1 year post transplant

Love is.... All in the kiss

8 reasons to kiss your loved ones 

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/01/30/8-kissing-benefits.aspx

A year ago Colin under went his bone marrow transplant. His diagnosis was18 months ago. Still going strong at the moment.  I  am sitting in clinic with him for his 6 weekly checkup with the specialist. Our usual Dr is on sick leave unfortunately. A second opinion will be interesting.  As I drove in today I almost can't believe that I was doing that daily. It seems an age away.  We were too scared to look into the future and predict that we would be living an almost normal life again.  Retirement suits him I have to admit.
Dr Tim has a completely different approach. He thinks Colin is stable and has reduced his prednisone as it is an extremely high dose.  Let us see how that develops.

Colin and my agreement is.  I  deal with outside and he deals with inside. Still a bit unbalanced as I seem to be inside and outside.  Outside with the fine weather is good for the soul. Once I am busy planting and gardening I don't want to come in.  Feels amazing as I had to hire help to clear the thicket on the bank "where the wild things are!"  ivy,  convolvulus, nasturtium,  agapanthus and weeds weaved into a solid jungle of triffids between the over grown vines and trees. The help cleared it in no time and I took it to the dump. Still lots of work involved but now I can at least get to it. Managed to plant carrots,  beetroot,  leeks and spinach seedlings that I bought.  Little rascal slugs and snails munched through my organic seedlings. So satisfying. Fingers crossed that it grows.

Still working on organic veges and trying to juice for Colin to improve his immunity.  Evidently it will take another year or more after coming off his medications.  Which hasn't happened yet.  Our friend David has started his immunization Programe which will take 6 months or more.  It is like being a newborn again.

We are still managing dance classes with Albert 2 times a week and dancing on a Saturday. It is fabulous exercise and much more fun than hitting the gym. 
I  am flat out practicing my belly dance routine of 7 dances for a display.  The memory is being tested. Especially with the learning of 4 new dances in new vogue.

As friends talk about traveling I am disappointed we can't go too.  But I  am content that we have each other.  That is the main thing.

Boohoo no kisses this week.  I have got a sore throat so have to be careful.  Colin is wearing a mask all day.  Every now and again I feel desperate for a hug and a kiss from him just for reassurance.  We  always made an effort to kiss goodbye and hello for luck.  Read the article above.  You will be surprised at how it can help. 

The bank has been cleared! 

My little helper. Wet weather and we are stuck inside 

The Great Escape

Love is... Keeping in  touch with Skype.

Weeekend in Australia
I have just had 5 days break with a friend in Sydney.  Fabulous time and lucky to be invited.  A much needed holiday from kitchen handing and gardening and cleaning.  Colin was unable to come as he still can't  travel overseas. I seem to have spent an inordinately  large sum of cash in just 4 days.  Of course the $1000 pair of shoes was just window shopping as I  made a quick exit from that store without opening the wallet.  Not my style.  Money spent at Ikea and Costco on food for Colin.  Still managed to max out my suitcase weight. Was not planning on buying anything!

Walked over Sydney Harbour Bridge,  pigged out on seafood platter at Nick's,  saw the harbour and bridge by ferry at night for $2.50. My friend was great to invite me and i really appreciate the break.  Now I  realise as I  get back to reality that it was truly a break. Even managed a weight gain.  Damn. Walking 20,000 step has to balance food intake. 

We have lost another friend and it is always in our mind.  Colin's blood test made a drop but skyrocketed again last week.  False hopes.  Just wanting him to improve and was quite worried about leaving him.  Worked out that a break would be good for both of us.  He seemed to have taken the mantle of house husband and may have over done it while I was gone.  Enjoying being home again. With relief we notice the drop in the blood test this week.  Hoping still for a continued drop.  Fingers crossed for continual  decreases so he can drop the meds and hopefully balance out so we can travel in 6 months. 

