Home Stretch

Today was a long, hard day. My in laws and I took Scott to St Vincent's hospital in Manhattan and left him for two weeks. That sounds very harsh, but it isn't. This is the beginning of the end of this terrible ordeal that we have been going through for the past many months. We are now on the home stretch. It is going to be a very trying two weeks, but it will be worth it in the end. Daniel, my tough guy, again is very very affected by this whole thing. Last night was a teary goodby for him and Scott, and when he arrived at my sister and brother in law('s) home he was very stricken, for a long time. Today, when it was light outside, it was ok, he talked the talk and walked the walk. He spoke to Scott on the phone, laughed, told him about his day, but as soon as the sun set, well, it wasn't good. He retreated into the "I'm tired," mode, and was prone on the couch facing the pillows, for a good part of the night. Cassidy, the littlest Tierney, got weepy right at bedtime. But, she was over it in a few minutes. Patrick, well he is taking it all i stride, he is a little schutchy, needling his siblings about stuff, but otherwise nothing out of character for him.
Scott did well this morning, he was anxious to get in to the hospital, get ready to get his chemo, and start the road to remission. Each time I spoke to him, I was impressed with the way he sounded, quiet, bored, but otherwise, not in a downer mood. He was informative and funny, but the poor thing is already bored, goodness sakes, it will be a long two weeks for him!
I am ok, trying to exhaust myself, so that I am not reminded that his side of the bed is empty. I am a little lonely, but at least I have the children, they will keep me hopping!
Tomorrow is a big day, Daniel and I are going to visit Scott. WE will be taking the Long Island Rail Road and then the MTA Subway to 14th street, to walk the two blocks to go and see Scott. I am bringing him a few things, he requested a piece of his lemon Merengue pie, that his Mom made for him on Sunday, some of his favorite girl scout cookies and a diet soda, or two. He is getting tired of ginger ale already. These things I can accomodate him with. He is allowed outside food for this week, then he goies on a neutropenic(I hope I spelled it correctly,) diet, which basically helps him to avoid taking in any bacteria to avoid infection. He has one more day of chemo and fluids and then by Thursday, he should have his stem cells put back into his body. He will then have to sit and wait for his counts to go down to make him feel like the big Crap, and then he will get better. The doc said that next Tuesday, will be the beginning of the lowering of the counts, the sickness, if any, and then by the following Sunday, his counts (white blood, red blood,platelet etc.) should be rising, and by the following Tuesday or Wednesday, he will be ready to go home with minimal restrictions.The restrictions will be lifted after a couple of weeks, and he then can resume a normal life. So join me on the home stretch, welcome Scott to this point of the great race we call life, and laugh with us, we are beating this thing called CANCER. It is a hard life and one we will embrace with love and fight. We will be faithful that GOD has walked the road with us, given us fight and strength, when we didn't know where or how it would come to us, and celebrate with us that we are going to be healed. You see, I always use the term,"WE," because, never ever, not once, would I have let Scott walk over this hilly, bumpy, full of pot holes, road, alone. ALONE isn't in my vocabulary. We walk the road, smooth or rough, together, always. Good night for now, I will update as the treatment continues. Please excuse my absences from the writing world, I am holding my family's collective hand through this rough patch on the road.