Not much has gone on these past three days but resting.  I got to go see Mom Wednesday and she got her some new wheels (walker) Tuesday.  Her balance is still off but she said she is getting better everyday.  She sees her cardiologist next week and a ENT doctor at the end of the month.  So glad specialists are so busy that you better not have anything major wrong because no telling how long you’ll have to wait!

I did get to see Shadow again and he wanted in my lap but he had to settle for just some scratching on the ears. Didn’t get to stay at Mom & Dad’s very long because both of them had the sniffles but I got to see them!

I go see my PCP tomorrow and get my first blood work after coming home.  I am running a minor temp of 99.5º so I hope it doesn’t go any higher! Never mind, took my hat off and tried it again and it’s 98.4º.  I have one of those thermometers that you run it across your forehead.  I guess it is true that wearing a hat in the wintertime keeps the heat in your body!

I am going to the supermarket after I go to the doctor.  It can’t be any worse to go there than going to the clinic where sick people goes.  I will wear my mask and carry hand sanitizer to both. My nephew, Matt, called today to see how I was. Everyone keeps asking us if I have seen any changes and I/we keep telling them that it can be up to two years before we see any if at all.  All I ask is to stop the progression so I don’t get any worse.

Will get back with everyone later!

Hello to everyone on my first Monday back in Piggott, Arkansas!  It feels so good to be home.  Shadow got out of jail (kennel) this morning.  He went to Tiffany at K9 Kut & Kurl and got a bath so he could come see me!  He wasn’t near as excited to see me as I was to see him.

Dad came over and gave my head a shave and of course Shadow had to see what was happening.  Once he saw that nothing was happening that concerned him, he jumped up in my chair and made him a bed and took a nap.

It will grow back but the little stubby hair that I had felt like little needles when I laid my head on a pillow.  Thanks Dad for the shave, my head feels so much better!

Mom sounds a lot better today.  She goes and sees Dr. Mallard tomorrow!

Friday night started out loud and crazy!  Got my luggage packed and knew that I had to go to bed early because 3am was going to come awful early Saturday morning.  I went to bed at ten pm and everyone else in the group had been talking about all the karaoke bars and the party noise they had been hearing on the weekends but I never heard it. Well I sure did that night!  I heard and felt every bass beat that night until about midnight. My fan had developed a little squeak so I got up moved my fan around and got the squeak stopped and actually slept till the alarm went of at 3am!

Up and at it and got everything ready with 30 minutes to spare!  Had to be down at the guard’s office at 4:15am to be picked up to go to the airport.  My flight didn’t leave until 8:15am.  Angel, the driver, came and told me that I wasn’t going on that trip that he would be back in an hour to get me; which is what I wanted all along.  I had Chriss take me back to the room and he was a little upset, I think.

Chriss texts Paco and asked him and he showed me where Paco sent him the schedule.  Chriss said that Angel wasn’t suppose to change it, so back down stairs we go and everyone was waiting on us. We were at the airports by about 5am.  Finally made it to the counter of United Airlines that really didn’t open up until about 6am or at least I didn’t see anyone behind the counter until then.  Thank goodness for Lynn and her parents because they kept me company and was on the same flight as I was!  Got my luggage checked and headed to the x-ray machines to go thru.  Got to get felt up and my carry-on luggage got to get unpacked.  Of course my laptop was on the very bottom and they had to take everything out so they could take it out of it’s case so they could individually run it thru the x-ray machine!

They went thru all my medicine, which I had six months worth, but I also had prescriptions so I was okay there. Finally became time to board the plane and the stewardess seen my red Razorback purse and she ended up being from Texarkana so she kinda took me under her wings since I was disabled and traveling by myself.  She was also going to be on my connecting flight to Memphis. Got to Houston for an hour and a half layover, which I now know is not long enough to go thru customs and use the bathroom.  I got another pat down and my carryon got unpacked and repacked again.  Was going to the bathroom but I had to make the decision, wait on the handicap stall to get empty or get to the plane!  Well the plane won out because I sure didn’t want to get stuck in Houston!  I made it to board in the last group.  My friend told me she was beginning to worry about me, but she was nice enough to set me in a seat where I wasn’t next to anyone and was easier for me to get in.

It was so nice to get to the states and hear English even tho I did hear some Spanish sprinkled in hear and there.  Made it down to the luggage carousel and there was Marty and Paula, they were a wonderful site to see.  We waited for my luggage and they never came around but in the meantime, Marty took me to the restroom which was also a blessing since I hadn’t seen the inside of one since Puebla City airport!  I would have never made it that long, I don’t think, if that would have been before my HSCT.  They finally went and checked on my luggage and it didn’t make it on the plane so it got loaded on the next flight to Memphis so we had to wait for an hour for it to come in on the next flight.  The lady had taken Paula’s name and number to call us when it came in.

We wen to the van to wait for the call and guess what, it never came!  After almost 2 hours, they went back in and there was my two little bags just riding the carousel around and around all by themselves and the office that was going to call Paula was closed! Go figure!!  They got my luggage and we high-tailed it out of there.

By that time, I was starving since I hadn’t had anything since ice cream Friday night and it was going on 4:30 by then. they made a suggestion of Sonic since I couldn’t be around crowds but I also wasn’t suppose to eat out!  I told them I was really craving a strawberry slush but I can’t have strawberries for 6 months but I would be more than happy to drink a vanilla DP.  So off to Sonic we head and by the time we got there I was starving so yes, I had a plain cheeseburger.