My misery is a bad tooth or as it turns out bad teeth.  I have spent the last months visiting the dentist.  2 root canals and another broken tooth and root canal pending and a lot of agony and excruciating pain on eating cold or hot foods.  That is everything. More painful is the decreasing bank account.  Husband should have been a dentist. I joke they are filming the Block next door to the dentist and that i should  buy and move in so I  can walk to my weekly appointment! Left the pain too long as we had so ma y appointments for Colin and Cameron which I put first. May be it is old age and deterioration!  Stil didn't deter me from eating many prawns in Sydney. 

Live and let live

Love is..... Full of laughter

We are feeling good at the moment.  I  have achieved heaps around the garden and house. Waiting on some hired help to tend to part of the garden this week. Lawns done and the cleaning sorted for a few days. 

We have had 2 amazing weekends of parties back to back.  Home and in bed by 3am on Sunday,  mothers day.  I seem to have plenty of energy so I  attribute that to the supplements both Colin and I  are taking.  Recently added selenium and iodine drops which is easy to take.  Immunity building.  Recent developments in cancer treatment is for the body to fight the illness by itself. Ie Vaccines,  surely it has gotta help.  Even on tv tonight there was a story on lowering our use of plastics.  Are we trying to poison ourselves?

Yes we are feeling good because 2 weeks ago Colin's blood test dropped slightly and it was the first time for it seems,   ages.  I know there was a feeling of relief on both our parts because it was going so high.  Just hoping this week that there is a continued lowering.  There is still a long way to go. 
But we have come sooo far.  Colin has come so far.  It will be 18 months in June and a year since transplant shortly.  Just keep going honey. Just keep going. 

Have skyped Nick and Julie in Barcelona where he was so excited to go to the 3 tier  football stadium. Julie wasn't so keen.  I totally understand that.  Colin and I never got off the hop on hop off bus at the stadium stop.  Everyone else did. Nick and Julie  fly to London tomorrow. So great to see them enjoying themselves.  A honeymoon to remember. 

Mothers day yum char

Major Nelson and I dream of genie 

I like a man in uniform 

Walk away

Love is.... When it weathers the storm

Overcome and over done.
Last week was just frustrating for me.  I have tooth ache and have succumbed to an appointment for a root canal. The continued inflammation is evidently not good for the body.  The videos I have watched by Ty Bollinger on the quest to fight cancer have been an eye opener.  I am glad I have my medical background and can sift the chaff from the grain.  I have worked out to begin with Colin needs selenium and iodine supplements. Already taking vitamin D and C and salvestrol.  He got angry with me which was very upsetting because I am doing this to keep him alive.  There is over whelming scientific evidence that chemo and radiation aren't working and that natural therapies do.  Colin has signed the documents that state by having the chemo it predisposes him to other types of cancer.

I am researching all the time and we need to look at the whole picture.  The whole world is depleted in selenium and iodine,  that is why they supplement the salt.  So it makes sense to supplement to improve your body's immunity to fight the cancer itself.  They are coming out with vaccines that get the body to rid itself of cancer. 

Every week I start off with very little  planned and then the whole week fills in and I spend so much time in the kitchen I cannot achieve anything else.  So I  have decided to come away for the weekend and walk away from the ever increasing job list at home. I  did manage to do the lawns and trim the hedge and am hiring a garden company to help clear part of the garden.

We feel so much better being out of Auckland (not far)  and recharging our batteries. The Matakana market was perfect for my hunt for organic vegetables.  Did you know that they spray veges with small amounts of Roundup to keep the bugs off???
We all have residual pesticides from this and can detoxify easily.

Organic
My quest to include organic fruits and  veges is not too bad.  I am already growing chokos,  Asian greens (with holes!)  and feijoas and apples at Brendon's house.
Mental note: build more garden beds and grow carrots,  beetroot and more greens. Carrots have been a dismal failure in the past but I cracked the beetroot problem by feeding the right nutrients so more google study is needed.

One leaves and one arrives

Love is...... Spending time with friends and family

We say a sad farewell to dear friend and fellow dancer Derek.  He was always smiley and telling one of his jokes to make everyone laugh. Love to his partner Myra who has been so strong.  As we said our goodbyes then a friends grandson was born.  Life carries on.

