Merry Christmas

eihtak

Hi everyone, I just wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and hope you are all blessed with health and happiness in the New Year. 

My holiday season was spent mostly at Froedtert Hospital in Wisconsin as about 2 weeks ago my husband was dx with a large cancerous tumor on his spine (a recurrance of a previous dx of multiple myeloma, a blood cancer for which he had a bone marrow transplant about 5 years ago) Last week he had a very complicated surgery to remove as much as they could (90%) of the tumor and he is now trying to recover before he will receive radiation and chemo to fight the rest. He is still in the hospital as the level of pain due to involved muscle and rods to stabilize his spine is high. Within the week he will be transfered to rehab and hopefully back home sometime in January. The hospital is 3hrs from where we live so I have been driving, hoteling, and eating hospital food for a couple weeks but tonight am finally resting comfortable in my favorite chair at home looking at the beautiful decorated tree that stood alone last weekend. (Ah, its just a tree, lol) The surgery did go better than expected since the tumor was sitting toooooo close to the spinal cord and the risk for paralysis was a big concern, fortunately that is mostly relieved for now. We are grateful, but have a long way yet to go and there are still many risks with this cancer. Sometimes I'm not sure what is worse, the patient or the caregiver??????

On a brighter note, I graduated from college on Dec. 10th!!! I received an award of outstanding graduate in my program (Human Services) and selected to deliver the sudent address. It went great! One of the lines in my speech was "Embrace change, use it as an opportunity to do what is right and good"........today on my long ride home from the hospital I kept saying to myself "embrace change".....hope I can, this is a tough one for me right now.

Anyway, I have tried to read some recent posts but apoligize if I have not responded. I think of you all and feel we are closer than some of the people I see in person all the time and keep you all in my daily thoughts and prayers. My wish for the New Year is that we all stay positive and find peace in our place in life as we continue to move forward.

Be well.....

katheryn

 

mp327

katheryn

I am so sorry to hear about your husband.  That sounds like a very delicate surgery.  I hope that what remains of his tumor will be taken out by the chemo/radiation.  However, I'm sorry that he has to go through that now.  How unfortunate that the hospital is so far away from your home.  I'm sure it was so good to to sleep in your own bed for a change.  I wish you safe travels as you go back to the hospital.

Congratulations on your college graduation!  That is so awesome!  You obviously did very well in your class and should be so very, very proud of yourself.  I like your mantra, "embrace change."  You have certainly had your share of that and I admire you for your positive attitude!  I wish you and your husband both a better New Year.  May you both be blessed with good health in 2017!

Martha

eihtak

Martha.....

Thank you,

My husbands surgery was complicated and although he is in pain and has a long road ahead, he is doing well. We are now dealing with finding appropriate rehab and related details....there are many!

I'll be honest, I miss school already so will probably look at auditing a class when we get other things settled here.

May we all have health in the New Year!!!!

katheryn