Happy Birthday to Me!

Friday morning I got great news from my doctor.  My counts were looking great.  Up from earlier in the week and ahead of schedule.  The average person's counts are up at day 28... Sounds like a challenge to me... Mine were up at day 22!

With my counts looking good and not having any fever for a few days, they decided to give me the best birthday present I could have asked for.  I got to go home for the weekend!

After waiting what seemed like forever for them to get my medications together for me to take home, I was able to leave the hospital around 3:00 Saturday afternoon.  As I walked through my house, things looked different.  Everything was bigger, more open and brighter than I remembered.  It's amazing what spending 3 weeks in a 10x10 room will do to your preception of the outside world.  I sat down on the living room floor and waitied for Kendall to get Sydney out of her crate and take her outside for a pee.  As soon as she got to the side door she knew something was different.  She was excited and sniffing around - She hadn't forgotten about her mommy!  After a quick trip outside with Kendall, Sydney came running into the living room to see me.  She ran right into my arms, gave me all kinds of kisses and curled up in my lap to cuddle like no time had passed.  I don't remember when I've been that happy.

A little while later I went upstairs to grab a sweatshirt and experienced my only minor setback of the weekend - a little slip down the stairs.  Good thing they sent me home with painkillers.  The rest of the weekend I was a little more careful and let people take care of me.  I guess hanging out in a hospital bed for 3 weeks takes a toll on one's leg muscles.  Lesson learned.

The rest of my evening was spent eating grown up food (I've been eating a lot of Kraft Dinner and Chef Boyardee in the hospital) and cuddling on the couch with my man and my puppy watching movies on my 42" TV (a big upgrade from laying in a hospital bed watching my 9" TV).

On my birthday, I woke up in my own bed next to the man I love and had a lazy morning cuddling with my puppy.  I had GOOD coffee and my mom, grandpa and sisters came over to make me pancakes (with birthday candles) and bacon for breakfast.  I spent the whole day relaxing at home with family which may not sound all that exciting, but was the best birthday ever!

I'm back at the hospital now.  My vitals are all good and I'm sure I'll find out later today about my blood counts.  Hopefully I'll only be in here a few more days before this first chapter of my fight is behind me and I can go home and rest up for the next round.

My advice to all of you healthy people out there... Don't take the little things for granted.  You may not see how wonderful some of the most minute details in your daily life are until you can't enjoy them every day.  Savour each sip of good coffee with the sun streaming in your window.  Drink in every second of cuddles with loved ones (furry or otherwise).  You don't know how much you'll miss it when it's taken away from you.