. When we got back to the neighborhood, the geese had taken over the street. A group of geese started walking briskly in front of us; when their feet hit the pavement they made a funny noise.

Bridget Green, my friend and PA who diagnosed me with cancer...twice, came to stay with me Sunday night. Brian, Bridget, and I went to 7M Grill for dinner. The Caribbean Chicken is fabulous. Brian went home and Bridget and I stayed up late trading stories.

Monday morning Bridget and I drove to Standing Bear, and we walked for an hour. We didn't find any bears, but we did see three deer. They ran away when I talked to them in my kitty voice.

When we returned to the apartment, Mom had arrived. We had to be at UNMC at 11:30. Another good report at the doctor...and I acquired a note so I can come into the school building after school.

This morning we woke up to rain, so we started our day with some Spanish instruction, and then went out for our walk. I did some short jogs in the middle of the walk. It felt like I was going so much faster then my walking pace, but then I would turn around and Mom wouldn't be too far behind. We went to the fitness center to lift some weights (I have to work on my scrawny, non-existent arm muscles). A man came in and asked if he could turn on the TV. We didn't mind or so we thought--he put on The Jerry Springer Show. I think I sped up my workout.

I think it's going to be a leisurely afternoon. Maybe we'll play The Crazy Cat Lady game that Shelly bought me...

Tomorrow is a free day, but Thursday--on my birthday--we have two doctor appointments. Thursday night Brian and Dad are coming up to Omaha. Jill and Derek are coming over, too, for dinner and dessert. Friday morning Brian and I are going to go for a walk, and then we're coming home, so I can hang out with the cats in the afternoon. Best birthday gift ever--to come home for a night. I haven't been home since July 17th. It has been too long.

I hope I can see as many of you as possible Friday or Saturday...

The Gift of Time

While I would prefer to be at work, I am considering the next few months to be a gift of time.

I do not have to get up to an alarm (although I hear my neighbor's going off about 6:45). I crawl out of bed at about 7:30, eat breakfast, and then we head out on an hour walk on an interesting bike trail or around Standing Bear Lake. This morning I had a 30 second jog at the beginning of the walk, and then I jogged in the last three minutes. By the time I come home, I'll be a "runner" again.

I have time to eat and help cook actual meals (and now my taste buds are back to normal).

I have time to improve my Spanish (and now I'm starting to think--very simply--in Spanish).

I have time to read books that I want to read, and if I don't like the book, I can put it down.

I have time to meet friends in the middle of the day and to wander around Village Pointe at 2 in the afternoon without feeling (too) guilty.

I DO have to spend some time at UNMC, but I have a reputation for doing well. My doctor walked into the room yesterday and said, "I hear you're running four miles." While that was an exaggeration (I am walking four miles), I am working on being that shining example of a person post stem cell transplant, so I can spend more of my "gift of time" in my own house.

I have time and zero stress (except when we're driving around Omaha).

Yodeling Pickles and Cat Visitations

Yesterday we started our day with a walk on the bike trail. We decided to deviate from our usual path and walked through the neighborhood, where we stumbled onto a great, flat bike trail along a wilderness preserve. Despite walking early, it was humid out, which kind of knocked me out for the rest of the day.

For lunch we met Joanne and Hugh Martin and Jill at the Cheesecake Factory. I ordered my first sandwich and was happy to actually be able to swallow and taste the bread. Mom and I wandered around Von Maur and Westroads before making our usual trek to the grocery store.

I actually tried to take a nap, but the steroids coursing through my veins would not fully allow this. I was finally able to concentrate on the daily Spanish lesson, and then Mom and I watched a TV show on animal hoarding and I accidentally ordered a pair of shoes on Zappos.

Today was much nicer (most of you don't know this because you are at work). It felt cool this morning on our hour walk around the lake. I didn't try running today, but I think I'll do a few 30 second "gos" on the walk tomorrow. Our doctor appointment was later today, so I got my Spanish done before lunch.

While it seemed like it took awhile this afternoon (it was a full house), the results of the doctor visit were awesome. My test results were very good, and my doctor lowered a couple of my medications (including the steroids). Then I fired out some questions to Dr. Maness... I ended up getting my PICC line taken out of my arm, since they haven't used it for a couple of weeks. I will no longer have to envelope myself in plastic prior to showering. I can now actually lift weights. I also asked if I could spend the night at home next Friday night, since both Mom and Brian have Husker tickets. My birthday is next Thursday, and all I wanted was to go home for a few hours to see my cats: wish granted. Now I can go out to the cross country meet on Saturday and then Jess and Brad Rettig have offered to "babysit" me during the game (and now they won't have to drive to Omaha). I have not been home since July 17th. Let me tell you, I am excited to go back.

