Joyriding

Final results are back from my BMBX 3 weeks ago and everything looks good! Yay! Sorry it's been a while since I updated the blog...I have been getting out more :) hahaha. Since my last update I have several exciting pieces of news. My mom was able to spend a weekend in Pagosa Springs which want that I got to stay home with my boys and just have some "family time"...just me and my boys. We decided to take a quick road trip down to Colorado Springs on Saturday. This was my first trip out of the Denver Metro area in nearly 14 weeks! (Until now I had been told by my doc that I needed to stay within 45 minutes of the hospital/clinic at all time just in case something happened and I needed to come in for a fever/infection/etc). So, on Saturday we loaded Scotty up in the car and we drove down to Colorado Springs. We went to Garden of the Gods and had lunch at one of John's childhood favorite restaurants, Fargo's Pizza.

This was my first time eating out at a restaurant since April and I must say its weird to eat out. I am not supposed to have any fresh fruits or veggies unless I wash them at home myself, so that means no fresh fruits or veggies at restaurants (definitely no salads, but not even lemon in my water, a slice of tomato on my pizza, etc.). Another thing is that they don't want me drinking soda from a soda fountain or soda gun at a restaurant...so I have to get water if I go anywhere. Lastly, my food isn't supposed to sit under any heat lamps so I have to be careful that anywhere I go that my meal is "cooked to order" and brought out to me immediately. It is just a bit weird to me because I used to be a very "low maintenance" patron when we went out to eat but now I will have to explain my dietary restrictions to the waiter and hope that they understand and can help me out. I used to love going out to dinner but now I have lots of anxiety around it because I'm not sure that I trust complete strangers to prep my food and keep me from getting sick (sad). I have had such a good track record so far with no illness/major issues post transplant, and I don't want to have to go back in for something like food contamination that makes me sick! The investigative reports and health dept. inspections that they run on the evening news every once in a while certainly don't help me feel better about eating out. Good news is we will probably save quite a bit of money by eating at home for the next 6 months or so (until I am off my immunosuppressant medications). :)

While i am feeling very good physically, this week has been tough for me emotionally because I am away from my old coworkers and this is a week that is very emotionally charged for Aurora and the community that we served and we live in. I would love to be at work supporting clients, staff and community members through this week as the anniversary of the theater shooting comes up. I really want to be able to volunteer at some of the community memorial events but I am still not supposed to be around crowds of people. :(. I know my coworkers will do an amazing job supporting everyone who calls the crisis line (just like we did last year in the aftermath of the shootings)...just wish I could be there with them to help out. I will just have to wait and do it next year.

On a more fun/upbeat note, I got to drive for the first time in over 3 months on Monday!!! It's so funny how much we take for granted being able to get in the car and go wherever we want, when we want. You don't realize (until you can't drive), how much freedom and independence it provides. So watch out Denver/Aurora, I am back behind the wheel! :) Dr. Nash told me that I am not allowed to drive alone yet and that I need to have a caretaker with me for the first few weeks while I drive again in case I get tired and need to have the other person take over for me. (They are still worried about fatigue). I feel like a kid with their learners permit again. My mom and I were joking that we should keep a logbook and show it to Dr. Nash at Day +100 so he can give me my "all clear" to drive alone. So far I have driven in inclement weather (super soaker rain/thunderstorm) and crazy construction/traffic on 225. I think I am ready to "have my license back" so to speak :)

As I get closer and closer to Day +100 I will get some follow up tests done. Another BMBX (geez, I feel like I JUST had one), more intensive bloodwork, and possibly some pulmonary and cardiac function tests to see how things look (compared to my baseline test prior to transplant) since the chemo and radiation can affect these things. I will report back as we learn the results :)
-Chellie