Umm... Glitches

Love is...... Strong

Big hiccup
Colin has unfortunately developed GRAFT VS HOST
Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a complication that can occur after a stem cell or bone marrow transplant. With GVHD, the newly transplanted donor cells attack the transplant recipient's body.
His liver function is out of kilter and he is showing minor  signs so far so it is back on medications.
We are hoping and the doctors,  that they will manage it.  Reading about it doesn't help so I 'm going to stop now.
A little bit of GVH is said to  be good but does not guarantee recovery from the Leukemia.

I feel like we keep getting hit with things.
Just when I was telling everyone that life was normalizing too .
Colin keeps running into ex patients and they really do miss him. It is also good for them to know why he finished work.

We are thinking positively and Colin is still well at the moment.
Will have to curtail activities and socialising again. Take more care with foods again.
We CAN do it,  we HAVE to do it.

Long awaited holiday

Love is... A change of scenery together

We have been away for a week to the beach, if you were wondering where we have got to. The week flew by and we relaxed and enjoyed the sunshine.
Well colin was covered up. Has to avoid the sun after chemo.
Could have done more walking though.  Now I am tired after filling the car to the brim.  Partly Mowing the lawn, cleaning and sorting and gardening.
Seem to have come home with just as much baggage as I arrived with.

Moving right along.........

Love is.... A test of faith

Tuesday

I  have worked out how to get a good nights sleep.  Work out all day.  Yesterday was another day at my garden plot trying to dig it into shape.
I have 4 rows but Nola my neighbor at the plot took over the whole thing until now and i can only manage two rows.  Lucky the PD boys dug some of it for her. Colin is encouraging me to walk 3.3 km per day so I moan while we exercise. 
Today I have set aside working in the garden at home.  I hardly get much done before I have to come in to cook lunch.  Back into it and we have to go on our walk.  More gardening then dinner needs cooking.  Cooking has never been Colin's strong point so I am teaching him slowly.  I  need to because before all this I would carry on all day and only stop for a quick lunch or keep going till 3pmish. All the interruptions are time consuming.

Yoga
I am loving getting back to teach my yoga class.  Have decided it is time and my need to trim up is motive. Yoga is an amazing exercise for toning strengthen and balancing. Always thought it was weetbixy but it sorts out my back problems well. 

Wednesday

Specialist appointment and he is pleased with  Colin's progress. There is a increase in liver function tests and this could be the start of Graft vs Host so hoping it will settle down. The Chimera test has improved showing that the donor cells are grafting. This could be the take over that is causing the abnormal results. Wait and see game.

Hope like hell it is all OK!

After a long day of stops at hospital, lunch, pickup Julie Q, florist appointment, Drop back to Parnell, Mitre 10, buy a lawnmower, Pakn Save, Supplement shop, Bunnings I have had enough and come home by 4 pm to finish my lunch. Unfortunately some of the lunch has dropped all over my car.

2 closest rows are mine. Nola looking after the other 6!

That is all her planting and care

Getting ready for my beans 

Julie Q and me outside the florist shop Remuera 

What would you look like BALD?

Love is... Accepting you as you are

Watching Hair grow
It struck me that as strong as I am,  I would not enjoy being bald. Apart from looking weird.   My sudden onset of more gray and the prospect of darker regrowth is put aside.  Colin's hair is definitely darker thank goodness.  He was super grey in  May before transplant.  I'm still jealous of his dark long eye lashes.  I would steal for those.
So now he doesn't need his hat so much because his soft downy hair is working as an insulator. The other down side of chemo apart from the obvious sickness is terribly dry skin and nails. Can't say it is worth going through chemo to get longer darker lashes and darker hair. 

All going as planned this week.  Unfortunately he broke his tooth.  Going to be an expensive replacement.  Caps are over $1400 these days. 
We are planning to get away for labour weekend.  so good Colin doesn't have to rush home for work either these days. 

AddictionS;

Reno Rumble, The Block,  Humans,  knitting           

Unfortunately they have all finished and I have run out of wool for my project.  Even Colin who didn't watch tv except the news is saying  "channel 3 Humans is on" 

Damn more cooking cleaning and gardening on the  agenda! 

We enjoyed Nola's home grown veges

Busy doing nothing!

Love is... Thinking of others

Thursday

Colin is doing well.  My gosh I can hardly keep up with him on our daily walks.  I  don't like walking up Hill and of course we live on a hill so there is always a hill climb.  If there is the slightest issue I  get  a bit scared but no need to panic this week.  His health is progressing well.
His hair,  though still light has grown and today is the first day he has not needed to wear his hat all the time.
He is able to do more each day.  We are so pleased the weather is warmer and it is safer to venture further a field.

I'm working hard in the garden trying to plant veges.  Now more than ever it is crucial that we have organic vegetables.  Unfortunately I have always failed with growing carrots that are big or straight or beetroot that are bigger than a 20c coin. I can grow magnificent silverbeet,  limes and parsley and weeds.
Hoping  my beans,  snowpeas,  cucumber,  tomatoes and courgettes will behave and produce fruit this season.

I am researching daily for anticancer foods.  I have discovered amazing information about foods we eat daily that are dangerous for our health.  The food producers have even lied to us and there is more money in keeping people sick than finding a cure. 
No trans fats or hydrogenated oils.  Good Food choices can keep you healthy. 

So sorry
To hear about  Andy's passing away 2 weeks ago.  Sandra D and I think of all the people that have crossed our paths on this journey.  We know how fragile life is  and how God has given our men some extra time.  Thinking of Manos,  Greg,  Paul,  Robert,  Rebecca, Monica,  Steve and Adair.

Spoke too Soon
Colin had a hypo episode tonight and after jellybeans,  1 peanut butter sandwich,  1 honey sandwich and a cocoa drink be improved.  Not sure if the flaxseed oil and yoghurt mixture is working on him to improve the insulin resistance.  Now he will adjust his insulin and make sure he snacks if  exercising.

Watching the All Blacks win against  Georgia