My new home away from home

It's 8:30pm and I'm settled in to my new home away from home at the Brigham and Women's Hospital. My room is comfortable and a little more spacious than a typical hospital room. In addition to my bed, I have a nightstand, a recliner, another chair, and a long padded bench with underneath storage. There's a mini fridge, a small flat screen tv, a few shelves, and a narrow closet. Plus a lot of medical equipment. There is plenty of room for all the photos, books, and 'knick-knacks' I brought. My family couldn't believe how much I brought! I think the nurse who had to wipe down everything may have felt the same way! Oh, and I have a nice big window where the sun streams through!

Settling in went easily. Questions from nurses and the weekend doctor. Dinner. Vitals and more questions. After my family left, I had my mouth care lesson (mouth care is very important during this particular chemo, since I'll soon have no immune system and will be prone to infection) and a few more questions. I am now awaiting a chest x-ray, an IV of potassium, and a new dressing on my Hickman line - the current dressing is itchy.

Tomorrow, my first dose of Melphalan starts around noon. Yikes! I've been awaiting that moment with excitement and fear. And now it is just 15 hours away! I could be really fearful but I'm choosing to see it as the beginning of my new healthy life :-)

And here was a boost for my spirit: tonight I was showing my daughter Sarah how much hair was on my pillow. Yes, my hair is now falling out and pretty quickly at that. She said, "well that means you'll get to wear those pretty hats soon!". And I do have some pretty hats :-)