Lest We Forget

In Flanders Fields
by John McCrae, May 1915


In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Sometimes....

I love our dog. LOVE our dog. I think she's awesome, and I would honestly be surprised if we didn't have at least one dog, all the time, for the next 3 decades or so.

However, I love her a lot less when she wakes us up at 3 AM to go to the bathroom (she had a cooked bone at my in-laws' house on Tuesday, and they always speed up her digestion, if you catch my drift). And, I love her even less when I am up at 7 with Mr. Homeowner and the dog... and she goes back to sleep at 8 AM, and I cannot. Boo.

Failed Already!

I didn't post yesterday- I ran around like a crazy person doing errands for most of the day, and then headed over to my in-laws' for jam making and dinner, and I didn't get home until late, and then went straight to sleep. But, it's not a big deal- I wasn't going to win anyway...and nobody reads this. Haha!

NaBloPoMo....Day 2!!

Today was fairly uneventful....I bagged up all the leaves Mr. Homeowner raked up, and ran some laundry. Our dishwasher died the Friday before Canadian Thanksgiving, and it took weeks to get it fixed (in fact, it was only really fixed last Thursday), so I also ran the last couple loads of the backlog of dishes we had. It was gross. I didn't even take photos of the carnage, it was so gross.

And that was my boring day. (cue the sad trumpet)

NaBloPoMo 2009

So, I saw this on a bunch of blogs last year, and I decided to give it a try this year....

NaBloPoMo stands for National Blog Posting Month. The point is to post on your blog, every day, for the entire month of November. Since I've been a giant fail on regularly posting, I'm hoping that this may spur me into a daily habit.

As a side note, looking back at my archives, it's hard to believe that just a year ago, we were in the middle of Basement Reno Hell (which wouldn't be officially completed until APRIL), I was posting in absentia since we were in Maui, and I had put a plan in motion to get Pup. How much things have changed in a year!

One thing that HASN'T changed- my loathing of Daylight Savings Time/Standard Time. In reality, it serves NO PURPOSE. It's touted as a way to save energy, but I don't believe that for a second. All it does is move sunset earlier in the day....so, instead of people needing the lights for 3 hours in the morning, they now need them for 5 hours at night. The only way that the switch to Standard time would save energy is for employers to change their business hours to coincide with the daylight hours....which isn't going to happen. Business hours here (for downtown anyway) are Monday to Friday, 7 to 5...so we're getting up and getting ready in the dark, regardless....and the sunlight for the start of the workday really only lasts until the middle of November, and then we're going to work in the dark because the days get so short (they are longer here than they were in my hometown, though, which is farther north than Calgary). I just think it's pointless to keep switching the clocks back and forth....Saskatchewan doesn't ever switch their clocks, why can't we do the same here in Alberta?

Not to "Toot my own Horn"...

But I saved someone's life.

This is going to be partly my story, and partly a PSA for Blood Donating and such, so be warned!

I have been a blood donor since I was 17, which is the youngest you can be to donate. I signed up partly because my dad has been a blood donor for as long as I can remember, and partly because it would get me out of class for an hour. When you fill out the form, there was a box at the bottom that said "Please include me in the Bone Marrow Donor Registry". Knowing that the chances of me ever being a match for someone were LESS than one-in-a-million, I checked the box.

Throughout University, I donated blood as often as I could- the main donor clinic for Canadian Blood Services in Edmonton was on the University campus, so it was close by (and the free cookies and soup didn't hurt). But, once I started working, my donations really dwindled- it was difficult to secure time off to go and donate, and I never ended up working in an office where they organized employee blood drives.

This April, I came home from work to find a message from Canadian Blood Services on the answering machine. I called back, and discovered that I had popped up as a preliminary match for someone in need of a Stem Cell Transplant. I went into the lab, had a bunch of bloodwork taken (10 vials!!!), and waited for the results. I was only one person out of a group of people they contacted, so I really wasn't thinking about it too much.

At the end of May, I got another call- I was THE MATCH!!! The case manager asked if I was still interested and my exact words were "What do you need, and when do you need it?"

There was one wrinkle- normally, it was about 8 weeks from the phonecall to the donation. My recipient couldn't wait that long- my donation was going to be 3.5 weeks from the phonecall. So, the process began!