It is always a struggle when we get Colin's blood test results that aren't decreasing.  Our feelings fluctuate and it makes me apprehensive. We are carrying on regardless and trying to fit as much in  as possible.  We have two fun parties to look forward to at the end of the month. A couple of birthdays in the family this coming week too.  Oh dear another year older!

Nice surprise as we run into a felow patient today.  Silly me didn't recognise him. Well.  The patients  were always sitting or lying and with no hair and having had lost a lot of weight.  He is really tall and had gained heaps of weight and now had carrot coloured hair. We discuss friends who are no longer with us. We are thankful that we still  are here.  Colin and Eric swap notes on graft versus host. 

I Take mum to see Dad's sister.  Just have to make an effort these days as aunty is 93 and you don't know what is around the corner

Molly and Aunty Betty

Lunching with Derek and Myra in March

Ran into Eric at Spotlight 

Amazing Easter

Easter was full on.
We had a dinner and dance for veterans on Friday and Sunday and a wedding on Saturday. Hardly stopped for breathe. It was wonderful seeing the Wellingtonians again.  We missed seeing them last year.  Also managed to talk to friends that we missed seeing for sooooo long.  They can't believe Colin looks so well.  I just want him to continue staying well too.  You have no idea how often I wish and pray for his healing.  It is still at the top of my list daily.
Just can't be complacent.  Still Colin's health is the same.  No improvement but no decline.  Only wish he could come off his prednisone as there are consequences for long term use.  Not too keen with the advance of winter as we will have to again take extra care of flu season.

Working
People ask me if I  work.  Have to say what I  have been doing is like a job.  Colin has had so many peripheral appointments it has been hard to find a clear week.  Lots of property maintenance is coming up for here and other places.  Decided that daily do and grabone is going to be my life saver as I  cannot do these jobs alone anymore.  Spending valued time with Colin is priority and even though we still can't really plan more than 2-3 weeks ahead,  it is improving all the time.  We are very happy with our bubble of life at the moment. Don't let it burst.

Now Colin is happy because the cataracts are gone and he can see, his titanium tooth is A Ok,  and he can read with temporary reading glasses till things settle down. Cameron is much better, and can breathe after his nose operation.  Colin is even braving driving again. We are back to dance classes 2 times a week to try and get up to speed.  Unfortunately the brain is not keeping up after such a long break.  We have not been walking since the summer heat started. Will have to get going again and get fit. 

Colin Caught up with Doug and Harry his old flatmates who came for lunch on  Monday.   Haven't been all together for many years

8 jam jar flowers from my and Jan's garden for Lisa's wedding 

Colin's ex staff at Lisa's wedding

Appreciate the Time you have

Love is giving back the love

Colin
Is still the same.  He Looks good and after seeing Doctor this week it seems he is pleased that there has been no regression.  No progress either makes us antsy though.  Blood tests fortnightly,  and we wait in anticipation to see what the readings are.  The fluctuations up and down  freak us out but the doctor is not concerned.  There is a possibility that Colin will have to stay on present medication indefinitely which is not ideal.  On the other hand he is functioning better than expected considering and able to enjoy life with only a little disruption.  We don't make big plans for anything.  Just a week or two ahead is enough.
Colin still needs a daily sleep and not doing anything strenuous.

Last week saw colin having his cataracts taken out.  The prednisone caused them and because he is taking it long term it was worth doing ASAP. Nurse said he wasn't legal to drive.! That's  what I said when he nearly side swiped a car.  He thought he was fine.  Lucky he hasn't actually driven much this year. I  should have been a taxi driver.

Had a lovely lunch at Di and Phils for joint birthday celebrations for Phil and little Mary.  So nice to see and chat to our friends again as we have been out of action with the wedding  and operations.  Much say the week after the wedding we were totally exhausted.  Felt like I had bad jetlag  and Colin basically slept the whole Sunday.

Looks like a busy Easter coming up so hope we can keep up. 

Look no glasses now.  I am jealous