The reality of it all

Well, here it is one day before "Day 0" (the transplant), and the reality of all this is finally settling in. I know I've been preparing for this day for several months, but that doesn't make it any easier.

I'm not sure how I'm going to deal with the next two weeks, making dinner for Sylvia and myself every night, the thought of not being able to share a good bottle of wine with Edie, and sleeping in that great big bed alone.

Oh well, at least the City of Hope makes it very comfortable for the transplant patients.  The rooms are nice size and private, and even have a DSL connection for accessing the internet.

But no one will ever mistake this ordeal for a vacation, as evidenced by the numerous drugs and monitoring devices attached to Edie (not sure what the flashlight is for though), and the ordeal visitors have to go through.

Before entering the room, everyone (doctors, nursers, technicians, and the catering staff included) has to wash their hands, and put on latex gloves, and this very uncomfortable face mask. And so you don't forget, there's a sink, gloves and face masks at the entrance to each and every room.

I know there's good reason for all the precautions, which should become more evident in the next couple of days, as the Melphalan does its dirty work, and after the transplant, but that doesn't make it any easier to deal with.

So if you were planning on a visit, I would recommend against it. While I'm sure Edie would appreciate seeing everyone, she would probably feel worse knowing how uncomfortable you'd be.

Calling, emailing or instant messaging are much better options.