To round out the day of excitement, when we returned to the apartment, I had a package waiting for me. Shelly Dowding sent two awesome board games: Smart Ass and The Crazy Cat Lady Game. I haven't even opened them yet and they have made me laugh hysterically. I know what Mom and I will be doing tonight. Shelly also sent me a yodeling pickle...because, quite frankly, everyone should own a yodeling pickle.

So, since I'm coming back on Friday, maybe Brian would like to go to cross country practice and my school buds would like to take me to Granite City for a little Friday F.A.C.? I think you'll all need it by next week. I would love to see as many people as possible before I get sent up to Omaha again.

Buenos tardes.

32 Down...How Many Days to Go?

Monday morning started with an early UNMC appointment, and we found ourselves delayed in rush hour traffic. The storm Sunday night knocked out a street light, which took our 30 minute commute to 50 minutes. After a stellar report at the doctor, we returned to our apartment for our daily Spanish routine and reading (the last few days, I've been reading a book a day). I had an appointment with the plastic surgeon (for my chest wound) at 4pm by Village Pointe, and afterward we met Becky (my awesome nurse from St. E's) and her mom at Mimi's Cafe for a late afternoon dessert. I also had a glass of REGULAR water and it didn't taste awful, so that was a positive. To burn off some calories, Mom and I walked around the mall, and I managed to escape there without buying anything.

Today we went to Standing Bear Lake for our walk. The trail was nice and flat, and we ended up walking for an hour. At the beginning of the walk, I handed over my water bottle and phone and jogged for about 30 meters. My legs don't feel quite stable yet. I'm pretty sure I've had some serious muscle atrophy since my last real run in February. I'm going to keep running a little to help boost my heart rate. I'm doing this exercise study and I can't seem to get in my target heart rate walking fast. More Spanish...another book...a trip to the grocery store...

Tomorrow we are meeting Hugh and Joanne Martin and Jill for lunch at The Cheesecake Factory.

It's storming here again tonight. Everyone seems to be missing car windows thanks to all of the hail. Even Sarah, the woman who is five days behind me in the stem cell process, had a run in with hail at their apartment. Being out west seems to be the lucky ticket so far.

My birthday is next week. My mom keeps asking me what I want for my birthday. Really, the only thing I want to do is hug my 20-pound angry cat. Okay, and see ALL of my friends in my own space.

30 Days Post-Transplant

Saturday Brian and I took the hilly bike trail route. The walk was easier, but my hip flexor took a beating. Beth Christ came over and brought me lots of good "childhood" toys, including noise putty and animal sponges that grow in water. Brian watched a string of bad movies while working on cross country and school stuff, so I found myself reading another book, The Sanctuary of Outcasts--a memoir about a man serving a prison sentence for bank fraud at a leper colony in Louisiana. Reading about other people's prison experiences definitely makes me realize that I am not really in prison...just in limbo.

Today Brian took me to Jill's house while he went to church. Jill was making an egg casserole for us to have after our walk. Jill and Derek had gone biking with their neighbors, Matt and Michelle. Jill, Michelle, and I went for a 45-minute walk around their neighborhood. My hip was still sore (I'm going to take tomorrow off), but I could still walk normal. Jill's egg casserole was a success.

Village Pointe was less crowded today, so we made a Scheels run and then we bought a Blu-Ray player from Best Buy, so we can actually watch DVDs in the apartment.

It should be a relaxing afternoon...I need to find a new book.

Tomorrow we have an 8am appointment at UNMC and a 4pm appointment at a Village Pointe UNMC office...Mom and I will be working on our Spanish in the afternoon.

Moving Forward

Perhaps I'm feeling less like I'm in prison, or I'm adequately distracted, because my blog entries have become irregular.

Wednesday started off with a Machu Picchu like hike. It is not a coincidence that our area is called "Hillsborough." The bike trail is ridiculously hilly, and it was definitely a good workout. We met my friend, Courtney, at Jones Cupcakes for lunch. As all of the great looking sandwiches and salads were off-limits, I was regulated to the gourmet mac and cheese. I got the "cancer bonus" when the waitress couldn't remember if I ordered a small or regular-sized cupcake (I received both). I spent the afternoon in the company of my high school running friend, Anne Marx, and learning Spanish.

