November 20: T+ 26

Hard to believe it's almost been a month since the stem cell transplant.  We wondered if Ryan would be home by Christmas, and he's here well before Thanksgiving.

We're getting settled in with some sense of normalcy for the first time since April.  Catching up on things I've chosen to delay - like treatment for my plantar fasciitis, getting Kaia her speech therapy, resuming the piano lessons, etc.

For Ryan, the challenges continue.  He's got a painful and itchy rash on his fingers and toes.  Apparently not typical of graft-vs-host rashes (thank heavens), but miserable nonetheless.  He takes so many medications that nausea is a baseline constant with unpredictable exacerbations.  The cold really hits him, so it's difficult for him to get out and walk to build his strength.  Typically he wears a hoodie to help him stay warm, even indoors.  I suggested that he may want to get his walking in late at night in WalMart when there are few people there.  He could walk with his mask and gloves on and not touch anything.  But with the mask and gloves and a hoodie he's likely to have the police called on him or worse yet get shot by some vigilante!!

For months he's been girded up for battle, steeling himself to whatever comes next, determined to press on.  Now that most of the battle is over, he seems weary and exhausted physically and emotionally.  Sleep patterns are disturbed.  There is no real routine or regularity to his life.  He's working on doing some of his school work (he's taking 2 on-line courses from BYU that he has 14 months to complete and no deadlines for assignments).  Little by little.

Tim's knee is better but still problematic.

Oh my goodness.....I'm starting to sound like the letters we used to get from Tim's folks in North Dakota - full of everybody's maladies and the list of recent funerals!!!

Tomorrow we go to Boston for follow-up, with an 8 am appointment (groan).  They moved up the appointment which was scheduled for Friday.  We're not sure whether it's because of the holiday or his rash.

Then home to bake the pies and do all the Thanksgiving prep - with a little more to be thankful for this year than most!!
---Barb