MMMM.....COFFEE......

Boy was it a long weekend!!!! We had Hailey stay with us for 4 days!! It was WONDERFUL! All sorts of free passes are given out at the SCCA so we were able to take her to the Pacific Science Center for FREE. The best price. So much fun. I'd have to say her favorite thing there was the large bubble blower. Can't explain it. You got to ck it out. Seen the dinosaurs and lots of mechanical things... the butterfly exibit was beautiful. Got some really great pictures! I hope I get to see her again soon.

Maybe it was the cheese?

It all started on Wed. regular clinic exam but I was having a terrible headache. I mentioned it to the doc's but they didn't seem to worried, said give her some Benadryl and let her rest, it's probably a migraine. I didn't have a temp at that point and my vitals were fine. We left the clinic and before we even got home something had changed. I was shaking and shivering uncontrollably, just plain FREEZING, teeth chattering the whole bit. Ron got me up stairs and into bed. "Lots of extra blankets" I asked. He gave me some Benadryl and was going to run to the store while I got some rest. Fortunately he took my temp again (mind u it had just been fine at the clinic) and I was at 103!! He called the clinic immediately and they said get her in here asap. I was wheeled up to the 5th floor triage while he parked the car. I was getting scared. I couldn't stop shivering. Next thing I know my blood pressure is dropping my temp is still going up and now at 103.4, this is after they had given me a hand full of antibiotics and fluids. By the time Ron had gotten up from parking the car the ambulance had already been called. I was heading to the UWMC fast.

After four days of waiting for blood cultures to grow.... I have a blood infection. How I got it no one can explain. I was very worried because I had just had feta cheese the night before and then found out Wed (my nutrition appt before the clinic exam) that I can NOT eat soft cheeses. I was convinced it was all my fault. Darn feta cheese. It was good tho!! The nurse ends up telling for the amount of infection I had I would have had to pull out my Hickman line and rub the cheese all over it and stick it back in! Okay... so it wasn't the cheese. But note to self must be more careful when trying new foods.

I am good now. Back at home. FINALLY. Antibiotics galore!

Ron, Hailey and his brother Greg went to the aquarium today. Lizzy's staying here with me. "Just in case".... very glad Hailey and Ron are doing something fun together. We miss her more than anyone could imagine.

HARVESTING.

Sunday of all days. I guess when the doc's say the numbers are good they take action! Ron and Lizzy stayed there with me. No big thing.... they use this HUGE machine to take my blood out and filter it to get the "baby" stem cells out so they can freeze them for me later. It took about 5 hours total. They got over 10 MILLION of the little guys!!!! The docs had forewarned me it could take more than one harvesting to get all they needed. I sure don't have to go back. My whole team was ecstatic! This is great!!! Things can go on just as planned now!!!!

The Pete Gross House

Well, we have officially moved to Seattle. They won't treat me if I don't. Hailey is living with my dad now. Hope she does well. Rent is a fortune. How is this going to work. Hope the fundraising money lasts a while.... nice apartment. Only cancer patients live here. We got a one bedroom apartment, at first you think I don't have a good view but then all u can see is the Space Needle! Turns out not so bad. It as a beautiful roof top seating area. You can see all of Seattle. I love this town! My house is just minutes from the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. Hope this place works. Fix me.

The community comes together.

I had no idea the generosity of others until this last weekend. We had a fundraising event at grandma's house. The entire community came together to help my family. Donations came from as far north as Anacortes to as far south as Lynnwood! It was a community yard sale. A 3 day event. Since Ron will be leaving his work on the 5th. To become my full time caregiver. Boy is it going to be tough. Don't know how we are going to make it through all of this. I'm in the hospital now getting chemo. Thankfully my aunt Michelle is spending the 3 or 4 days with me here until he can wrap things up at work. That's all for now. I am tired.