Thursday morning I had a couple of doctor appointments. Mom and I worked on our Spanish and we had visitors all afternoon. Mom's friends, Gail Peo and Deb Henry, and Linda Texley came to the apartment. Linda and I enjoyed a short walk before the cold front rolled in and we saw lightning in the background. We were lucky not to get any hail, like what happened at Eppley Airport. My dad came for dinner after playing golf in Omaha, and he fixed some spicy Chinese. My taste buds are starting to wake up a little more.

Today Mom's shins hurt, so we were regulated to the workout room. I walked for 40 minutes on the treadmill, while my mom looked like she was working out (I saw very little evidence of this--she would disagree). Wendy Henrichs came up for lunch, and we went over to 7M Grill (formerly 7 Monkeys) and had an amazing meal.

We're still on level one and the Spanish is getting a little harder. It is certainly making my brain hurt a little. I'm starting to read more again, despite having blurry eyes (thanks to three different medications that I am on). I'm starting to feel like I'm "checking things off," so I'm feeling way more productive.

I'm dragging Brian out for a walk on the hilly course tomorrow morning. I hope he's ready for me.

Time to go take five million more pills.

No Pass to Lincoln Yet

The last four days I didn't have to go to UNMC, and it was a nice break.

I've started to be more active again, and I walked with Jill on Sunday, while Brian went to church. Yesterday Mom and I walked a hilly route around the apartment complex.

Our Rosetta Stone Spanish instruction began this week. So far, Mom and I have made it through two lessons in Level 1. Right now the vocabulary has been easy for me; however, I occasionally get hung up on pronunciation, especially when the word is broken down into chunks. I get kind of frustrated when I hear the "fail" beep. Cussing at the computer does not help the situation.

We got through my two appointments today quickly. Mom asked if we were able to take a day trip to Lincoln soon. We got denied for now...I think we'll keep nagging each week. Apparently, I cannot be an hour away from UNMC at this point. It would be easier if I could come down to Lincoln during some of the Husker football games, and then I could be "watched" at my own house in the presence of my cats.

I'm still waiting for my taste buds to readjust. In the meantime, I've been eating healthy and the scale was more favorable today. Mountain Dew: gross. Chocolate: gross. Chips: gross. My doctor doubled my dose of steroids, so hopefully it won't make my eyes any worse (working on the computer and reading are a little more challenging with watery, blurry eyes) or keep me up at night.

We are trying to figure out why we constantly hear sliding glass doors slam at night. I am not used to all the noises in the apartment.

25 days down after transplant...hopefully less than 75 days left here. I have appointments scheduled until the end of October.

Tomorrow is the first REAL day of high school. It is strange that I'm not having those first day of school "can't get my locker open" dreams. I hope all of my teacher friends have a great day Wednesday!

The Fight for Space

Today Brian and I escaped the apartment and headed to Village Pointe. It was a beautiful day, and everyone else in Omaha also had the same idea. The traffic in the parking lot was reminiscent of Christmas time. Brian, despite having a swollen foot from a running injury, wanted to look at Scheels for new school shoes. We managed to leave both Scheels and the Apple store without spending any money. Since we weren't going to get out of the mall lot anytime soon, we drove up to the 180th Street exit. This was a good idea until Brian tried to make it to Maple. Instead, we wound up on an old brick highway that circled us back around to 156th.

I spent the afternoon watching Locked Up Abroad--I could commiserate with the prisoners.

The UPS man brought me two inspirational posters, along with a very nice note. However, the mystery senders did not put their names on the card. Please come clean if you sent me this gift.

It seems strange not to get ready for the first week of school...

Changing of the Buds

Today I'm feeling a little better and some of my taste buds are firing again. We had to go to another appointment (that made four days in a row). I think the steroids that I'm taking are helping me stay awake--this was the first day that I haven't had a nap.

Jill and Derek came over tonight to cook Mom a birthday dinner. For some reason, meat tastes the best, so I enjoyed the bacon-wrapped steak. The true test will be if I like the brownies. I had part of a Kit Kat the other day--it did NOT taste good. I also don't like Mountain Dew anymore, so I guess I have given up caffeine (I don't really need anything else in my system to make me jittery).

The next four days should be UNMC-free. I whined my way out of a blood draw on Monday, since I could just get it done on Tuesday...

Anyone coming up this weekend?

Cold at the Hospital

Cat Loose in the Apartment

Am I a Zombie?

The last few days, Mom and I have been spending some quality time at UNMC for various blood tests, fluids, and wound checks. The hospital has been freezing, so I've spent my time searching out who has the warmest blankets. My hands have stopped shaking for the most part, but unfortunately the doctor is going to start the drug that causes the shaking again. I suppose it's an important one, since it helps protect me from Graft vs Host Disease symptoms. My taste buds are non-existent and my mouth is so dry that it sometimes glues itself together.

