Ducks in a row or Racing ducks

More often than thoughts of dread these days, I have thoughts of love.
I don't know if I'm in denial or very zen.

We have a long road ahead of us. My thoughts are not if Dom gets better, but when Dom gets better.
In order to get to when he is better, we're going to have to long distance run.

I feel like the first month was a sprint. The amount of information being thrown at us was intense. One of the people on our transplant team shared with us she likes to share the worst possible case scenario as standard, so when it's actually not as bad as all that, people are pleasantly surprised.
Um.
I get what she's aiming for.
But the amount of mental angst we go through to get to pleasantly surprised is maybe not really worth it. Because the only pleasant thing about this ordeal is how loved we feel. And meanwhile, I'm taking in all the information, and acting on it.

I sprinted to get the house clean, and set up for an immunocompromised person.
I sprinted to deal with insurance eventualities and line up appropriate help.
I sprinted to anticipate moving to Sacramento and all that entails.
I sprinted to tie up as many loose ends here at home as I could. We had many projects we were about to tackle this summer, and they all needed some attention, some clean up, some action.

And Dom did the biggest sprint of all. He has undergone three rounds of chemo so far. Three rounds already!!!! And a fourth round scheduled for this Tuesday.

I remember when we first got the diagnosis and I was mad doctor googling and looking for any hint of what was to come. I remember thinking, before the discovery of the Philadelphia Gene that I was so happy we would just be in and out, and not have to stay in the hospital for longer like those with other leukemias. Little did I know that we would have to actually move our whole lives for three plus months on top of the time we've already spent and continue to spend at the hospital, as well as day trips to the infusion center.

Those were innocent days.

And yet, I am so much better equipped than I was those first days. Our army of support has shown us both in love and action that we do not walk this alone. It's easy to fret about cancer. Haven't you ever wondered if some ache or pain was cancer? What was not easy to dream up was the amount of support we have received and that is the best reality of all.


Today is the first day in two months that I do not have something I have to address. (Except the transplant. That is a given.)
And not everything that I must address is a bad thing....it's just a thing. That I must attend to. A person I must be attentive to. A chore I must complete. There's been some lovely things. Our families for one. But, I'm finally feeling like there can be a return to normalcy. (Except, my heart started racing just writing all of this.)

I'm so grateful for Samantha's visit here. She arrived in the middle of one of Dom's worst episodes, and also on one of the hottest days of the year. Heat can be so oppressive. It completely embodied everything I felt at the time. Like there's no escape.
Poor Sam. She was dropped off after International travel into a little shoebox of a house with no air conditioning. Usually, the marine layer and oak trees keep our house from getting too hot, but she arrived during one of those magical heat waves our house can't recover from. I have no doubt the house was in the 80's-90's. The other thing is, our house rests at the edge of forests of oak trees and wilderness. Keeping the windows open did not seem like a viable option to her. Maybe a wise choice, considering the cougar I mentioned in the last post. And the coyotes. And so she tried to rest, in the heat and with the knowledge she'd see her brother the very next day. I think that pretty much sums up how the first six weeks felt. Oppressive worry and anticipation.

I was wound so tight when she arrived. And through her time here, through her love, and your love, and encouraging news, I feel like I've been able to unravel a little. Breathe a little easier. I was able to to enjoy my family more.

As the dust settles, as I check some things off the list, and I get to be a little more flexible with my time, I've been able to entertain how to communicate with each of you personally. I think of different people throughout the day. I think of different words of encouragement or advice we've received. I think of people I have not seen in 20 years or those I've never met who send us love and support. I think how lucky we are to run the race with you, and the joy set before us. And my heart is brimming.