The zen of tests...

Hello all

Wow I am loving this sunny weather we have been having here in the City. Not a lot of fog lately, which is rare for SF summers.

I hope summer is shinning down on you as well and bringing joy and warmth into your life.

Ok so I talked with a wonderful nurse from UC, Bridget. She has been very kind, helpful and funny.

It is looking like I will be going into the hospital on either July 3rd or July 5th. We are shooting for July 5th. This will allow me to go to my pipe circle the day before I go into the hospital.

I will be staying in a private room at the UC at the Paranaus campus (could be in a semi-private room for the first day or so). This is great because it is very, very close to our house. Not only that they have THE best Bone Marrow Transplant program in the world.

Thursday, I will be getting another Bone Marrow Biopsy, and a test that is something like a spinal tap ( eek), and various blood work.

It is policy to do the spinal tap to make sure AML has not effect the brain; however it is very very rare.

I have to say I am becoming much more zen about these tests and I have to laugh and can find the humor in it all.

Here I am living my life these past few weeks, feeling really strong. And soon it will all start again, the needles, the chemo, the changes in my body, the early morning blood draws, all of it. But it is all apart of the healing process and the steps to get me back in my life all healed up.

There is good news though; it is looking like I am going to be able to have an Auto Bone Marrow Transplant. This is the easiest and most successful of the 2 types. Sometime next week I will have another meeting with Dr. Martin and he will go over all the steps and procedures for the next several months including the step by step treatments, recovery time, risks and successes.

I am so relieved to hear this that I almost cant wait to go back into the hospital and begin.....Just kidding...... really I have some really wonderful things scheduled over the next 2 weeks so I’m happy with being at home till the 5th. :)

My birthday is this Saturday ( 44!!!!) so Noah and I are treating ourselves and are going to Napa Valley to a fancy spa Sunday-Tuesday( check it out http://www.indianspringsspa.com/)

They have a huge mineral pool that is a constant 90 degrees and it is warm there and sunny. So we are going to get massages, float around in the pool, feel the sunshine, hike a little, shop a little, eat yummie food and maybe even have a glass of wine.

What a gift that I am well and strong and alive and able to celebrate life with my sweet husband.

Thank you for reading my updates and being a constant source of love and strength. I look forward to sharing this process with all of you.

Find the blessings in your own life and the gift of breathing in and out in this moment.

Big love
Big Prayers
and
Big purrrrs

Namaste
Victoria