§ The Limbo Dance: signifying an emergence from death to life. §
18 October 2016 – Email Update to friends and rellies – I think he’s getting better…..
Glass half full – or glass half empty?
This is my view: It’s been a wonderfully even-paced week/ten days of improvement since I last wrote an update.
This is John’s view: “I feel like a train engine, stuck in the middle of a field, with the railway lines removed ahead.”
How we see things differently!!
So here’s what I think!
And so, as it’s me writing the update, I offer my perspective as follows – John has been slowly improving as the week has gone on and I submit the following statement as evidence, m’lud:
Firstly……consider the itch
The itchiness has been less itchy, thereby requiring fewer ointment applications and fewer pills popped than previously. (Although I must confess John did start with itchy eyes mid-week, which is also a sign of GvHD (Graft versus Host Disease), but this has been mild rather than massively intrusive.)
Secondly……fewer physical effects
As a result of the lesser physical effects, John has been up to walking further and further. i.e.
- We went to Packwood House on Monday afternoon and had a lovely leisurely walk from the car park through the reception area, and on into the parkland, where we admired the grazing sheep and the wonderful trees beginning to re-dress themselves in their autumnal hues. The sun shone and it was pleasantly warm, enabling us to enjoy a few moments sitting on a bench taking in the views.
- Five days out of seven, John has walked to the shops and back to get himself a paper.
- He went to the Library on Friday to choose some books to read, and came back carrying a whole bagful of them.
- Also on Friday, clinic day, instead of me bringing the car round to the ‘setting down’ point at front of the hospital, he walked to where the car was parked
- Not only that, he has been working up a sweat on the cross-trainer every day……………..
Thirdly……doing jobs
Also as a result of lesser physical effects, John has been up to doing some jobs! i.e.
- On Monday, he ordered a new curtain pole for the curtain at the front door, to replace the one that had given up the ghost the previous week.
- On Wednesday, he then put up said replacement pole, and hung the freshly-washed curtain (including inserting all the curtain hooks)
- Also on Wednesday, he stripped the bedding from his bed and helped me put clean linen onto it
- On Saturday, he put some of the washing into the washing machine, then put the washed clothes into the tumble dryer (hasn’t ironed them yet though, darn it!!).
- Today he replaced light bulbs in a spotlight in the kitchen and the light fitting in the utility room.
- Almost every day this week, John has un-stacked the dishwasher and put the crocks away.
And then……good behaviour
At the clinic, the consultant remains pleased with progress, and the blood counts continue to show improvement in the cell counts. The consultant wasn’t worried by the development of the itchy eyes, and simply prescribed some drops to alleviate the symptoms. His pet phrase of ‘good behaviour’ was used several times during the consultation, and he said his examination of John revealed nothing unexpected.
A halo emerges
And…….at the beginning of the week, we both noticed, sparkling like silver tinsel on a Christmas Tree, the emergence of new hair growth. Such great excitement!! I see a lovely halo of hair as I look at him, and John is enjoying running his hands over his head every hour to check its progress!!!
Lastly….
And, lastly, he is thinking he might write his own update email soon…………..eek!! Watch this space folks!!
But I get it
I do understand John’s perspective. He is watching us all rush around like whirling dervishes and seeing the world fast-paced and hurrying past him as he tries to adjust his ‘chemo-brain’ and wasted muscles back to life in the Sleath household. He was/has been the instigator of the Sleath-paced life up to now and it’s grindingly difficult to see everyone on the whizzy Waltzers (where you wanna be…) when you’re on the gentle Carousel. John is looking for ‘the next project’ and is already champing at the bit to get going rather than sitting about. Trouble is, he doesn’t yet see the building up of his body as a project……….Arnie Schwarzenegger, got any tips?
Anyway, suffice to say, I’m happy. The man’s doing OK and he’s keeping up whenever anyone comes to visit – the afternoon naps are no longer a necessity – and generally starting to argue his political corner to anyone who’ll listen. You know he’s getting better when that begins, don’t you??
All for now.
Much love from Anne