It started with another set of bloodwork, to ensure that I hadn't contracted anything new since April. Then, I had to go into the Foothills hospital- I had a couple of sessions with my case nurse, to make sure I understood what I was going to be going through, what the risks were, and what it would mean for both me and the recipient. I also got a head-to-toe physical (I even had to provide medical histories for my siblings, grandparents and parents!!), and had to allow the team access to my medical records at my family doctor. 10 days before my donation, I had to go for one last round of blood tests- again, to make sure nothing new had popped up. It may seem like overkill, but when you're pumping this stuff into someone with no immune system, you can't be too careful!

As I mentioned before, I was donating Peripheral Blood Stem Cells. It's a procedure that's analagous to a Bone Marrow donation, but it's much less invasive (Bone marrow donations are done under general anaesthetic). Basically, Bone Marrow is like transplanting the greenhouse, Peripheral Blood Stem Cells are like transplanting the plants IN the greenhouse, which then start growing. My cells would be transfused into the recipient, would take up residence in their bone marrow, and start producing stem cells and blood cells for the recipient.

Four days before my donation, I started getting injections of GCSF, a drug that would put my Stem Cell production into overdrive- Normally, your body only produces the stem cells you need and no more. I needed stem cells floating around in my blood, so they could be collected.

The GCSF was....interesting. During the week, I would be getting my injections at the Donor clinic, but during the weekend I had to go to another ward in the hospital (the Cancer ward), and get the injections from the nurses there. I was incredibly unimpressed with the way I was treated- everything about their tone and demeanor said I was an annoyance to them, and they had a really difficult time honoring my time constraints (the doses of GCSF have to be given at the same time every day to be most efficient, and you don't have a whole lot of wiggle room). It was by far the most infuriating part of the procedure, and one that I complained bitterly about for the benefit of future donors. The ward lost my paperwork (twice), had no one staffing the office where I was supposed to get my shot (meaning I had to search out a nurse...otherwise I would have been sitting there, waiting for no one), and failed to get my meds from the pharmacy (so I had to sit and wait while they weighed and measured me....again....and then waited some more while the pharmacy mixed it all up), and then I was forced to sit and wait to check for "an allergic reaction", even though I had already HAD GCSF shots with no reaction...turns out they needed help with my paperwork. For her part, my case nurse was horrified at what had happened, so hopefully they can work things out better for future donors. I do have to admit, if I'm ever called on to do this again, and I have to get GCSF on the weekends, I will just volunteer to inject myself, as opposed to putting myself through that circus again.

So, anyway, once I was getting the shots at the Donor clinic, everything was fine. I would go in, get injected in my tummy, and head home. I was signed up for 4 rounds automatically, and before my first shot I had to sign papers and papers and release forms and all kinds of things. I guess, in Canada, GCSF isn't approved for use in unrelated Stem Cell donors, and the drug in general has only been in use for about 15 years, so the long term side effects are unknown....they could be anything from infertility to leukemia to bone cancer. But, the drug is approved for unrelated donor use in France and Germany and Great Britian, and in Canada it's approved for use in self-donation (a cancer patient in remission donates stem cells to bank for their own potential future use)...from what I understand, the process to get a drug approved for use in Canada is long and arduous, and while it's in the process of being approved it can't be used at all. So, One Match has decided to just use the drug. While I was getting these shots, my recipient was getting Chemo, to kill the remainder of their immune system, so it wouldn't attack my transplanted cells.

The only side effect I noticed was pain- everything from my hips to my toes ached. Ironically, moving around made it feel better, so we ended up spending a day at the Calgary Zoo and a day doing errands, keeping me moving.

The day before my donation, I had to go in for more bloodwork, to check my Stem Cell levels...and they weren't high enough. I headed back to the hospital for a second GSCF shot that day, and had to be in early on donation day for a sixth and final shot.

I was going to be admitted to the hospital as a day patient, and the collection was going to be done through a central line inserted in my jugular vein. I was going to be gone all day for my donation, and then couldn't drive myself or be left unsupervised for 24 hours following my donation, so we sent the dog to my In-Laws', and my mom came down from Edmonton to sit with me in the hospital and for the day after my donation (until Mr. Homeowner got home from work).

June 17 was Donation Day!!! We were up really early- I had to be at the hospital by 7 for my last GCSF shot and all the paperwork and prep.

