The Corner: Day +88

The body sure is amazing. The small improvements I mentioned in my last post have continued to increase rapidly. In the past 8-9 days, I have "turned the corner" so clearly I could almost see the corner, although I have no idea what the turn-factor was. My shortness of breath, ability to drink and eat and overall energy has improved dramatically. Even my hands shakiness has reduced so much I can wear mascara again! (A nice treat when you are a bald pale skin, pale eyed girl!) This week I caught myself walking without too much effort up the stairs, and had to laugh at the difference from just a few days before. Neither I nor the doctors can really say why, but I'm not going to worry about it - just enjoy it.


Given my new energy and strength, I was able to add a few more "non-health" appointments in my blackberry over the last while, including (but not limited to!)

* helping mom and dad babysit (overnight) Jack and Davis on the long weekend and last night - entertaining physio! They were sporting their Saskatchewan Roughrider gear and really getting into the action, coached by Papa.



* picking my Survivor: Gabon season team with three friends over lunch (the pool has been running for over 10 seasons now and is fiercely competitive - no excuses including transplants!)


* talking to a group of brand new medical students about my case, and realizing I knew more about hematology than they do!


* having coffees, lunches and dinners with various close friends and family, feeling unusually like myself again, as well as extremely grateful. Pictured: 4 of the 14 Antonini siblings: Mary Ellen, Marty, Therese, Lou (dad)



This week I have several non-health plans and appointments, but will not even have to visit the clinic! My next hospital is next Wednesday, when I'll have another bone marrow aspirate to test the state of my marrow, Day 100 on the study calendar. While aspirates are never fun, it will be a marker of how well I am doing, and given how I feel as of the last 9 days, I'm sure it will be a good marker.


So thanks for helping me turn the corner..it's a great feeling to be moving in a different direction again. Cheers.