Weekend Re-cap

So, didn't get to spend as much time as I had hoped at home, but I did make it out of the hospital. Here is the weekend re-cap...

I got the news on Friday that I would be able to get day passes over the weekend. Since my chemo is done, my immune system is still strong and the radiation department does not work on the weekend, it was going to be an uneventful weekend for me. Doc said I just had to get my blood work done each day, then I was free to go. As soon as I found out, I called Crystal. She was very excited. It was going to be a busy weekend though. She was running in the Dempsey Challenge 10K in Auburn at 8:00AM Saturday. Nolan had a football game at 10:00AM on Saturday also.

On Saturday morning, the nurse came in with my day pass. He said it was good for 4 hours. I was under the assumption it was going to be a full day pass. I said this may extend to 5 or 6 hours. He said fine. Just let me know when you leave and return. You see, the insurance company does not like to pay my $1,500 a day room charge if I am not here, so it is more of a paperwork thing than anything.

My sister Rhonda showed up to pick me up at 9:00AM and we were out the door! We were going from the hospital directly to Nolan's football game. He did not know I was getting out for the weekend. She asked if I wanted to stop anywhere. Since it had been over 2 months, I asked her to stop at Dunkins for a coffee and an Everything Bagel. You see, these are probably the damn things that gave me leukemia. For several years, I have had this combination everyday. To my disappointment, I do not like them anymore. They just do not taste right. Weird?

So we arrived at the football field and I saw Nolan back to. I went up to him and patted him on the back and said, "How ya doing buddy?" He was surprised to say the least. Crystal was just finishing up her race and had started the trip from Auburn back to Standish. Was a great game. Nolan's green team won (again). 

Crystal got there as the game was ending. We packed up and went back to the house. It was nice to be home. I made a peanut butter and fluff sandwich. Not typical of me but it was unbelievable. Then I spent an hour or so outside with the kids. It is amazing how out of shape I have gotten in the past couple of months. I was exhausted after an hour of "playing". I ended up napping for an hour or so.

It was then getting close to 3. The plan was for the Crystal and the kids to bring me back in, spend the night in the hospital and then bring me back home on Sunday with my next day pass. We packed up and headed back to the Maine Med. We ordered pizza and had it delivered. Bed time was rough. Nolan on a cot and Crystal and Paige on a pull out couch in my room. Crystal was a "bit" sore from the 10K she had run earlier in the day and was now sharing a cot with Paige the bed hog.

Sunday morning when my nurse came in, I asked when I would be able to get my day pass. She said she would check. She came back in later with bad news.  My counts had dropped overnight and I was now neutropenic. This means my immune system had pretty much crashed out. This is what chemo is supposed to do. We just did not want it to do it this weekend. So, I was not able to get released on Sunday.

We had a great day Saturday though. It was nice to be with Crystal and the kids outside of the Maine Med.

Also, congrats to a couple of close friends of ours, Jen and Mollie, who biked 50 miles in the Dempsey Challenge on Sunday.  Amazing accomplishment!