We finally made it home about 7:30 and we got my meds unpacked, Dad came over and plugged things up for me that I didn’t notice before the girls left.  He came over and looked like a bandit with a towel tied around his nose and mouth and I had my face mask on. it was a Daddy/Daughter gang!  It sure was good to see him and hopefully I will get to see Mom Monday!

Today has been a very lazy day resting and relaxing.  I had been wanting a pizza ever since my white blood cell counts had come up but it was on the no-no list so guess what I had for lunch?  You got it – a frozen Digornio that I cooked (actually microwaved) but it wasn’t delivery!

Going to close this post for tonight for tomorrow I get to start phone calls to try and find someone to give my rituximab infusions in January.  I need to pay bills that Mom didn’t get done before they are late.  She took care of my bills while I was gone and that meant a lot to me!  Hummm, maybe that’s why she started having heart pains, she was having to write the checks to pay my bills!  She sounds a lot better today but said she was still having some balance issues so continue with the prayers because they are definitely appreciated.

Once again, I want to thank all my family and friends, because without you, I would not have been able to make the trip to Clinica Ruiz in Puebla City, Mexico to put a stop to my MS monster progression.  I will always remember your help and kindness!

The last day in Mexico before flying out tomorrow!  I am so ready to come home so I can see how my momma is doing.  I have to be ready and picked up at 4:30am.  Unfortunately my flight doesn’t leave until 8:15am.  We have already had a miscommunication!  Oh well, I guess that will give me enough time to get thru customs!  I have my bags packed and ready to go but my meds and electronics.

Here is my last Mexican meal before I leave.

Another meal by Chriss’ mom.  It is pipian which is chicken in green sauce with rice. It was very good!

Last post from Puebla City, Mexico.  See everyone soon!

Today has been a very slow day.  I have stayed in the apartment with a little bit of an upset stomach!  I so hope that things are better for tomorrow since I need to pack and get ready to fly home Saturday. I am so ready.

I did get to have some good home cooked Mexican food from Chriss’mom.  Molé chicken and rice!

It was good!

Just got a call from Dad and I wish I was home right now so bad.  Mom is at St. Bernards having tests run.  They have found that she is a-fib and has been put on blood thinners.  She is scheduled for a stress test and other test tomorrow.  The tests that she has had today have come back normal. Please say a prayer for my momma to be safe and everything is alright.

Dr. Blake told Dad to not come pick me up Saturday since he has been snotting and snorting and he doesn’t need to be around me.  I feel bad that Sam is going to have to come get me by himself. I want Dad to be with Mom anyway. This is not a good ending to the day so good night everyone!

This has really been a slow day but relaxing. Today was Chriss’ birthday. He went to the grocery store and got me pesos to get me thru the next few days.  Tomorrow the girls are going to the dormant volcano but you have to climb up and down stairs so we aren’t going to go.

Chriss’ mom is going to bring us a good home cooked Mexican lunch tomorrow and I am very excited!  That’s another reason we aren’t going is because we had already made this plan.  The girls and I are going to try and get together sometime tomorrow before we all start heading in our separate ways.

Two days and counting!

Happy Halloween everyone!! Not much is going on here and since I am still in the neutropenic stage I can’t get out and see any of the festivities.  The Day of the Dead is the 2nd so maybe I can see some that day.  It is also Chriss’ birthday and our last day at the clinic.

They came this morning to give me my last shot of filigrastam.  Out of a group of five, I am the only one that had to do this.  I hope my blood work is good tomorrow.  I don’t know how, but I am told that Group 2 jumped ahead of us and got their rituxin infusion today.  I hope I’m not the reason they got to go ahead and will finish before us.

My vitals today were 35. 9C temp, and 113/76 blood pressure, and 81 heartbeats/minute. That’s it as far as all medical goes.

They came early this morning and told us the water would be shut off at 4 and came back about 3:30 to remind us again plus tell us it would take about an hour.

That’s about all that’s going on here so I will close and nap again!  Everyone have a wonderful time at the community trunk & treat!  Would love to see all the ghosts and goblins!  Post those pictures on Facebook!

What a day this has been already! Not really!!  They were here about 8am for the booster shot and no vitals were taken today so this is what we did…

In tribute to my hometown win for the Piggott Mohawks!  Lewis, the husband of Betsy that is in our group, made the suggestion of a mohawk.  Little did he know that was my school mascot so it had to be done!  Don’t expect to ever see this again!

The final cut!

Chriss enjoyed doing this way too much but it was coming out and was sticking me like needles when I lay down at night.  Just 1 more week and some will get to see this new Doo in person!

I am so ready to come home.  The 2nd is Chriss’ birthday and also the Day of the Dead so hopefully I will get to see some celebrating going on.  Maybe I will be out of the neutropenic stage and can go out with a mask on!

  This statue is in one of the intersections that we go thru every time we go to the clinic.  It looks like it is a stained glass piece! (Don’t know for sure) It catches my eye every time.

 There is somebody at every traffic light selling or doing something.  Here, one was washing windshields and the other was doing gymnastics!  They are doing something to earn the pesos they receive instead of just a hand out and a sign and I am impressed!

I go to the clinic after I get the blood work done tomorrow so until then, I will continue on my journey!  Have a wonderful weekend!!