The day started in the Donor clinic, with my last shot. I was then admitted, and got gowned up. When they were ready, I was taken to the Cath/Angio Lab for the insertion of my central line- they took me into the theatre, did an ultrasound of my neck to make sure my jugular vein was nice and straight and clean, iodined me, and draped me. The surgeon came in, worked for about 30 seconds, and the line was in! It wasn't that uncomfortable- I felt the pricks of the needles going in (local anaesthetic, the central line, and the stiches to hold the line in), and I felt pressure and wiggling in my chest as he threaded the line in, but that was it.

After the line was in, I was transferred to the Day Medicine Unit, and after one last bathroom break, I was attached to the Apheresis machine.

The day did go fairly fast- My mom was there for company, I was constantly monitored by a nurse and my Father-In-Law (who is a doctor at the Foothills hospital) came by to visit. I couldn't get up and move around, so the whole "commode" experience was interesting, and the food wasn't half bad. I was being given anti-coagulants through my central line to prevent my blood from clotting, which was making my fingers and lips tingle, so I had to increase my calcium intake to combat this- I had an excuse to eat ice cream!!!

My blood was taken several times throughout the day, both to keep an eye on my levels, and to keep track of the amount of stem cells already collected.

After about 7 hours hooked up to the machine, we had reached (actually SURPASSED) the number of stem cells needed for the donation, so I was unplugged and the discharge process was started. All told, my ENTIRE blood volume cycled out of my body, through the machine and back in FIVE TIMES.

I went home with a GIANT bandage on my neck (I had a giant hole punched in my jugular vein, and my blood was thinner than usual, increasing my chances of a "catastrophic bleed"....hence the constant supervision for 2 days), Mr. Homeowner showed up not much later, and my In-Laws popped by to drop the dog off. We ordered take-out for dinner, and went to bed early.

The day after my donation, I went back to the hospital for one final round of bloodwork, to make sure everything was rebounding the way it should have. I had had so many blood tests done that week that they had to use the veins in the backs of my hands- the anticoagulant had made all the previous puncture sites leak and bruise, so none of them were viable. I also developed an allergic reaction to the surgical dressing they covered my neck with- my neck itched and I had a rash.

I didn't have any side effects at all, really- my soreness from the GCSF went away the day after my donation, my bruises healed. I was EXHAUSTED for the whole week after my donation...I would sleep full nights, then take 4 or 5 hour naps during the day, and I was still tired! I also have a small scar from where the central line went in, and some discolored patches on my neck from the allergic reaction.

This September, after 3 months had passed, I could contact the OneMatch people and ask for an update on my recipient, which I did.

Last Monday, I got the call- my recipient was producing their own stem cells....THE TRANSPLANT WAS A SUCCESS!!!!!

And then of course, I saw the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation commercial and cried like a baby.

Now, I wait until next June- I can contact the OneMatch people again, and if the recipient agrees, we can contact each other...which I think would be AWESOME. I'm so excited!!!

Yes, there is definitely a chance that the recipient could relapse...in which case, I'll be contacted for another donation (either Stem Cells, Bone Marrow, or White Blood Cells). If the donor is still healthy come June, I will be released (at the moment, I'm on a holding list- so I can't be called upon to donate for anyone other than my recipient).

I have been asked several times "Why? Why would you go through all of this for someone you don't know?" The answer is simple:

"Because if it was me, or someone I loved, I would be hoping against all hope that there was someone out there willing to help"

Someone out there needed my help. I could provide my help. Why would I NOT help someone in need? Why would I NOT do all I could to make someone's situation better, to give them more time, to give them a second chance?

So, in closing, become a blood donor, and become a Stem Cell/Marrow donor. You could change someone's life.

Some photos:

Me hooked up to the Apheresis machine (on the left).

My neck two days later, after the bandages came off. It's too bad it wasn't closer to Halloween- I could have drizzled some fake blood down my neck and gone as a vampire victim!

So, that's my story.

Whoops...missed a day...or two...

So what has happened since Friday?

Well, I still don't have my rings back- I'm holding out hope for today or tomorrow for their return. My finger still isn't totally healed, though, which does concern me. I did end up improvising rings for going out during the weekend- I wore my engagement ring with an old silver ring I had in my ring stash (I used to be BIG on wearing rings...always silver, only on my ring fingers, always more than one).

