Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Tues, 10.14 - Grafting is very individualized

I have a day off from the clinic. yippee! It's gray outside, Mom is running errands, Janice and I are still in our pajamas at 11 am.

Yesterday I talked to Nurse Practitioner Mary about how long it's taking to graft and revealed that I am worried. She said "we're not worried so you stop worrying." Grafting is "very individualized" and can take 30-45 days. Well my dad always told me "Be an individual" when I wanted to do what the other girls were doing...so I reckon that advice is still ingrained deep in my psyche.


The effects of the chemo are wearing off. I have a little bit of hair on my head including that pesky corkscrew gray hair right on top. and a forest on my legs. (I would count hairless legs among the pluses of chemotherapy.) So far the hair is all brown...no red from that Y chromosome.

I feel more energetic which doesn't necessarily mean my body can carry that out. Sunday I unrolled the yoga mat, then walked around it all afternoon, never putting a foot or hand on it. I'm counting the walking around it as exercise.

I'm still getting magnesium every time I visit the clinic. It got very low last week and I had a day where my breathing was heavy. Not difficult or short, just heavy. So I am a believer in magnesium. The body needs it to graft. The word of the hour.


Cousin Nancy sent a good visualization from her private car whisking her from the NYC airport to the office in White Plains. "a private car escorting Walt's cells to work in your bone marrow" I like it.

I have been a little blue for a few days. The combination of worrying about the graft and being so dependent on folks to do things for me. So I got the directive to stop worrying, then came home and issued a list to Janice and Mom of things I want. This feels very bold and demanding but y'know? They were so happy to hear it and those things are part of mom's errand list today. It's odd watching my head process all this stuff, but gratifying to figure it out.

Signing off today.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wohooo, poll position for Walt. Today I am in Tampa Bay having a significant travel event, and opted against confrontations with the travel agents. Did you know Delta does not charge to check a bag. I think Putin is a majority stock holder in USAir. Commies....
Oh the lists. Lists are good. Send me a list. Do you need more maple syrup from New England? Might be good to sweeten you up when you are blue. It only had that effect for me when I saw the farmers huddled around the pan boiling off the maple sap like a bunch of shiners huddled around the still.
#8 Have a margarita at Ponaks, and then a margarita at Manny's, then a margarita on the boulevard. If I don't someone else will.
Take care Cathi. Wish me luck for Thursday. Walt

gail said...

Wishing you both luck, Walt & Cathi!

(What am I wishing good luck to you for, Walt??)

Cathi - have been thinking of you a lot. Having/making lists is a really great idea. Did a bottle of wine make it onto that list?

love, gail

Robbie Stanley said...

Hey there,
Thanks for checking in with the latest news. Walking around the yoga mat all afternoon is great exercise! It's very difficult for strong, independent women to accept help from others. You have banked so much of it over the years in all you've done for others, and now is the time for getting some of it back for as long as you need help. It's a temporary situation. We're all happy to pay a little back so don't hesitate to ask!
Love, Robbie
and good luck to Walt today (btw, Vermont maple syrup is way better than New Hampshire syrup, just so you know :)