If all goes to plan, Jen will be discharged tomorrow and be home by late afternoon/ early evening. Although she will be home, she will need to be vigilant with hand washing (as well as us), staying as active as she can handle (to keep her lungs open), and staying away from anything or anyone who may make her sick. Although her numbers should rebound faster this time around, they will fall low.

By her numbers falling, the hope is the remaining cancer is killed off and she regrows healthy cells. Once the cancer is under 5%, it is undetectable. Jen was at 7% at her last biopsy. She will have another biopsy around day 21 or when her counts begin to return to normal. Today is day 4.

Randy came down to Columbus last evening to hang out with Jennifer and I. Tomorrow he will head back home but Jen and I will soon follow as Jen’s chemo cycles will be done Monday afternoon.

Jen’s numbers dropped a little today but her hemoglobin and platelets are still in normal range and white count, just under normal. Jen is very active while her numbers are still high. She has been challenging her brother to see who can walk the most steps. And just when she thinks she has him beat, he send her a message saying he is beating her by a few steps. So off she goes to walk another round.

The day we elected Donald Trump, Jen’s Doctor had called and said that she needed to see a hematologist. Three days later, we heard the word leukemia. Since that day, life has changed.

No more do we have time for ugliness and complaining. When we do, we are missing out on the blessings that surround us. No matter where we fall politically, we live in a great nation. We have friendships. We have the beauty of each day. We have each other.

It took leukemia for Jen and the rest of us to learn that. Maybe all the rest of you can by pass cancer, and take our lesson from our journey.

If I were to arrange a bone marrow donor drive in the Putnam County area, would any of you be interested in signing up to be a donor? It is free for anyone ages 18-44.

They especially need young men between 18-30 and people of African, Asian, Hispanic, and Middle Eastern descent.

Day 0
Although Jennifer has been admitted today, she is not at day 1…as they haven’t started her chemo. I don’t understand when they know she was to be admitted today, why they didn’t schedule the things she needed done to start chemo. We got here just after 7am and got her room at 9am. And then…we waited.

It wasn’t until 4 pm they did her pic line, that wasn’t ordered until late morning. They got her xray done at 5pm, also scheduled today. She needs an echo done also and they won’t start chemo until she has one. Her echo isn’t until tomorrow morning. …so no chemo today.

Gestures. They make a difference.

As we prepare to go back to Columbus for another hospital stay, I was going through the things from our last stay.  In it was a hairband of Jennifer’s.  When she was admitted last time, the hairband had a purpose and it went on the trip with us. This time, it stays behind. I started thinking about Jen standing in the bathroom, brushing her hair.  I miss that. It is such small things I miss.

But I decided to not let it consume me, but instead focus on the blessings I find each day. Many of them come in the way of a small but significant gesture. So a list of gestures over the last several weeks, I present to you.

1. The meal that showed up at our door.
2. The random note left for me or Jen.
3. The message left on Jennifer’s facebook wall with words of encouragement.
4. The extra money found in a bank account from an anonymous person.
5. The package of cards created by the little kids at daycare.
6. The $5 donation made by someone who posted days before on facebook  they were broke.
7.  The candle lit at church with a prayer for strength.
8. The visitors.
9. The garbage can placed back near the house on a windy day.
10. The card sent from someone who we never met, who saw in an art group Jen was in the hospital.
11. The hand placed on my shoulder, saying you are praying for Jen.
12. The gentle smile from who had never been so kind before.
13. The meal that was paid for when we were out on our way to an appointment.
14. The many prayers made each and every day for Jen.
15. The nurse who took an extra minute to give me a hug.
16. The people who have given blood in Jen’s honor.
17. The people decided to be on the bone marrow registry.
18. The friends who listen to me cry and scream when I am falling apart.
19. All the cards of get well. And of course Christmas cards.
20. The gift cards that filled our tanks and tummies.
21. The monetary donations that have got us through when we aren’t able to work.
22. The help with the house, the dogs, the meals, the laundry, and all the rest that goes without me when I’m with Jen in Columbus.