On Saturday we took Pup in to the emergency vet....again. It seems we're there every couple of months or so. She was shaking her head nearly nonstop, and one of her ears was all red and had black flakes coming out of it...turns out she had a yeast infection in her ear. They had to sedate her to clean her ear (and they still couldn't get everything out), and they sent us home with some meds. In our defense, we recognized her ear was red and there was black stuff in it...but we thought it was a scratch that was healing. She had been playing with a 10-week old puppy recently, and their teeth are like NEEDLES, and the puppy bit Pup's ear....so we just assumed it was a scratch that bled. Now that she's had her first ear issue, we will have to prescribe to a weekly ear cleaning regimen...for the rest of her life. Ah well, all things considered, she was lucky- that same night, two dogs were brought in on stretchers because they couldn't walk, one dog was vomiting and passing blood, one dog had hurt it's back leg enough to not be putting any weight on it at all, and there was a 9-week-old puppy who had the side of his little face crushed by one of the other dogs in his new household biting him (THAT was heartbreaking....they drove from Fort McMurray to Calgary that day to get him treated, which is 9 hours in the car...and he was just so flippin' cute!!!).

After we got Pup treated and home (the sedative she was given to calm her during the ear cleaning knocked her out big time, so she went right to sleep as soon as we kennelled her), we went out to celebrate the 40th birthday of one of Mr. Homeowner's friends. It was really nice- they had booked a small restaurant in it's entirety, and the cocktail nibblies were delicious!

Sunday was low key- just hung around the house, and practiced wrestling Pup into submission to give her her eardrops. Wrestling is the correct term- we lure her to lie down, and then Mr. Homeowner jumps on her and holds her down, and I push her head to the side and put in the meds, then massage the ear. Pup makes THE. MOST. PITIFUL sounds in the world....a cross between a groan and a whine. It breaks my heart, but we have to do it.

Monday and Tuesday were more of the same- Pup Wrestling twice a day, and doing errands and chores around the house. And today, so far, I've taken Pup to see her normal vet, to get her ear checked. Her ear was still so inflamed he couldn't even get the otoscope in without having to push so hard he'd hurt her. So, we're going to finish her meds, flush her ears every day, and if she's not better again in a week, I'll take her back.

I have to say, I can't believe that it's the last day of September. The weather just started to cool off this week- it's been below zero in the mornings, and Mr. Homeowner has started wearing a jacket. The wind has been cold (but the sun still has heat to it, if you're out of the breeze), and they're predicting snow flurries for this weekend (although, I will believe it when I see it!). I'm not enjoying fall as much as I normally do....I feel really unsettled and untethered. I hope it passes, because fall really is beautiful here, with the leaves changing and the crisp mornings.

Ringless....

I did end up taking my rings in on Wednesday to get upsized. I don't get them back until mid-next week. Even if I did get them back earlier, I can't wear them until my finger has totally healed, so it kinda is a moot point, but we are going out a bunch this weekend, and I feel weird showing up places, as a newlywed, with no rings on- I am not even supposed to wear my engagement ring! I may cheat for a bit and improvise some rings for myself, just to have something to wear on that all-important finger.

Oh, the Irony...

Yesterday it was about 33 degrees here in Calgary. Records were broken all over Southern Alberta. It was the hottest day we've had in Calgary ALL YEAR. It was the SECOND DAY OF FALL. Oh, the irony. It just speaks to the chilly summer we had.

Today is supposed to be almost as warm- I already got Pup out to the park (just like yesterday), so she could get a run in before it got too hot, and we'll take her again tonight at about 7- she can play for an hour before it gets dark, and it's cooler for her.

I'm just trying to enjoy this- according to the weathermen (who I never believe anyway- they can barely predict what it's going to be like later in the same day, let alone looking 7 to 10 days ahead) it's going to be chilly next week...we're talking high temperatures of 3 to 6 degrees, and lows of below zero! Blah!

There's MORE Good News and Bad News...

The Good News: My cough and the crushing pain in my chest are gone.

The Bad News- Mr. Homeowner spent most of yesterday afternoon and evening struggling with a "gastrointestinal malady", shall we say, and I am currently going through Kleenexes like I have stock in the damn company. My nose has NOT stopped running all day, and now my eyes are starting to water, and I'm getting a headache from all the nose blowing. I am seriously considering taking a Claritin, just to be able to get enough of a break from the kleenexes to EAT, but if I actually AM fighting something off, I don't want to dampen my body's natural defenses in any way.

And, I bit the bullet and took my rings in today to be upsized...I won't get them back until sometime next week. At least that will give my sink more time to heal- all the scabby stuff has fallen off, so now I'm just waiting for the raw "new skin" to toughen up and grow over. I'm sparing you the photos. Trust me, it's nasty.