We Keep On Waiting

And..................we wait......

In the meantime, here's my update on Jolynn who hit Day Plus 100 six days ago, a traditional milestone for bone marrow transplant patients.  The OHSU team continues to deliver great news about her bloodwork results at her weekly visits to the Knight Cancer Center at Portland's waterfront.  The security in that building has hit a new high, completely forbidding me to even get on the elevator or wait in the lobby so she goes to her appointments by herself.  We've been worried about her weekly weight loss, likely due to her acute GVHD issues but the liquid steroid is helping her stomach welcome food.  Her task:  Consume Calories!  This morning's grocery delivery will bring many flavors of her non dairy ice cream and lots of yummy treats to help her put weight on.  And it's working.....yesterday's clinic visit delighted us with the news that she has GAINED 6 POUNDS!  Wooooohooooo!  As she eats her non-dairy Ben and Jerry's chocolate ice cream, we wait for her results of the bone marrow biopsy.  Expecting more good news!

I, on the other hand, am trying NOT to consume calories. 
Yeah, right.

Looking out the windows for tidbits of gratefulness.  The birds are gobbling up the food in their window feeder and the deep purple Irises are standing tall with Miracle Gro in their thankful roots.  A dozen Extremely Fragrant bare root roses from Heirloom are on their way to our English gardens so I'm perusing the yard, gleefully looking for a homesite for each rose.  Cub has relocated to our Portland address and her double bagger behind my seat brings me joy. The vase of spectacular pink Lillies sent to us for Mother's Day from Hannah and Alex still permeate the kitchen.  Bear and I gently swing on the big blue saucer swing in the backyard while I tell him how much I love his sweet face.  Trish pops in occasionally to sit on the deck under the gigantic Wisteria with us and often she will vacuum the downstairs just for the hell of it.  Mary and Ryan stopped over with adorable 11 month old Rory last weekend and we hung out in the freshly mowed back yard.  We hired Ken to help with a task in the vein of getting the farm property ready to sell and that was a productive day....... waiting for the farm to find a buyer.  A good friend of Jolynn's sent us beautiful homemade masks in the mail from San Diego while we wait for .... I don't know what ....  a vaccine? The groceries? The biopsy results? The roses?  Motivation to keep writing?

November?
  ha

Finding gratitude in the interim.  Our amazing HC turned 30 a few days ago and in just a few short months, she will graduate with her masters degree in NYC.  I had to cancel my plans to be there for her birthday and I won't be able to fly there for her graduation and that is the outrage that I'm trying to console with gratitude for bare root roses and Bear's sweet face. 

And all the while, we are waiting, waiting, waiting on the world to change.....

                                                          John Mayer
                               https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBIxScJ5rlY