Because of extra unscheduled appointments, I had to postpone Melissa and Becky's visit, but I did get to see Ann and Ray Ringlein yesterday. John Krajewski, Jill and Derek, Mom and Dad, and Brian have also been here (Mom and Brian are taking turns being my "caregiver").

I have spent most of my free time here sleeping. I hope that eventually I get more energy, so I can do something productive with my time.

I am jealous of all my teacher friends going back to work.

Tonight Toonces was supposed to come with Brian and Dad, but he had a rough day after the roofers were ripping down shingles and creating a loud ruckus. Toonces hid under the bed and marked his territory. While Brian was trying to get Toonces in the cage to come to Omaha, Duke climbed in. Duke is currently in the apartment, but he's out cold after a long hard day.

Sleeping and Shaking

The itching has decreased, but my arms are still twitchy. Shaky hands makes typing and texting harder than it has to be, so if you haven't heard from me, that's why. Derek also solved the wireless router mystery last night, so Brian and I don't have to fight over the ethernet cord. I have spent most of my time sleeping, napping, or mindlessly watching TV. There isn't anything else to report...

"The Itchy and Scratchy Show"

We moved into the apartment yesterday, and it was apparent that the complex didn’t do any additional cleaning beyond what the tenants did to get their deposit back. Brian got to do some serious disinfecting last night.

I have the worst dry-mouth ever—I have to keep pouring liquids into it or my mouth will cement shut (I know some of you would like that). I am also having some Graft Versus Host Disease symptoms that are somewhat debilitating: itchy skin (I feel like a meth addict picking at the bugs), numb legs and arms, and my hands won’t stop shaking (it is extremely difficult to text). According to my "favorite source," Wikipedia, Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a common complication of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in which functional immune cells in the transplanted marrow recognize the recipient as "foreign" and mount an immunologic attack.

After my doctor appointment today, I spent my time sleeping and watching TV. And scratching. And trying not to scratch.

The funny moment that happened today was at the pharmacy. As her family was leaving, this six-year-old African-American girl belts out her own song about a “garbage can.” She made us laugh, and she could have made it on American Idol.

Address in Omaha

Andrea Kabourek
4220 N. 146th Plaza #205
Omaha, NE 68116

Freedomish is Near: Release on Thursday

Yesterday was another day of battling flu-like symptoms. I spent my time taking naps and watching people battling sharks (on TV). I was happy to have Liz, Kyle, Mattie, and Celest Miller come see me; I was disappointed to not have the energy to host a dinner party for my NWU group in my hospital room (sorry, Ann, Megan, Steph, Court, and Bridget).

Today I felt pretty good, other than still having weird leg cramps. I can't tell where the pain starts...it's like my legs are falling asleep and they're really sore from a marathon training run. Ann Baxa brought me Amigo's, Kara Heimann stopped by for a chat, and Marti Mueting, Laura Runge, and Pam Hovorka brought me Pepperjack's for dinner. While my dinner guests were here, I was told that they were discharging me tomorrow, so it's on to the 100 day internment. Please don't come visit me tomorrow, as I'll either be trying to get out of the hospital or into the apartment. Friday: comedy hour resumes.

I will be getting a super-sized Kentucky Fried bucket of pills to take home, but I should only have to come to UNMC two days a week. I'm determined that my mother will turn me into the nearest fire station and have full immunity under the safe haven law.

I had three options to keep myself from scratching my face: 1.) Cones (like dogs wear after surgery; 2.) Oven mitts duct taped to my arms; or 3.) The boxing gloves. I decided to just cut my nails to eliminate their powers of relief.

Come visit us at the apartment...

Model Patient: Fail

The past 24 hours have been a little rough. I have had flu-like symptoms...fever, chills, hot flashes, and a headache. Also, I may be the only person on this floor who has ever gotten exercise-induced injuries. From my crazy walking, I have acquired tendonitis in my feet and shins, IT band tightness, and sciatica pain that radiated through my back. In addition to my ailments, the shots I have received the past four days also cause joint aches. My throat is less sore, so that's at least improving.

On the upside, Brian, Jim Elsener, Kevin Hubbell, and my parents moved everything into the apartment today, so it's ready to go as soon as I get released (by this weekend).

I hope I can burn off the fever today because I feel pretty miserable. I keep snoozing intermittently to Shark Week on the Discovery Channel.