As the proverbial saying goes, “it’s always darkest before the dawn.” Or is it, “to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop you have to put in work”? Or maybe, “the last year before you retire is the worst of your working life because your friends are all retired already and playing golf and bridge all the time, and you want to do that too but you’re still clocking in, and your knees hurt and you can never find The Google on your computer anymore because technological change outpaces your desire to keep up, but Boca Raton is within reach.” Something like that.

It’s been a trying few weeks. The four day series of radiation treatments last week were very taxing on Cathy. Leaving her physically sick and mentally drained. It sucked more than Monday’s let-down-of-an-eclipse. I now back up when my microwave is on.

Cathy was admitted to the hospital last Friday, and managed to rebound nicely despite getting two high powered chemo drugs – one on Friday and another Sunday – piled on to her already weakened condition. Tuesday was “transplant” day, where they took her cells out of the freezer and reinfused them. Since then she’s had a pretty steady low-grade fever, which the doctors think is either a reaction to the transplant, or the result of not having an immune system, or because she also developed a common cold on top of all this. Or a combination of all of the above. These complications are pretty standard though, with no changes to treatment needed. Luckily, the fever responds pretty well to Tylenol, but as you can imagine this has left Cathy feel pretty fatigued. To say the least.

We’re one week down though! And now it’s basically a waiting game: waiting for the stem cells to re-implant and for her immune system to regenerate. Once her numbers recover she can return home. We’re not exactly sure when that will be, but likely no earlier then next weekend.

In other important news, I was finally able to repay a favor that has been a long time coming. Since Cathy is stuck in the hospital with limited clothing options, I did a load of her laundry for the first time in my life.

She did my laundry for 18 years. I did her laundry once. It’s a wash!!

Elsewhere in the family, Owen is having an extended sleepover at Lindsay and Rob’s, where he has been hard at work helping Lindsay prepare for both her upcoming school year, and her upcoming child!

Thanks to everyone who has visited the hospital, called, or texted. It helps keep all of our spirits up – particularly Cathy’s. Almost to the home stretch! Keep the good vibes flowing!