T- 5

There are various ways to think about time here.  But from a transplant perspective, today is T minus 5.  Another waiting game, but one with real milestones from now on. The clock really started yesterday. We have home-administered two doses of antibiotics, 12 hours apart. The first one was at 11 PM and it took 90 minutes. We are going to wiggle that one back a little at a time so we can go to bed at a more civilized hour.  This morning started slowly, needless to say. Jon's pro forma appointment at the IPOP is at 1:30.  He is feeling better today and he ate breakfast, which is kind of momentous.

*****

At 8:30 last night we still hadn't received the delivery of the drugs, but we had been assured that they were coming. Don't know where they were coming from. At about 9:30 the delivery guy called up from the lobby, asking if we were able to come down to get it. Jon hopped off the couch, put his mask on, and headed for the elevator.  The delivery guy took a look at him and asked the receptionist if we could borrow a dolly.  How the mighty have fallen. The boxes were cumbersome but not heavy. Mostly full of padding and styrofoam, since this is a refrigerated medicine.  

We have been studying this ball, trying to figure out how it works. As I said yesterday, it is clever. When it is full, it looks like a balloon full of water. But as it empties itself, it becomes clear that there are two layers. The liquid is in an inner ball that is more rigid and the outer layer gets sucked in, deflating. Somehow this creates pressure that pushes the drugs up the line. The home care person didn't talk about how it works, she just wanted to be sure we were going to be good about cleaning all the places where bacteria can wander into Jon's central line. My hands have never been so clean. I am actually using the disinfectant to create a working surface.  I have a job!

Yesterday evening Charles and LeeLee and Hugh and his girlfriend Olivia came for an outdoor visit. We were very well behaved, sitting on our Popeyes-infused patio, but we still got scolded by the security lady.  We are limited to only one guest (although that rule is not written anywhere). But these guests were so polite and willing to get up and leave that she said, well, you already came here, you might as well stay.  I mean, we were outdoors.  What were we doing that was so bad? 

As I say, there are lots of ways to think about time here.  I just counted all the days on the calendar that we are likely to be here, and it seems likely that we have 25 more days. Oy.  I am going to try not to think about that. We have been here 10 days already.  The last time we did this, we were in Baltimore for 19 days, so this round is much longer. Those dang stem cells. But, considering that two days ago we thought for a moment that all this effort might be for nothing and we might be sent home (which sounded kind of good, to tell the truth), this is all good. Time is moving.  Slowly.

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